Rockhounding near Gainesville, FL

27 mapped rockhounding spots within 150 miles of Gainesville, most inside a 2 to 3 hour drive. Below: a map, the closest spots, what they produce, and full coordinates with access notes.

Covering parts of Florida, Georgia.

Closest rockhounding spots to Gainesville

The 6 nearest mapped spots, with straight-line distance and an approximate drive time.

Alachua County QuarriesAlachua County, Florida14 mi · 18 min driveChert, Fossilized Ivory
Marion County QuarriesMarion County, Florida30 mi · 37 min driveChert, Fossilized Ivory
Lawtey Highland MineBradford County, Florida32 mi · 40 min driveKyanite, Zircon, Ilmenite
Cross Florida Barge CanalPutnam County, Florida37 mi · 46 min driveFossils, Silicified Coral
Suwannee River (North)Suwannee County, Florida45 mi · 56 min driveSilicified Coral
Crystal RiverCitrus County, Florida51 mi · 1 hr 4 min driveCalcite, Quartz, Chert

Most-reported finds near Gainesville

Counts reflect how many spots in this radius mention each material.

Agatized Coral7
Chert6
Chalcedony5
Fossilized Ivory4
Fossils4
Silicified Coral4
Agate2
Calcite2
Geode2
Ilmenite2
Zircon2
Brain Coral1

Hunting something specific near Gainesville?

These materials have enough dedicated spots around Gainesville to earn their own page, with distances and a separate map.

Fossils near Gainesville →

Every spot within 150 miles of Gainesville

Sorted by distance from Gainesville. Tap a row to open the spot detail page with full directions, access status, and nearby trips.

Spot	County	Minerals	Coordinates	Access
Alachua County QuarriesNorthwest 202nd Street	Alachua County	Chert Fossilized Ivory	29.6745, -82.5626	Public
Marion County QuarriesUS 301;US 441	Marion County	Chert Fossilized Ivory	29.2491, -82.1497	Public
Lawtey Highland MineNorth 6th Avenue	Bradford County	Kyanite Zircon Ilmenite	30.0530, -82.0513	Public
Cross Florida Barge Canal	Putnam County	Fossils Silicified Coral	29.5520, -81.7175	Public
Suwannee River (North)105th Lane	Suwannee County	Silicified Coral	29.9926, -82.9627	Public
Crystal RiverSuncoast Boulevard	Citrus County	Calcite Quartz Chert Fossils	28.9642, -82.6352	Public
Stephen Foster State ParkLillian Sanders Drive	Hamilton County	Agatized Coral	30.3320, -82.7640	Public
Suwannee RiverCR 25A	Hamilton County	Agatized Coral	30.3431, -82.7982	Public
Bradford CountyEagle Ridge Horse Trail	Citrus County	Chert Fossilized Ivory	28.8191, -82.4822	Public
Unnamed Area (Agatized Coral)Southeast69th Boulevard	Hamilton County	Agatized Coral	30.4388, -82.8628	Public
Sumter County QuarriesCR 470	Sumter County	Chert Fossilized Ivory	28.7676, -82.0472	Public
St. Johns County AreaAnastasia Park Road	Saint Johns County	Coquina	29.8696, -81.2685	Permission
Skinner Mine	Duval County	Ilmenite Rutile Zircon	30.3384, -81.5534	Public
BrooksvilleCement Plant Road	Hernando County	Calcite Echinoid Geode	28.5745, -82.4255	Public
Pasco County	Pasco County	Silicified Coral	28.3646, -82.4556	Public
Withlacoochee River	Lowndes County	Agatized Coral	30.6414, -83.3201	Public
Flor-a-MarTopsail Trail	Pasco County	Agatized Coral Chalcedony	28.2338, -82.7479	Public
Lakeland	Polk County	Chalcedony Silicified Coral	28.1235, -81.8869	Public
Hillsborough RiverTemple Terrace Highway	Hillsborough County	Brain Coral Finger Coral Agate	28.0321, -82.3811	Public
DunedinHoneymoon Island Trail	Pinellas County	Geode	28.0666, -82.8339	Permission
Caledesi Causeway BanksHoneymoon Island Trail	Pinellas County	Chalcedony	28.0578, -82.8089	Public
Unnamed Area (Agatized Coral #1)Interbay Boulevard	Hillsborough County	Agatized Coral Geode	27.8889, -82.4808	Public
Unnamed Area (Agatized Coral #2)Interbay Boulevard	Hillsborough County	Agatized Coral Coral Chalcedony Enhydros Fossilized Shells	27.8862, -82.4808	Public
Polk County QuarriesAlcoma Grove Road	Polk County	Fossils Gypsum Petrified Wood Uranium Vivianite	27.9116, -81.5067	Public
Pinellas & Hillsborough Beaches120th Avenue West	Pinellas County	Agate Carnelian Chalcedony Chert Fossilized Coral	27.7740, -82.7793	Public

Gainesville rockhounding FAQ

Where can I go rockhounding near Gainesville?+

There are 27 mapped rockhounding spots within about 150 miles of Gainesville, Florida. The closest is Alachua County Quarries in Alachua County, roughly 14 miles away. The full list is on this page with coordinates and drive times.

What rocks and minerals can you find near Gainesville?+

Spots within driving distance of Gainesville most commonly produce agatized coral, chert, chalcedony, fossilized ivory, fossils, silicified coral.

Is rockhounding legal near Gainesville?+

Casual hand collecting of common rocks and minerals is allowed on most BLM and U.S. Forest Service land, with limits set by the local field office. National parks, most state parks, and tribal land are off-limits. Each spot page on this site lists access status; always confirm current rules with the managing agency before a trip.

How far do most rockhounders drive from Gainesville?+

Most weekend trips from Gainesville fall inside a 2 to 3 hour drive, which is roughly the 150-mile radius shown on this page. Closer spots are good for half-day outings; the outer ones are better as overnight trips.

More state coverage

The spots above span 2 states. Open the state page for the full county-by-county view.

Pack Gainesville's rockhounding map in your pocket

Open RockHoundR for live land overlays, weather, geology, directions, and saved finds, wherever the drive takes you.