Gulfport: Jasper & Petrified Wood Rockhounding in Harrison County, Mississippi
- Minerals reported
- 2
- Elevation
- 60 ft
- Best months
- September to July
Harrison County's Pliocene and Pleistocene Citronelle Formation and terrace gravels carry jasper, agate, chert, and petrified wood pebbles across the coastal plain behind Gulfport. These upland gravels, not the renourished beach sand, are the real source of hard collectible material near the coast. The area represents the Gulf Coast end of Mississippi's gravel-collecting country. Reported finds include jasper, petrified wood. Below: coordinates, access notes, nearby spots, and trip-planning links.
Plan your visit
Generally open to casual rockhounding
- County
- Harrison County
- State
- Mississippi
- Nearest road
- Robinson Road
- Postcode
- 39503
- Coordinates
- 30.47319, -89.16136
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: The renourished public beach itself holds little collectible material; the productive gravel lies in inland pits and cuts that are largely private and need permission. Collect only with landowner consent or at genuine public access points. This is a permission-based locality rather than open ground.
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 Gulfport
Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)
Best months: September to July. Typical highs run 90°F in midsummer and 61°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 42°F.
Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, GULFPORT - BILOXI AP station (6 mi away).
Geology at Gulfport
This spot sits on Citronelle formation, mapped as sand and gravel that formed within roughly the last 5 million years. Petrified wood typically travels as tough float, and worked gravels like these are exactly where weathered pieces tend to collect.
- Mapped unit
- Citronelle formation
- Age
- 5 Ma to present (Pliocene to Pleistocene)
- Rock types
- sand and gravel
- Elevation
- 60 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 Gulfport.
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.
- Mississippi Office of Geology
- National Forests in Mississippi
- Mississippi State Parks rules
- Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules
Found at Gulfport
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 Gulfport.
- Bell CreekHarrison County, Mississippi · 11 mi awayAgate
- WaynesboroWayne County, Mississippi · 92 mi awayFossil, Petrified Palm Wood
- WessonCopiah County, Mississippi · 110 mi awayBanded Agate, Chalcedony, Petrified Wood
Across the state line from Gulfport
Gulfport is close enough to the Mississippi border that the next-closest rockhounding spots are in a neighboring state. Worth knowing if you are already on the road.
- Old Pearl RiverSt. Tammany Parish, Louisiana · 37 mi awayAgate
- Bogue Chitto RiverSt. Tammany Parish, Louisiana · 41 mi awayAgate
- Tangipahoa ParishTangipahoa Parish, Louisiana · 72 mi awayCarnelian
Gulfport FAQ
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More rockhounding in Mississippi
See all 14 Mississippi spots →
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