Harrisburg: Agate & Amethyst Rockhounding in York County, Pennsylvania

Plan your visit

Generally open to casual rockhounding

County

York County

State

Pennsylvania

Nearest road

Pleasant View Road

Postcode

17339

Coordinates

40.16506, -76.84429

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 Harrisburg

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Best months: March to November. Typical highs run 87°F in midsummer and 40°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 24°F.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, HARRISBURG CAPITAL CITY AP station (4 mi away), adjusted for elevation.

Geology at Harrisburg

This spot sits on Gettysburg conglomerate, mapped as conglomerate that formed roughly 250 to 200 million years ago. Tough silica like agate, jasper, and chert typically weathers out of beds like these and collects as float in drainages and on deflation surfaces.

Mapped unit

Gettysburg conglomerate

Age

250–200 Ma (Triassic)

Rock types

conglomerate

Elevation

490 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