Loudville: Chalcopyrite & Wulfenite Rockhounding in Hampshire County, Massachusetts

Plan your visit

Generally open to casual rockhounding

County

Hampshire County

State

Massachusetts

Nearest road

Pine Hill Road

Postcode

01027

Coordinates

42.28633, -72.72476

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 Loudville

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Best months: March to November. Typical highs run 85°F in midsummer and 35°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 15°F.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, WESTFIELD BARNES MUNI AP station (9 mi away).

Geology at Loudville

This spot sits on New Haven Arkose, mapped as arkose, siltstone, and sandstone that formed roughly 235 to 200 million years ago. Sedimentary rock like this erodes unevenly, so the most productive collecting is typically along fresh cuts, badland slopes, and active drainages.

Mapped unit

New Haven Arkose

Age

235–200 Ma (Late Triassic)

Rock types

arkose, siltstone, and sandstone

Elevation

320 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