Mt. Tirzah: Actinolite & Hematite Rockhounding in Person County, North Carolina

Plan your visit

Generally open to casual rockhounding

County

Person County

State

North Carolina

Nearest road

Surl-Mount Tirzah Road

Postcode

27572

Coordinates

36.28190, -78.90703

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 Mt. Tirzah

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Conditions here are workable year-round, with typical highs from 51°F in winter to 89°F in summer.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, ROXBORO 7 ESE station (5 mi away).

Geology at Mt. Tirzah

This spot sits on Felsic Metavolcanic Rock, mapped as metadacite, metarhyolite, and metavolcanic that formed roughly 1000 to 485 million years ago. Cavities and seams in volcanic rock like this are the kind of setting where quartz and amethyst crystals tend to grow.

Mapped unit

Felsic Metavolcanic Rock

Age

1000–485 Ma (Neoproterozoic to Cambrian)

Rock types

metadacite, metarhyolite, and metavolcanic

Elevation

720 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