Rockhounding near Rockford, IL

69 mapped rockhounding spots within 150 miles of Rockford, 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 Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan.

Closest rockhounding spots to Rockford

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

MonroeGreen County, Wisconsin36 mi · 46 min driveGalena
Gravels of Kettle MoraineDane County, Wisconsin47 mi · 58 min driveDiamond
EagleWaukesha County, Wisconsin51 mi · 1 hr 4 min driveDiamond
North AuroraKane County, Illinois51 mi · 1 hr 4 min driveBornite, Calcite, Chalcopyrite
General Area QuarriesRacine County, Wisconsin55 mi · 1 hr 9 min driveCrinoid, Trilobite
BellevueJackson County, Iowa67 mi · 1 hr 24 min driveLake Superior Agate, Moss Agate, Carnelian

Most-reported finds near Rockford

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

Hunting something specific near Rockford?

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

Every spot within 150 miles of Rockford

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

Spot	County	Minerals	Coordinates	Access
Monroe11th Street	Green County	Galena	42.6001, -89.6517	Public
Gravels of Kettle MoraineSheil Drive	Dane County	Diamond	42.9015, -89.4225	Public
EagleState Highway 59	Waukesha County	Diamond	42.8754, -88.5245	Public
North AuroraConco Street	Kane County	Bornite Calcite Chalcopyrite Pyrite	41.8029, -88.3195	Public
General Area QuarriesMamerow Lane	Racine County	Crinoid Trilobite	42.7755, -88.2515	Public
BellevueGreat River Road	Jackson County	Lake Superior Agate Moss Agate Carnelian Moonstone Jasper Petrified Coral	42.2313, -90.4017	Public
Pennoyer Park	Kenosha County		42.6041, -87.8198	Public
GalenaSouth Bench Street	Jo Daviess County	Cerussite Galena	42.4160, -90.4300	Public
Alford Park	Kenosha County		42.6130, -87.8200	Check locally
DodgevilleCounty Highway YZ	Iowa County	Barite Calcite Galena Marcasite Pyrite Smithsonite Sphalerite	42.9757, -90.0862	Public
Glencoe BeachTower Road	Cook County	Granite Coral Brachiopod Fossil	42.1168, -87.7315	Public
Hazel GreenState Highway 80	Grant County	Barite Calcite Galena Marcasite Pyrite Smithsonite Sphalerite	42.5327, -90.4359	Public
CordovaRiver Road North	Rock Island County	Agate	41.7160, -90.3112	Public
RacineRacine MRK Trail	Racine County	Fossil Calcite Marcasite	42.7739, -87.8083	Public
Racine North Beach	Racine County		42.7401, -87.7807	Check locally
Windpoint LighthouseVillage Hall Drive	Racine County	Fossilized Coral Beach Glass Sodalite Unakite Cold Water Agate	42.7812, -87.7584	Public
Mazon River	Grundy County	Fossil	41.2934, -88.3667	Public
Grant Park Beach	Milwaukee County		42.9089, -87.8412	Check locally
PlattevilleWest Main Street	Grant County	Barite Calcite Galena Marcasite Pyrite Smithsonite Sphalerite	42.7346, -90.4803	Public
Grant ParkGrant Park Drive	Milwaukee County	Fossilized Coral Beach Glass Sodalite Unakite Cold Water Agate	42.9192, -87.8467	Public
Cobb & MifflinBollant Road	Iowa County	Azurite Barite Chalcopyrite Cuprite Smithsonite Sphalerite	42.8839, -90.3877	Public
South Shore Park	Milwaukee County		42.9956, -87.8825	Check locally
Coal CityHole In The Wall Road	Will County	Concretion With Fossil	41.2792, -88.2003	Public
Estabrook ParkMilwaukee River Greenway Westside	Milwaukee County	Geode Millerite	43.1013, -87.9140	Public
DubuqueRiverside Road	Dubuque County	Lake Superior Agate Moss Agate Oolitic Agate Moonstone Jasper Petrified Wood Fossil	42.5762, -90.6824	Permission

Rockford rockhounding FAQ

Where can I go rockhounding near Rockford?+

There are 69 mapped rockhounding spots within about 150 miles of Rockford, Illinois. The closest is Monroe in Green County, roughly 36 miles away. The full list is on this page with coordinates and drive times.

What rocks and minerals can you find near Rockford?+

Spots within driving distance of Rockford most commonly produce fossil, galena, lake superior agate, pyrite, beach glass, marcasite.

Is rockhounding legal near Rockford?+

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 Rockford?+

Most weekend trips from Rockford 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 5 states. Open the state page for the full county-by-county view.

Pack Rockford's rockhounding map in your pocket

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