Roan Mountain: Unakite Rockhounding in Carter County, Tennessee
Updated July 2026
Roan Mountain anchors the Unaka Range that gives unakite its name, and the pink-and-green epidote granite occurs as cobbles in the stream gravels and roadside cuts along the TN 143 corridor. The Precambrian basement here is the same epidotized granite that made the material famous. Fresh slides after heavy rain along Forest Service roads regularly expose new pieces. Reported finds include unakite. Below: coordinates, access notes, nearby spots, and trip-planning links.
Roan Mountain photos
Public image records connected to this spot or its reported material.
Map showing Roan Mountain in Carter County, Tennessee
Quick details
- Access
- Public area
- County
- Carter County
- State
- Tennessee
- Nearest road
- Laurel Hylands Road
- Postcode
- 37687
- Coordinates
- 36.19405, -82.08248
Geology at Roan Mountain
This spot sits on ground mapped as Cranberry Granite that formed roughly 1200 to 720 million years ago. Plutonic rock like this weathers slowly into grus and boulders, and the most productive collecting is typically in weathered zones and drainages.
- Mapped unit
- Cranberry Granite
- Age
- 1200–720 Ma (Mesoproterozoic to Neoproterozoic)
- Elevation
- 3,230 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.
Best time to visit Roan Mountain
Best months: February to December. Typical highs run 78°F in midsummer and 43°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 21°F.
Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, ROAN MTN 3SW station (2 mi away), adjusted for elevation.
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.
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.
Sources: RockHoundR public spot dataset, app land overlays, and local agency review before each trip.
Found at Roan Mountain
Each chip opens all spots that produce that material; the encyclopedia link opens the full ID and field guide.
Nearby rockhounding spots
Other rockhounding spots within driving distance of Roan Mountain.
- Stony CreekCarter County, Tennessee · 13 mi awayPyrite, Pyrolusite
- Limestone quarriesUnicoi County, Tennessee · 14 mi awayCalcite, Celestite, Dolomite
- Unaka MountainsTop pick in TennesseeUnicoi County, Tennessee · 18 mi awayEpidote, Quartz, Unakite
- Bumpus CoveWashington County, Tennessee · 22 mi awayBlue Jasper
- Bumpus Cove mining districtUnicoi County, Tennessee · 23 mi awayAnglesite, Chalcopyrite, Cerussite
- BristolSullivan County, Tennessee · 24 mi awayOnyx
- Flag PondUnicoi County, Tennessee · 29 mi awayUnakite
- KingsportSullivan County, Tennessee · 33 mi awayLimestone
Across the state line from Roan Mountain
Roan Mountain is close enough to the Tennessee border that the next-closest rockhounding spots are in a neighboring state. Worth knowing if you are already on the road.
- Roan MountainMitchell County, North Carolina · 7 mi awayUnakite, Epidote
- CranberryAvery County, North Carolina · 7 mi awayEpidote, Garnet, Hematite
- Mitchell CountyMitchell County, North Carolina · 10 mi awayAgate
- PlumtreeAvery County, North Carolina · 12 mi awayFeldspar, Garnet
- SpearAvery County, North Carolina · 15 mi awayBeryl, Garnet, Epidote
- IngallsAvery County, North Carolina · 15 mi awayGarnet
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More rockhounding in Tennessee
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