Gallatin: Agate & Chalcedony Rockhounding in Daviess County, Missouri

Plan your visit

Generally open to casual rockhounding

County

Daviess County

State

Missouri

Nearest road

Pepper Avenue

Postcode

64640

Coordinates

39.91931, -93.94053

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: Search the Grand River gravel bars and tributary creek gravels below the high-water mark, using public bridge crossings and access points around Gallatin to reach the streambed. Stay below the high-water mark and off private banks and crop ground. Hand collecting only; check fresh gravel after high water for newly exposed material.

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 Gallatin

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Best months: March to November. Typical highs run 86°F in midsummer and 35°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 16°F.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, GALLATIN 1W station (2 mi away), adjusted for elevation.

Geology at Gallatin

This spot sits on Pleasanton Group, mapped as shale and sandstone that formed roughly 325 to 300 million years ago. Sedimentary layers like these are where fossils are typically preserved, and fresh exposures after rain or in active cuts tend to produce best.

Mapped unit

Pleasanton Group

Age

325–300 Ma (Pennsylvanian)

Rock types

shale and sandstone

Elevation

740 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