Hardmoney: Hematite Rockhounding in Graves County, Kentucky

Quick details

Access

Public area

County

Graves County

State

Kentucky

Nearest road

KY 1684

Postcode

42027

Coordinates

36.91116, -88.58238

Geology at Hardmoney

This spot sits on Alluvium, mapped as silt | sand | gravel | clay that formed within roughly the last 3 million years. Loose deposits like these are float-collecting ground: erosion keeps moving durable rocks and minerals into gravel bars, cutbanks, and washes.

Mapped unit

Alluvium

Age

3 Ma to present (Quaternary)

Rock types

silt | sand | gravel | clay

Elevation

380 ft

Geologic mapping via Macrostrat and the underlying state geological survey maps (CC BY 4.0). Bedrock at the surface can vary within a mapped unit.

Best time to visit Hardmoney

Conditions here are workable year-round, with typical highs from 45°F in winter to 90°F in summer.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, BENTON station (14 mi away).

Land & collecting status

Generally open to casual rockhounding

Most public-tagged spots sit on BLM, U.S. Forest Service, or other federal land where reasonable hand collecting of common rocks and minerals is allowed. Confirm posted rules and active mining claims before you dig.

Public-land rules vary by agency, season, and field office. The RockHoundR app pulls live BLM, USFS, NPS, and tribal overlays so you can see exactly which agency manages the ground at this spot.

Sources & verification

Spot details combine the public RockHoundR location dataset, normalized mineral labels, agency land-status checks in the app, and community submissions. Coordinates are approximate until verified in the field.

Sources: RockHoundR public spot dataset, app land overlays, and local agency review before each trip.

Found at Hardmoney

Each chip opens all spots that produce that material; the encyclopedia link opens the full ID and field guide.

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