White Rocks: Cryptomelane & Goethite Rockhounding in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania

Plan your visit

Confirm rules before collecting

County

Cumberland County

State

Pennsylvania

Nearest road

Kuhn Road

Postcode

17007

Coordinates

40.13268, -77.08866

Coordinates are approximate. Confirm the exact ground in the RockHoundR app, where land overlays show which agency manages the area.

Land & collecting status

Confirm rules before collecting

Land status here is not confirmed. Verify with the managing agency before collecting, federal, state, and tribal rules differ.

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 White Rocks

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Best months: March to November. Typical highs run 85°F in midsummer and 37°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 20°F.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, CARLISLE WTP station (8 mi away), adjusted for elevation.

Geology at White Rocks

This spot sits on Tomstown Formation, mapped as dolostone that formed roughly 540 to 485 million years ago. Carbonate rock like this dissolves and weathers readily, so fresh road cuts, quarries, and creek exposures are typically the most productive ground.

Mapped unit

Tomstown Formation

Age

540–485 Ma (Cambrian)

Rock types

dolostone

Elevation

620 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