Balmat: Anthophyllite & Apatite Rockhounding in Saint Lawrence County, New York

Plan your visit

Generally open to casual rockhounding

County

Saint Lawrence County

State

New York

Coordinates

44.26785, -75.38621

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.

Access note: Historic mining district near Balmat, St. Lawrence County. Active and reclaimed mine ground is present, so collect only on legal public exposures and keep out of posted operations.

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 Balmat

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Best months: April to November. Typical highs run 79°F in midsummer and 26°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 5°F.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, GOUVERNEUR 3 NW station (9 mi away), adjusted for elevation.

Geology at Balmat

This spot sits on Dolomitic and calcitic marbles interlayered with significant amounts of calcsilicate rock, mapped as marble 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

Dolomitic and calcitic marbles interlayered with significant amounts of calcsilicate rock

Age

1600–1000 Ma (Mesoproterozoic)

Rock types

marble

Elevation

580 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.

Sources & 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 York State Museum, Geological Survey
• NYS DEC land use rules
• Herkimer Diamond Mines
• Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules