Vernon Parish: Silicified Palm Wood Rockhounding in Vernon Parish, Louisiana
Updated July 2026
Vernon Parish is one of the four parishes, with Rapides, Grant, and Natchitoches, that produce Louisiana's petrified palmwood, and its Catahoula gravels are a reliable source of the spotted, rod-structured fossil wood. Agate and general petrified wood turn up in the same deposits. The Calcasieu Ranger District of Kisatchie National Forest provides legal public access away from the parish's large military tracts. Reported finds include silicified palm wood. Below: coordinates, access notes, nearby spots, and trip-planning links.
Vernon Parish photos
Public image records connected to this spot or its reported material.
Map showing Vernon Parish in Vernon Parish, Louisiana
Quick details
- Access
- Public area
- County
- Vernon Parish
- State
- Louisiana
- Nearest road
- Alexandria Highway
- Postcode
- 71474
- Coordinates
- 31.22148, -93.10786
Geology at Vernon Parish
This spot sits on Alluvium, mapped as clay that formed within roughly the last 12,000 years. Petrified wood typically travels as tough float, and worked gravels like these are exactly where weathered pieces tend to collect.
- Mapped unit
- Alluvium
- Age
- < 1 Ma (Holocene)
- Rock types
- clay
- Elevation
- 250 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 Vernon Parish
Best months: September to June. Typical highs run 92°F in midsummer and 59°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 37°F.
Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, LEESVILLE station (10 mi away), adjusted for elevation.
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 Vernon Parish
Each chip opens all spots that produce that material; the encyclopedia link opens the full ID and field guide.
Nearby rockhounding spots
Other rockhounding spots within driving distance of Vernon Parish.
- LeesvilleVernon Parish, Louisiana · 10 mi awayPetrified Wood
- Leesville (opal area)Top pick in LouisianaVernon Parish, Louisiana · 11 mi awayLouisiana Opal
- Rapides ParishTop pick in LouisianaGrant Parish, Louisiana · 28 mi awaySilicified Palm Wood
- Toledo BendTop pick in LouisianaSabine Parish, Louisiana · 44 mi awayPetrified Palm Wood
- PollockTop pick in LouisianaGrant Parish, Louisiana · 47 mi awayAgate, Petrified Wood
- Ouachita RiverTop pick in LouisianaOuachita Parish, Louisiana · 95 mi awayAgate, Petrified Wood, Opalized Wood
- Sabine Lake Public Oyster AreaCameron Parish, Louisiana · 104 mi awayLapearlite
Across the state line from Vernon Parish
Vernon Parish is close enough to the Louisiana border that the next-closest rockhounding spots are in a neighboring state. Worth knowing if you are already on the road.
Vernon Parish FAQ
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More rockhounding in Louisiana
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