Rockhounding near Traverse City, MI

68 mapped rockhounding spots within 150 miles of Traverse City, 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 Michigan, Wisconsin.

Closest rockhounding spots to Traverse City

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

Maple Bay Natural Area ParkingGrand Traverse County, Michigan10 mi · 13 min drivePetoskey Stone, Charlevoix Stone, Slag
Elk Rapids SandbarAntrim County, Michigan14 mi · 17 min drivePetoskey Stone, Charlevoix Stone, Elk Blue
Elk Rapids Day ParkAntrim County, Michigan14 mi · 17 min drivePetoskey Stone, Charlevoix Stone, Elk Blue
Suttons Bay BeachLeelanau County, Michigan15 mi · 19 min drive
Wilcox-Palmer-Shaw PreserveAntrim County, Michigan16 mi · 19 min driveChert, Quartz, Granite
Old Mission State ParkGrand Traverse County, Michigan17 mi · 21 min drive

Most-reported finds near Traverse City

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

Hunting something specific near Traverse City?

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

Every spot within 150 miles of Traverse City

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

Spot	County	Minerals	Coordinates	Access
Maple Bay Natural Area Parking	Grand Traverse County	Petoskey Stone Charlevoix Stone Slag Beach Glass	44.8465, -85.4470	Public
Elk Rapids Sandbar	Antrim County	Petoskey Stone Charlevoix Stone Elk Blue Unakite Chert Cold Water Agate	44.8981, -85.4185	Check locally
Elk Rapids Day Park	Antrim County	Petoskey Stone Charlevoix Stone Elk Blue Unakite Chert Cold Water Agate	44.8982, -85.4185	Public
Suttons Bay Beach	Leelanau County		44.9774, -85.6485	Check locally
Wilcox-Palmer-Shaw Preserve	Antrim County	Chert Quartz Granite Basalt Petoskey Stone Charlevoix Stone Unakite Cold Water Agate	44.9248, -85.3986	Public
Old Mission State Park	Grand Traverse County		44.9900, -85.4899	Public
Hidden Beach	Leelanau County	Leland Blue Petoskey Stone Unakite Quartz Granite Jasper Chert Charlevoix Stone +7 more	45.0196, -85.7645	Public
Van's Beach	Leelanau County	Leland Blue Petoskey Stone Unakite Quartz Granite Jasper Chert Charlevoix Stone +7 more	45.0223, -85.7625	Public
North Beach	Leelanau County	Petoskey Stone Unakite Stromatoporoid Charlevoix Stone Horn Coral Stromatolite Granite Quartz +6 more	45.0260, -85.7596	Public
Empire Beach	Leelanau County	Petoskey Stone Charlevoix Stone Unakite Chert Lake Superior Agate Yooperlite	44.8120, -86.0681	Check locally
Onomonee Road Beach	Leelanau County	Charlevoix Stone Stromatolite Stromatoporoid Fossils Chert Petoskey Stone	45.1130, -85.6755	Public
Peterson Park	Leelanau County	Petoskey Stone Chert Unakite Charlevoix Stone	45.1539, -85.6467	Public
Barnes Park Campground	Antrim County		45.1110, -85.3604	Check locally
Christmas Cove Beach	Leelanau County	Petoskey Stone Charlevoix Stone Stromatoporoid Fossils	45.1689, -85.6327	Public
Antrim Creek Natural Area	Antrim County	Petoskey Stone Charlevoix Stone Horn Coral Fossils Chain Coral Beach Glass	45.1791, -85.3787	Public
Grand Traverse Lighthouse	Leelanau County		45.2102, -85.5500	Check locally
Point Betsie Lighthouse	Benzie County	Petoskey Stone Chert Chain Coral Granite Unakite Crinoid Brachiopod Horn Coral +5 more	44.6913, -86.2553	Public
Frankfort Public Beach And Playground	Benzie County	Granite Chert Quartz Chain Coral Horn Coral Frankfort Green Petoskey Stone Unakite	44.6324, -86.2458	Check locally
Beach (Petoskey area 2)Lake Shore Drive	Charlevoix County	Petoskey Stones Fossils	45.2296, -85.3862	Permission
Old Facefull	Manistee County	Quartz Unakite Petoskey Stone Charlevoix Stone	44.4276, -86.2466	Public
Fisherman's Island State Park	Charlevoix County	Petoskey Stone Charlevoix Stone Lake Superior Agate Yooperlite	45.3080, -85.3102	Paid / fee
Michigan Beach Park	Charlevoix County		45.3188, -85.2646	Check locally
Lake Michigan Shores Roadside Park	Charlevoix County		45.3624, -85.1755	Check locally
Orchard Beach State Park	Manistee County		44.2817, -86.3153	Paid / fee
Fifth Avenue Beach	Manistee County		44.2542, -86.3374	Check locally

Traverse City rockhounding FAQ

Where can I go rockhounding near Traverse City?+

There are 68 mapped rockhounding spots within about 150 miles of Traverse City, Michigan. The closest is Maple Bay Natural Area Parking in Grand Traverse County, roughly 10 miles away. The full list is on this page with coordinates and drive times.

What rocks and minerals can you find near Traverse City?+

Spots within driving distance of Traverse City most commonly produce petoskey stone, quartz, charlevoix stone, chert, granite, lake superior agate.

Is rockhounding legal near Traverse City?+

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 Traverse City?+

Most weekend trips from Traverse City 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 Traverse City's rockhounding map in your pocket

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