Little Scaly Mountain: Asbestos & Corundum Rockhounding in Macon County, North Carolina

Plan your visit

Generally open to casual rockhounding

County

Macon County

State

North Carolina

Nearest road

Little Scaly Mountain Road

Postcode

22874

Coordinates

35.03204, -83.25477

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 Little Scaly Mountain

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Best months: February to November. Typical highs run 77°F in midsummer and 42°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 23°F.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, HIGHLANDS station (4 mi away), adjusted for elevation.

Geology at Little Scaly Mountain

This spot sits on Ashe Metamorphic Suite and Tallulah Falls Formation; Biotite gneiss, mapped as biotite gneiss that formed roughly 1000 to 540 million years ago. Metamorphic rock like this is where garnet, staurolite, and kyanite typically grow as the rock recrystallizes under heat and pressure.

Mapped unit

Ashe Metamorphic Suite and Tallulah Falls Formation; Biotite gneiss

Age

1000–540 Ma (Neoproterozoic)

Rock types

biotite gneiss

Elevation

4,050 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