Carlton: Lake Superior Agate & Garnet Rockhounding in Carlton County, Minnesota

Plan your visit

Generally open to casual rockhounding

County

Carlton County

State

Minnesota

Nearest road

Chestnut Avenue

Postcode

55718

Coordinates

46.66401, -92.42486

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 Carlton

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Best months: April to October. Typical highs run 79°F in midsummer and 19°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 2°F.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, CLOQUET station (5 mi away), adjusted for elevation.

Geology at Carlton

This spot sits on Slate and graywacke, mapped as slate and graywacke that formed roughly 2050 to 1600 million years ago. Metamorphic rock like this weathers into resistant float, and minerals that survive transport typically concentrate in nearby drainages.

Mapped unit

Slate and graywacke

Age

2050–1600 Ma (Paleoproterozoic)

Rock types

slate and graywacke

Elevation

1,080 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.

• Minnesota Geological Survey
• Minnesota DNR state land rules
• Superior National Forest
• Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules