Linville Mountain: Actinolite & Graphite Rockhounding in Burke County, North Carolina

Plan your visit

Generally open to casual rockhounding

County

Burke County

State

North Carolina

Nearest road

Old NC 105

Coordinates

35.88216, -81.90668

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: Old NC 105 and the Linville Gorge area include National Forest land, wilderness boundaries, private tracts, and steep roadcuts. Collect only where allowed, outside wilderness closures, and without destabilizing cuts.

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 Linville Mountain

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Best months: February to December. Typical highs run 80°F in midsummer and 43°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 22°F.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, SPRUCE PINE 4 ENE station (6 mi away), adjusted for elevation.

Geology at Linville Mountain

This spot sits on Chilhowee Group; Lower Chilhowee, mapped as quartzite that formed roughly 540 to 485 million years ago. Metamorphic rock like this weathers into resistant float, and minerals that survive transport typically concentrate in nearby drainages.

Mapped unit

Chilhowee Group; Lower Chilhowee

Age

540–485 Ma (Cambrian)

Rock types

quartzite

Elevation

3,200 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.

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