Pompton Lakes: Banded Agate & Amethyst Rockhounding in Passaic County, New Jersey
- Minerals reported
- 15
- Elevation
- 510 ft
- Best months
- March to November
Pompton Lakes is a mapped rockhounding spot in Passaic County, New Jersey. Reported finds include banded agate, amethyst, barite, calcite, chalcedony, and more. Below: coordinates, access notes, nearby spots, and trip-planning links.
Plan your visit
Generally open to casual rockhounding
- County
- Passaic County
- State
- New Jersey
- Nearest road
- I 287
- Postcode
- 07457
- Coordinates
- 41.00540, -74.30711
Coordinates are approximate. Confirm the exact ground in the RockHoundR app, where land overlays show which agency manages the area.
Land & collecting status
Generally open to casual rockhounding
Most public-tagged spots sit on BLM, U.S. Forest Service, or other federal land where reasonable hand collecting of common rocks and minerals is allowed. Confirm posted rules and active mining claims before you dig.
Public-land rules vary by agency, season, and field office. The RockHoundR app pulls live BLM, USFS, NPS, and tribal overlays so you can see exactly which agency manages the ground at this spot.
Best time to visit Pompton Lakes
Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)
Best months: March to November. Typical highs run 83°F in midsummer and 37°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 19°F.
Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, WANAQUE RAYMOND DAM station (3 mi away), adjusted for elevation.
Geology at Pompton Lakes
This spot sits on Microcline Gneiss, mapped as gneiss that formed roughly 1600 to 1000 million years ago. Metamorphic rock like this weathers into resistant float, and minerals that survive transport typically concentrate in nearby drainages.
- Mapped unit
- Microcline Gneiss
- Age
- 1600–1000 Ma (Mesoproterozoic)
- Rock types
- gneiss
- Elevation
- 510 ft
Geologic mapping via Macrostrat and the underlying state geological survey maps (CC BY 4.0). Bedrock at the surface can vary within a mapped unit.
Today's weather
Is today a good day to go?
The app shows live weather, recent rain, and a daily rockhounding score for Pompton Lakes.
Get the appSources & verification
Spot details combine the public RockHoundR location dataset, normalized mineral labels, agency land-status checks in the app, and community submissions. Coordinates are approximate until verified in the field.
- New Jersey Geological and Water Survey
- Monmouth County Park System, fossil collecting rules
- Sterling Hill Mining Museum
- Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules
Found at Pompton Lakes
Each name opens all spots that produce that material; the encyclopedia link opens the full ID and field guide.
Banded AgateEncyclopedia →
AmethystEncyclopedia →
BariteEncyclopedia →
CalciteEncyclopedia →
ChalcedonyEncyclopedia →
CupriteEncyclopedia →
DatoliteEncyclopedia →
DolomiteEncyclopedia →
GalenaEncyclopedia →
GoethiteEncyclopedia →
HematiteEncyclopedia →
OpalEncyclopedia →
PrehniteEncyclopedia →
QuartzEncyclopedia →
SilverEncyclopedia →
Nearby rockhounding spots
Other rockhounding spots within driving distance of Pompton Lakes.
- Pompton RiverPassaic County, New Jersey · 6 mi awayGemstone
- Turkey Mountain General AreaMorris County, New Jersey · 6 mi awayDiopside, Marble, Serpentine
- MontvilleMorris County, New Jersey · 6 mi awaySerpentine
- HaledonPassaic County, New Jersey · 8 mi awayAgate, Datolite, Pyrolusite
- Prospect Park QuarryPassaic County, New Jersey · 8 mi awayBanded Agate, Amethyst, Barite
- RingwoodPassaic County, New Jersey · 10 mi awayCalcite, Chalcopyrite, Corundum
- HiberniaMorris County, New Jersey · 11 mi awayApatite, Pyrite, Pyrrhotite
- Morris CountyMorris County, New Jersey · 12 mi awayPrehnite
Across the state line from Pompton Lakes
Pompton Lakes is close enough to the New Jersey border that the next-closest rockhounding spots are in a neighboring state. Worth knowing if you are already on the road.
- AmityOrange County, New York · 20 mi awayBlue Corundum, White Corundum, Fluorite
- Mines (Orange County)Orange County, New York · 21 mi awayArsenopyrite, Leucopyrite, Scorodite
- CraigsvilleOrange County, New York · 26 mi awayBloodstone
- Area Near West PointOrange County, New York · 29 mi awayChrysotile Asbestos
- PeeksillWestchester County, New York · 31 mi awaySunstone
- Cornwall (Wallkill River)Orange County, New York · 34 mi awayBloodstone, Jasper
Pompton Lakes FAQ
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More rockhounding in New Jersey
See all 72 New Jersey spots →
Open Pompton Lakes on the map
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