Rockhounding near New Orleans, LA

14 mapped rockhounding spots within 150 miles of New Orleans, 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 Louisiana, Mississippi.

Closest rockhounding spots to New Orleans

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

Most-reported finds near New Orleans

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

Hunting something specific near New Orleans?

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

Agates near New Orleans →

Every spot within 150 miles of New Orleans

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

Spot	County	Minerals	Coordinates	Access
Old Pearl River	St. Tammany Parish	Agate	30.4675, -89.7751	Permission
Bogue Chitto River	St. Tammany Parish	Agate	30.5725, -89.8351	Permission
Lake Chien	Terrebonne Parish	Lapearlite	29.4127, -90.5044	Public
Tangipahoa Parish	Tangipahoa Parish	Carnelian	30.6371, -90.3563	Public
Livingston ParishWest Florida Republic Parkway	Livingston Parish	Carnelian	30.4693, -90.6981	Public
Tangipahoa River & StreamsLA 16	Tangipahoa Parish	Agate	30.7249, -90.4853	Public
Bell CreekForestry Road	Harrison County	Agate	30.5581, -89.3266	Public
GulfportRobinson Road	Harrison County	Jasper Petrified Wood	30.4732, -89.1614	Public
Baton RougeMagnolia Bridge	Livingston Parish	Agate	30.5325, -90.9804	Public
Amite River Valley	East Baton Rouge Parish	Agate	30.6547, -90.9106	Public
East & West Feliciana ParishesOverton Ford Road	East Feliciana Parish	Agate	30.8107, -91.0401	Public
WessonCecil Reeves Road	Copiah County	Banded Agate Chalcedony Petrified Wood	31.7157, -90.3235	Public
Adams CountyHumming Bird Lane	Adams County	Banded Agate	31.5360, -91.3694	Public
Waynesboro	Wayne County	Fossils Petrified Palm Wood	31.7543, -88.7497	Public

New Orleans rockhounding FAQ

Where can I go rockhounding near New Orleans?+

There are 14 mapped rockhounding spots within about 150 miles of New Orleans, Louisiana. The closest is Old Pearl River in St. Tammany Parish, roughly 40 miles away. The full list is on this page with coordinates and drive times.

What rocks and minerals can you find near New Orleans?+

Spots within driving distance of New Orleans most commonly produce agate, banded agate, carnelian, petrified wood, chalcedony, fossils.

Is rockhounding legal near New Orleans?+

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 New Orleans?+

Most weekend trips from New Orleans 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 New Orleans's rockhounding map in your pocket

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