Mount Apatite: Green Tourmaline & Pink Tourmaline Rockhounding in Androscoggin County, Maine
Updated June 2026
Mount Apatite is a lithium-rich pegmatite district where the Pulsifer Quarry produced some of the finest purple apatite crystals in the world, alongside green and pink tourmaline, aquamarine, and lilac lepidolite. The historic feldspar quarries now sit inside Auburn city parkland, making this one of the few Maine gem localities with genuine free public access. Garnet and smoky quartz turn up in the same dumps. Reported finds include green tourmaline, pink tourmaline, aquamarine, purple apatite, lepidolite, and more. Below: coordinates, access notes, nearby spots, and trip-planning links.
Mount Apatite photos
Public image records connected to this spot or its reported material.
Map showing Mount Apatite in Androscoggin County, Maine
Quick details
- Access
- Public area
- County
- Androscoggin County
- State
- Maine
- Nearest road
- Stevens Mill Road
- Postcode
- 04210
- Coordinates
- 44.08712, -70.29043
Geology at Mount Apatite
This spot sits on granite, mapped as granite that formed roughly 420 to 360 million years ago. Granitic rock like this is where pegmatite pockets tend to occur, the coarse-crystal settings that typically carry beryl, tourmaline, mica, and feldspar.
- Mapped unit
- granite
- Age
- 420–360 Ma (Devonian)
- Rock types
- granite
- Elevation
- 410 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 Mount Apatite
Best months: April to October. Typical highs run 79°F in midsummer and 28°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 11°F.
Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, LEWISTON station (4 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.
State guidance last verified:
- Maine Geological Survey
- Maine Mineral & Gem Museum
- Acadia National Park rules
- Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules
Found at Mount Apatite
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 Mount Apatite.
- Pitts Garnet MineAndroscoggin County, Maine · 2 mi awayActinolite, Calcite, Diopside
- Poland Mining CampsAndroscoggin County, Maine · 6 mi awayQuartz, Feldspar, Beryl
- Singepole Mountain QuarryOxford County, Maine · 13 mi awayAlmandine Garnet, Beryl, Biotite
- Scribner Ledge Quarry & Crocker Hill MinesOxford County, Maine · 16 mi awayGraphite, Molybdenite, Pyrite
- Porcupine Hill QuarrySagadahoc County, Maine · 18 mi awayAlbite, Almandine Garnet, Beryl
- HaveySagadahoc County, Maine · 19 mi awayAlbite, Almandine Garnet, Beryl
- Dig Maine GemsOxford County, Maine · 20 mi away
- Harvard Quarry (Noyes Mountain)Top pick in MaineOxford County, Maine · 22 mi awayGreen Tourmaline, Schorl, Beryl
Across the state line from Mount Apatite
Mount Apatite is close enough to the Maine border that the next-closest rockhounding spots are in a neighboring state. Worth knowing if you are already on the road.
- Deer Hill Mineral Collecting AreaTop pick in New HampshireCarroll County, New Hampshire · 35 mi awayAmethyst, Beryl, Garnet
- South Baldface MountainTop pick in New HampshireCarroll County, New Hampshire · 39 mi awaySmoky Quartz, Topaz, Phenakite
- Hurricane MountainCarroll County, New Hampshire · 39 mi awayAmethyst, Smoky Quartz
- RedstoneTop pick in New HampshireCarroll County, New Hampshire · 40 mi awayAmethyst, Apatite, Quartz
- ConwayTop pick in New HampshireCarroll County, New Hampshire · 44 mi awayFeldspar, Smoky Quartz, Topaz
- Province LakeCarroll County, New Hampshire · 45 mi awayBlue Beryl, Feldspar
Mount Apatite FAQ
Where is Mount Apatite?+
What rocks and minerals can you find at Mount Apatite?+
Is collecting allowed at Mount Apatite?+
What tools should I bring to Mount Apatite?+
When is the best time to visit Mount Apatite?+
How do I get to Mount Apatite?+
More rockhounding in Maine
See all 31 Maine spots →Open Mount Apatite on the map
Use the RockHoundR app for live land overlays, weather, geology, directions, and saved finds.
