Nahant — Rockhounding in Essex County, Massachusetts
Updated July 2026
Nahant's rocky shore exposes the Nahant gabbro and diabase, a dark intrusive rock cut by veins and vesicles that carry jasper, epidote, prehnite, datolite, and chalcedony, documented here since the nineteenth century. Storm-washed cobbles and the ledges around Bass Point concentrate colorful jasper and pistachio-green epidote. The site pairs an easy public beach walk with a genuinely varied hard-rock mineral suite. Reported finds include jasper, epidote, prehnite, datolite, chalcedony. Below: coordinates, access notes, nearby spots, and trip-planning links.
Nahant photos
Public image records connected to this spot or its reported material.
Map showing Nahant in Essex County, Massachusetts
Quick details
- Access
- Public area
- County
- Essex County
- State
- Massachusetts
- Postcode
- 01908
- Coordinates
- 42.42250, -70.91270
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 Nahant
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 Nahant.
- MaldenMiddlesex County, Massachusetts · 9 mi awayNovaculite
- CohassetTop pick in MassachusettsNorfolk County, Massachusetts · 12 mi awayJasper, Epidote
- Stage Fort ParkTop pick in MassachusettsEssex County, Massachusetts · 18 mi awayAmazonite, Smoky Quartz, Microcline
- RowleyEssex County, Massachusetts · 20 mi awayJasper
- RockportTop pick in MassachusettsEssex County, Massachusetts · 23 mi awayAmazonite
- MarshfieldTop pick in MassachusettsPlymouth County, Massachusetts · 25 mi awayJasper
- NewburyportEssex County, Massachusetts · 25 mi awayChalcopyrite, Galena, Pyrite
- WestfieldMiddlesex County, Massachusetts · 31 mi awayChiastolite
Across the state line from Nahant
Nahant is close enough to the Massachusetts border that the next-closest rockhounding spots are in a neighboring state. Worth knowing if you are already on the road.
- Sneech PondProvidence County, Rhode Island · 41 mi awayChalcopyrite, Garnet, Magnetite
- Cumberland HillProvidence County, Rhode Island · 42 mi awayAgate, Chalcedony, Jasper
- North ProvidenceProvidence County, Rhode Island · 43 mi awayBowenite, Quartz, Serpentine
- RaymondRockingham County, New Hampshire · 43 mi awayFeldspar, Beryl, Garnet
- ProvidenceProvidence County, Rhode Island · 50 mi awayAgate, Chalcedony, Jasper
- JohnstonProvidence County, Rhode Island · 51 mi awayQuartz
Nahant FAQ
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More rockhounding in Massachusetts
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