Waterside: Calcite & Chalcedony Rockhounding in Bedford County, Pennsylvania

Plan your visit

Generally open to casual rockhounding

County

Bedford County

State

Pennsylvania

Nearest road

Old Mill Road

Postcode

16664

Coordinates

40.17122, -78.39359

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 Waterside

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Best months: March to November. Typical highs run 84°F in midsummer and 36°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 22°F.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, ALTOONA BLAIR CO AP station (10 mi away), adjusted for elevation.

Geology at Waterside

This spot sits on Bellefonte and Axemann Formations, undivided, mapped as dolostone and limestone that formed roughly 485 to 445 million years ago. Chert and agate nodules typically form inside carbonate rock like this and weather out as tough, waxy lumps in soils and creek beds.

Mapped unit

Bellefonte and Axemann Formations, undivided

Age

485–445 Ma (Ordovician)

Rock types

dolostone and limestone

Elevation

1,210 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