Royalton: Staurolite Rockhounding in Morrison County, Minnesota

Quick details

Access

Public area

County

Morrison County

State

Minnesota

Nearest road

Nature Road

Postcode

56373

Coordinates

45.82533, -94.35448

Geology at Royalton

This spot sits on Little Falls Formation, mapped as schist and slate that formed roughly 2500 to 1600 million years ago. Metamorphic rock like this is where garnet, staurolite, and kyanite typically grow as the rock recrystallizes under heat and pressure.

Mapped unit

Little Falls Formation

Age

2500–1600 Ma (Paleoproterozoic)

Rock types

schist and slate

Elevation

1,040 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.

Best time to visit Royalton

Best months: April to October. Typical highs run 80°F in midsummer and 20°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 0°F.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, RICE station (9 mi away).

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.

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.

Sources: RockHoundR public spot dataset, app land overlays, and local agency review before each trip.

Found at Royalton

Each chip opens all spots that produce that material; the encyclopedia link opens the full ID and field guide.

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