Newburyport: Chalcopyrite & Galena Rockhounding in Essex County, Massachusetts

Plan your visit

Generally open to casual rockhounding

County

Essex County

State

Massachusetts

Nearest road

Scotland Heights Drive

Postcode

01922

Coordinates

42.78511, -70.90643

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.

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 Newburyport

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Best months: March to November. Typical highs run 83°F in midsummer and 35°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 17°F.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, GROVELAND station (7 mi away).

Geology at Newburyport

This spot sits on Nashoba Formation - Boxford Member, mapped as amphibolite that formed roughly 1000 to 445 million years ago. Metamorphic rock like this weathers into resistant float, and minerals that survive transport typically concentrate in nearby drainages.

Mapped unit

Nashoba Formation - Boxford Member

Age

1000–445 Ma (Neoproterozoic to Ordovician)

Rock types

amphibolite

Elevation

90 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.

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