Coatsville: Amethyst & Beryl Rockhounding in Chester County, Pennsylvania

Plan your visit

Generally open to casual rockhounding

County

Chester County

State

Pennsylvania

Nearest road

Rockdale Drive

Postcode

19320

Coordinates

39.97245, -75.86865

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 Coatsville

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Best months: March to November. Typical highs run 86°F in midsummer and 39°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 22°F.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, COATESVILLE 2 W station (1 mi away).

Geology at Coatsville

This spot sits on Chickies Formation, mapped as quartzite and schist that formed roughly 540 to 485 million years ago. Metamorphic terrain like this typically carries quartz veins and sweats, and weathered crystals tend to end up in the soils and streams below.

Mapped unit

Chickies Formation

Age

540–485 Ma (Cambrian)

Rock types

quartzite and schist

Elevation

540 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