Best Rockhounding in Grafton County, NH (13 Spots)

Standouts in Grafton County

Hand-picked spots in Grafton County, chosen for unusual mineralogy or documented public access. Each card opens the full coordinates and access notes.

Top pick
Wild Ammonoosuc River
Public
Grafton County
The Wild Ammonoosuc is New Hampshire's most popular gold-panning river, carrying fine placer gold from its White Mountain National Forest headwaters down to its mouth at Bath, and it was a center of the state's brief 1860s gold rush.
Gold Placer, Gold Nugget
Top pick
Tunnel Brook
Public
Grafton County
Tunnel Brook is a long-favored gold-panning stream in the White Mountain National Forest, and coarse gold with the occasional small nugget has turned up in its gravels where it drops over fractured bedrock.
Gold Placer, Gold Nugget

Spots in Grafton County

Spot	Minerals	Coordinates	Access
Beech Hill	Golden Beryl Quartz	43.9105, -71.9165	Public
Grafton CountyMain Street	Jasper	44.2685, -71.6074	Public
HanoverHolts Ledge Trail	Jasper Quartz	43.7354, -72.1427	Check locally
LisbonValley View Drive	Staurolite	44.2205, -71.9050	Public
Melvin Hill (Grafton)Palmer Road	Beryl Spessartine Garnet	43.5581, -72.0715	Public
North GrotonPalermo Mine Road	Aquamarine Beryl Lazulite Quartz	43.7513, -71.8891	Public
Ore HillSunset Hill Road	Amethyst Quartz Staurolite	44.2002, -71.7910	Public
OrfordMud Turtle Pond Road	Staurolite	43.8811, -72.1165	Public
Pearl LakeScotland Road	Staurolite	44.1967, -71.8682	Public
Ruggles MineRuggles Mine Road	Amethyst Apatite Beryl Calcite Feldspar Garnet Lepidolite Marcasite +7 more	43.5895, -71.9924	Public
Ruggles MineRuggles Mine Road		43.5896, -71.9939	Paid / fee
Tunnel BrookTunnel Brook Road	Gold Placer Gold Nugget	44.0930, -71.9000	Public
Wild Ammonoosuc RiverRoute 112	Gold Placer Gold Nugget	44.1487, -71.9375	Public

Neighboring counties in New Hampshire

Adjacent rockhounding counties, ranked by how close their centroids sit to Grafton County. A natural extension if Grafton County is already on your trip plan.

Across the state line from Grafton County

Rockhounding counties in neighboring states within driving range. Geology rarely respects state borders — these are often the closest mapped spots you can reach without going deeper into New Hampshire.

Grafton County FAQ

Where can I rockhound in Grafton County, New Hampshire?+

RockHoundR tracks 13 rockhounding spots in Grafton County. Each entry below has coordinates, mineral notes, and access type. Always confirm local rules before collecting.

What rocks and minerals are common in Grafton County?+

Spots in Grafton County most often produce Staurolite, Quartz, Beryl, Amethyst, Gold Nugget. Individual spots can vary widely.

Are these Grafton County rockhounding spots on public land?+

Most spots in this list are tagged public, but access can change with seasons, claims, and local closures. Always verify before driving out — links in the app open the right BLM, USFS, or county pages.

Plan a Grafton County rockhounding trip

Open RockHoundR to see these spots on the map alongside land overlays, weather, geology, and your saved finds.

Rockhounding in Grafton County, New Hampshire

Grafton County rockhounding photos

Minerals reported in Grafton County