McClain State Park: Adularia & Chalcedony Rockhounding in Houghton County, Michigan
- Minerals reported
- 11
- Elevation
- 590 ft
- Best months
- April to October
McClain State Park is a mapped rockhounding spot in Houghton County, Michigan. Reported finds include adularia, chalcedony, chert, jasper, keweenaw agate, and more. Below: coordinates, access notes, nearby spots, and trip-planning links.
Plan your visit
Permission required before collecting
- County
- Houghton County
- State
- Michigan
- Nearest road
- Bear Lake Road
- Postcode
- 49930
- Coordinates
- 47.23683, -88.61473
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.
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 McClain State Park
Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)
Best months: April to October. Typical highs run 77°F in midsummer and 24°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 12°F.
Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, HANCOCK HOUGHTON CO AP station (8 mi away), adjusted for elevation.
Geology at McClain State Park
This spot sits on Oronto Group; Freda Sandstone, mapped as shale, siltstone, and arkose that formed roughly 1600 to 1000 million years ago. Tough silica like agate, jasper, and chert typically weathers out of beds like these and collects as float in drainages and on deflation surfaces.
- Mapped unit
- Oronto Group; Freda Sandstone
- Age
- 1600–1000 Ma (Mesoproterozoic)
- Rock types
- shale, siltstone, and arkose
- Elevation
- 590 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 McClain State Park.
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.
State guidance last verified:
- Michigan DNR, Rockhounding rules
- Michigan Geological Survey
- Isle Royale National Park, Rules
- Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules
Found at McClain State Park
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 McClain State Park.
- Calumet Waterworks ParkHoughton County, Michigan · 5 mi awayLake Superior Agate, Prehnite, Natrolite
- Torch Lake BeachHoughton County, Michigan · 10 mi awayFossil, Petoskey Stone
- Wolverine MineHoughton County, Michigan · 10 mi awayCopper, Agate
- Gratiot River County ParkKeweenaw County, Michigan · 11 mi awayFreda Sandstone, Basalt, Rhyolite
- Seneca No. 1 ShaftKeweenaw County, Michigan · 13 mi awayCopper, Datolite, Prehnite
- Iroquois MineKeweenaw County, Michigan · 13 mi awayNative Copper
- Cliff MineKeweenaw County, Michigan · 17 mi awayCopper, Calcite, Chlorite
- Cliff NorthKeweenaw County, Michigan · 17 mi awayCopper, Calcite, Chlorite
Across the state line from McClain State Park
McClain State Park is close enough to the Michigan border that the next-closest rockhounding spots are in a neighboring state. Worth knowing if you are already on the road.
- Pigeon PointCook County, Minnesota · 67 mi awayChalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Pyrite
- Arrowhead ParkCook County, Minnesota · 78 mi awayLake Superior Agate
McClain State Park FAQ
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More rockhounding in Michigan
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