Nahant: Jasper & Epidote Rockhounding in Essex County, Massachusetts

Permission requiredBest spot5 mineralsEssex County, MassachusettsUpdated July 2026

Minerals reported: 5
Elevation: 30 ft
Best months: March to November

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.

Plan your visit

Permission required before collecting

County: Essex County
State: Massachusetts
Postcode: 01908
Coordinates: 42.42250, -70.91270

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

Land & collecting status

Permission required before collecting

Requires landowner or agency permission before any collecting. Do not enter without explicit authorization.

Access note: The rocky foreshore is reached through the DCR Lynn Shore and Nahant Beach Reservation, open dawn to dusk and free to walk. Collect loose cobbles on the public shore below the high-tide line and do not hammer the sea cliffs. Stay off the Northeastern University Marine Science Center grounds at East Point, which are private and closed to collecting.

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 Nahant

36°J

38°F

45°M

55°A

65°M

74°J

81°J

79°A

73°S

61°O

51°N

42°D

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Best months: March to November. Typical highs run 81°F in midsummer and 36°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 18°F.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, MARBLEHEAD station (6 mi away).

Geology at Nahant

This spot sits on Nahant Gabbro and gabbro at Salem Neck, mapped as gabbro and diorite that formed roughly 485 to 445 million years ago. Plutonic rock like this weathers slowly into grus and boulders, and the most productive collecting is typically in weathered zones and drainages.

Mapped unit: Nahant Gabbro and gabbro at Salem Neck
Age: 485–445 Ma (Ordovician)
Rock types: gabbro and diorite
Elevation: 30 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.

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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.

Massachusetts Geological Survey
Massachusetts DCR rules
Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules

Found at Nahant

Each name 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
CohassetNorfolk County, Massachusetts · 12 mi awayJasper, Epidote
Stage Fort ParkEssex County, Massachusetts · 18 mi awayAmazonite, Smoky Quartz, Microcline
RowleyEssex County, Massachusetts · 20 mi awayJasper
RockportEssex County, Massachusetts · 23 mi awayAmazonite
MarshfieldPlymouth 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.

Diamond Hill Park, CumberlandProvidence County, Rhode Island · 38 mi awayAmethyst, Quartz, Smoky Quartz
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

Nahant FAQ

Where is Nahant?+

Nahant is in Essex County, Massachusetts, at 42.42250, -70.91270.

What rocks and minerals can you find at Nahant?+

Nahant is reported to produce Jasper, Epidote, Prehnite, Datolite, Chalcedony.

Is collecting allowed at Nahant?+

Permission required before collecting. Requires landowner or agency permission before any collecting. Do not enter without explicit authorization. Always confirm current rules with the managing agency before a trip.

What tools should I bring to Nahant?+

Most agate and jasper is surface float: bring a spray bottle, a pick or small shovel, and a sturdy bag. Wet stones show their banding and translucence.

When is the best time to visit Nahant?+

The most comfortable months at Nahant are March to November.

How do I get to Nahant?+

Open the directions link to navigate to 42.42250, -70.91270 in Google Maps. Some spots are remote, so check road conditions before driving out.

More rockhounding in Massachusetts

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