Burkemont Mountain: Beryl Rockhounding in Burke County, North Carolina

Quick details

Access

Permission required

County

Burke County

State

North Carolina

Nearest road

Burkemont Road

Postcode

28655

Coordinates

35.65419, -81.70737

Geology at Burkemont Mountain

This spot sits on Biotite Gneiss and Schist, mapped as biotite gneiss, mica schist, and calc silicate rock that formed roughly 1000 to 485 million years ago. Metamorphic belts like this often host pegmatite dikes, the coarse-crystal bodies that typically carry beryl, tourmaline, and sheet mica.

Mapped unit

Biotite Gneiss and Schist

Age

1000–485 Ma (Neoproterozoic to Cambrian)

Rock types

biotite gneiss, mica schist, and calc silicate rock

Elevation

2,340 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.

Best time to visit Burkemont Mountain

Conditions here are workable year-round, with typical highs from 45°F in winter to 84°F in summer.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, MORGANTON station (6 mi away), adjusted for elevation.

Land & collecting status

Permission required before collecting

Requires landowner or agency permission before any collecting. Do not enter without explicit authorization.

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.

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.

State guidance last verified: April 1, 2026

• North Carolina Geological Survey
• Nantahala/Pisgah National Forests
• Emerald Hollow Mine (fee-dig operator)
• Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules

Found at Burkemont Mountain

Each chip opens all spots that produce that material; the encyclopedia link opens the full ID and field guide.

• BerylEncyclopedia →