Hibbing (area 2): Iron & Agate Rockhounding in Saint Louis County, Minnesota

Plan your visit

Generally open to casual rockhounding

County

Saint Louis County

State

Minnesota

Coordinates

47.44428, -92.99447

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: Collect only from public road cuts and rights-of-way, or on national forest land where personal, non-commercial hand collecting is allowed. Active and inactive mine lands on the range are private mining-company property and require permission. Do not enter fenced or posted mine sites.

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 Hibbing (area 2)

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Best months: April to October. Typical highs run 76°F in midsummer and 16°F in midwinter, with winter lows near -5°F.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, HIBBING CHISHOLM HIBBING AP station (9 mi away), adjusted for elevation.

Geology at Hibbing (area 2)

This spot sits on Gunflint (~1,878 Ma), Biwabik, and Emily Iron Formations, mapped as banded iron formation and sedimentary breccia that formed roughly 2050 to 1800 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

Gunflint (~1,878 Ma), Biwabik, and Emily Iron Formations

Age

2050–1800 Ma (Paleoproterozoic)

Rock types

banded iron formation and sedimentary breccia

Elevation

1,490 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