Tangipahoa River & Streams: Agate Rockhounding in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana

Plan your visit

Generally open to casual rockhounding

County

Tangipahoa Parish

State

Louisiana

Nearest road

LA 16

Postcode

70422

Coordinates

30.72487, -90.48530

Coordinates are approximate. Confirm the exact ground in the RockHoundR app, where land overlays show which agency manages the area.

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.

Access note: Reach the gravel bars from the LA 16 bridge and other public crossings near Amite City, and collect from the streambed below the ordinary low-water mark rather than the private banks. Much of the riverfront is posted, so use public road and bridge access and ask permission before crossing private property.

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.

Best time to visit Tangipahoa River & Streams

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Best months: September to June. Typical highs run 91°F in midsummer and 61°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 39°F.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, AMITE station (3 mi away).

Geology at Tangipahoa River & Streams

This spot sits on Alluvium, mapped as clay that formed within roughly the last 12,000 years. Gravels like these concentrate whatever survives the river: agate, jasper, and other tough silica typically show up as rounded, waxy stones.

Mapped unit

Alluvium

Age

< 1 Ma (Holocene)

Rock types

clay

Elevation

110 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.

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.

• Louisiana Geological Survey
• Kisatchie National Forest
• Louisiana State Parks rules
• Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules