Moosup River: Epidote & Hornblende Rockhounding in Providence County, Rhode Island

Plan your visit

Generally open to casual rockhounding

County

Providence County

State

Rhode Island

Nearest road

Gold Mine Road

Postcode

02825

Coordinates

41.76564, -71.76837

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 Moosup River

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Best months: March to November. Typical highs run 81°F in midsummer and 35°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 19°F.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, N FOSTER 1 E station (7 mi away).

Geology at Moosup River

This spot sits on Esmond Igneous Suite - augen granite gneiss, mapped as gneiss and amphibolite that formed roughly 1000 to 540 million years ago. Metamorphic terrain like this commonly hosts vein and replacement mineralization, and old workings typically mark the productive zones.

Mapped unit

Esmond Igneous Suite - augen granite gneiss

Age

1000–540 Ma (Neoproterozoic)

Rock types

gneiss and amphibolite

Elevation

550 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.

• Rhode Island Geological Survey
• Rhode Island DEM park rules
• Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules