Lane Trap Rock Quarry: Amethyst & Prehnite Rockhounding in Hampshire County, Massachusetts

Plan your visit

Generally open to casual rockhounding

County

Hampshire County

State

Massachusetts

Nearest road

Notch Link

Coordinates

42.30124, -72.52708

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 Lane Trap Rock Quarry

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Best months: April to November. Typical highs run 82°F in midsummer and 32°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 12°F.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, AMHERST station (6 mi away), adjusted for elevation.

Geology at Lane Trap Rock Quarry

This spot sits on Holyoke Basalt, mapped as basalt that formed roughly 200 to 175 million years ago. Cavities and seams in volcanic rock like this are the kind of setting where quartz and amethyst crystals tend to grow.

Mapped unit

Holyoke Basalt

Age

200–175 Ma (Early Jurassic)

Rock types

basalt

Elevation

580 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