Waynesboro: Fossil Hunting in Wayne County, Mississippi
- Minerals reported
- 2
- Elevation
- 240 ft
- Best months
- September to June
Creek gravels around Waynesboro in Wayne County carry petrified palm wood and silicified wood eroded from Citronelle and Hattiesburg-age sediments of southeast Mississippi. Petrified palm, with its distinctive rod-like vascular structure, is a prized find and a regional specialty. The heavy silicified material settles into the gravel of Mill, Patton, and Maynor creeks. Reported finds include fossil, petrified palm wood. Below: coordinates, access notes, nearby spots, and trip-planning links.
Plan your visit
Generally open to casual rockhounding
- County
- Wayne County
- State
- Mississippi
- Coordinates
- 31.75431, -88.74972
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: Most collecting is in creek gravel that crosses private land, so obtain landowner permission and legal access first. Public road crossings and the county's Maynor Creek recreation area do not by themselves authorize collecting. Treat this as a permission-based locality.
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 Waynesboro
Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)
Best months: September to June. Typical highs run 92°F in midsummer and 59°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 36°F.
Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, WAYNESBORO 2 W station (7 mi away).
Geology at Waynesboro
This spot sits on Catahoula formation, mapped as sand that formed roughly 23 to 5 million years ago. Reworked sediments like these can carry fossils eroded from older beds upstream, typically as rolled bone fragments, teeth, and shell material.
- Mapped unit
- Catahoula formation
- Age
- 23–5 Ma (Miocene)
- Rock types
- sand
- Elevation
- 240 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 Waynesboro.
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 Waynesboro
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 Waynesboro.
- Bienville National ForestScott County, Mississippi · 51 mi awayPetrified Wood, Chalcedony, Chert
- Bell CreekHarrison County, Mississippi · 89 mi awayAgate
- GulfportHarrison County, Mississippi · 92 mi awayJasper, Petrified Wood
- WessonCopiah County, Mississippi · 93 mi awayBanded Agate, Chalcedony, Petrified Wood
Across the state line from Waynesboro
Waynesboro 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.
Waynesboro FAQ
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More rockhounding in Mississippi
See all 14 Mississippi spots →
Open Waynesboro on the map
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