Cecil County: Kammererite & Serpentine Rockhounding in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

Plan your visit

Generally open to casual rockhounding

County

Lancaster County

State

Pennsylvania

Nearest road

Quarry Road

Postcode

17563

Coordinates

39.72052, -76.14594

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: The serpentine barrens here include a mix of public and private parcels, so confirm ownership and get permission before collecting. Take small hand samples of float only and protect the sensitive barrens habitat.

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 Cecil County

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 24°F.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, CONOWINGO DAM station (5 mi away), adjusted for elevation.

Geology at Cecil County

This spot sits on Ultramafic Rocks, mapped as serpentinite that formed roughly 2500 to 250 million years ago. Metamorphic rock like this weathers into resistant float, and minerals that survive transport typically concentrate in nearby drainages.

Mapped unit

Ultramafic Rocks

Age

2500–250 Ma (Proterozoic to Paleozoic)

Rock types

serpentinite

Elevation

380 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