Crooked Creek Crater: Barite & Galena Rockhounding in Crawford County, Missouri

Plan your visit

Generally open to casual rockhounding

County

Crawford County

State

Missouri

Nearest road

Cedar Drive

Postcode

65586

Coordinates

37.83297, -91.41131

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 Crooked Creek Crater

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Best months: February to November. Typical highs run 86°F in midsummer and 40°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 17°F.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, STEELVILLE 2 N station (12 mi away), adjusted for elevation.

Geology at Crooked Creek Crater

This spot sits on Roubidoux Formation, mapped as sandstone and chert that formed roughly 485 to 470 million years ago. Sedimentary rock like this erodes unevenly, so the most productive collecting is typically along fresh cuts, badland slopes, and active drainages.

Mapped unit

Roubidoux Formation

Age

485–470 Ma (Early Ordovician)

Rock types

sandstone and chert

Elevation

1,070 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.

• Missouri Geological Survey
• Mark Twain National Forest
• Missouri State Parks rules
• Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules