Reading: Jasper Rockhounding in Berks County, Pennsylvania

Plan your visit

Generally open to casual rockhounding

County

Berks County

State

Pennsylvania

Nearest road

Philadelphia Avenue

Postcode

19607

Coordinates

40.29978, -75.91643

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.

Access note: Do not disturb any protected archaeological quarry sites; collect only loose jasper float from ordinary public ground and get permission on private land. Leave documented prehistoric workings untouched.

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 Reading

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Best months: March to November. Typical highs run 87°F in midsummer and 39°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 23°F.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, READING RGNL AP station (6 mi away).

Geology at Reading

This spot sits on Diabase, mapped as basalt that formed roughly 200 to 145 million years ago. Volcanic ground like this is where agate, jasper, and other chalcedony typically form, filling old gas pockets and fracture seams in the flow rock.

Mapped unit

Diabase

Age

200–145 Ma (Jurassic)

Rock types

basalt

Elevation

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