Cohasset: Jasper & Epidote Rockhounding in Norfolk County, Massachusetts
- Minerals reported
- 2
- Elevation
- 10 ft
- Best months
- March to November
Cohasset's rugged shoreline is one of the classic South Shore localities for jasper and epidote, weathered from the volcanic and intrusive rocks of the Boston-area terrane and rolled smooth in the beach gravels. Red and yellow jasper and pistachio-green epidote are the signature finds, alongside actinolite, albite, and apatite recorded from the town's coast. The rocky pocket beaches concentrate the best material after storms. Reported finds include jasper, epidote. Below: coordinates, access notes, nearby spots, and trip-planning links.
Plan your visit
Generally open to casual rockhounding
- County
- Norfolk County
- State
- Massachusetts
- Nearest road
- Jerusalem Road
- Postcode
- 02025
- Coordinates
- 42.26051, -70.81020
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.
Access note: Collecting is limited to loose cobbles on the public foreshore below the high-tide line at town beaches such as Sandy Beach. Cohasset beaches enforce resident-only parking in season, so plan an off-season visit or arrive on foot. Do not remove material from any posted private frontage.
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 Cohasset
Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)
Best months: March to November. Typical highs run 83°F in midsummer and 38°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 22°F.
Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, HINGHAM station (6 mi away).
Geology at Cohasset
This spot sits on Diorite, mapped as diorite that formed roughly 1000 to 540 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
- Diorite
- Age
- 1000–540 Ma (Neoproterozoic)
- Rock types
- diorite
- Elevation
- 10 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.
Today's weather
Is today a good day to go?
The app shows live weather, recent rain, and a daily rockhounding score for Cohasset.
Get the appSources & 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 Cohasset
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 Cohasset.
- NahantEssex County, Massachusetts · 12 mi awayJasper, Epidote, Prehnite
- MarshfieldPlymouth County, Massachusetts · 12 mi awayJasper
- MaldenMiddlesex County, Massachusetts · 19 mi awayNovaculite
- Stage Fort ParkEssex County, Massachusetts · 25 mi awayAmazonite, Smoky Quartz, Microcline
- MiddlesboroughPlymouth County, Massachusetts · 29 mi awayAgate, Chalcedony
- RockportEssex County, Massachusetts · 31 mi awayAmazonite
- RowleyEssex County, Massachusetts · 32 mi awayJasper
- SandwichBarnstable County, Massachusetts · 36 mi awayJasper
Across the state line from Cohasset
Cohasset 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 · 34 mi awayAmethyst, Quartz, Smoky Quartz
- Sneech PondProvidence County, Rhode Island · 38 mi awayChalcopyrite, Garnet, Magnetite
- North ProvidenceProvidence County, Rhode Island · 39 mi awayBowenite, Quartz, Serpentine
- Cumberland HillProvidence County, Rhode Island · 40 mi awayAgate, Chalcedony, Jasper
- ProvidenceProvidence County, Rhode Island · 45 mi awayAgate, Chalcedony, Jasper
- PawtuxetProvidence County, Rhode Island · 45 mi awayAgate, Carnelian, Amethyst
Cohasset FAQ
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More rockhounding in Massachusetts
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