Gettysburg: Copper & Chabazite Rockhounding in Adams County, Pennsylvania

Plan your visit

Generally open to casual rockhounding

County

Adams County

State

Pennsylvania

Nearest road

Baltimore Pike

Postcode

17325

Coordinates

39.80370, -77.21283

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 Gettysburg

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Best months: March to December. Typical highs run 86°F in midsummer and 40°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 21°F.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, EISENHOWER NHS station (1 mi away).

Geology at Gettysburg

This spot sits on Diabase, mapped as basalt that formed roughly 200 to 145 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

Diabase

Age

200–145 Ma (Jurassic)

Rock types

basalt

Elevation

480 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.

• Pennsylvania Geological Survey
• DCNR state park and state forest rules
• Allegheny National Forest
• Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules