Churchtown: Petrified Wood Rockhounding in Berks County, Pennsylvania

Quick details

Access

Public area

County

Berks County

State

Pennsylvania

Nearest road

Pennsylvania Turnpike

Postcode

19543

Coordinates

40.17001, -75.91327

Geology at Churchtown

This spot sits on Diabase, mapped as basalt that formed roughly 200 to 145 million years ago. Petrified wood typically comes from volcanic ash beds like the ones associated with this ground, where buried forests were slowly replaced by silica.

Mapped unit

Diabase

Age

200–145 Ma (Jurassic)

Rock types

basalt

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.

Best time to visit Churchtown

Best months: March to November. Typical highs run 84°F in midsummer and 36°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 20°F.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, HOPEWELL MORGANTOWN station (2 mi away), adjusted for elevation.

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.

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.

Sources: RockHoundR public spot dataset, app land overlays, and local agency review before each trip.

Found at Churchtown

Each chip opens all spots that produce that material; the encyclopedia link opens the full ID and field guide.

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