Mossy Creek: Calamine & Smithsonite Rockhounding in Jefferson County, Tennessee

Plan your visit

Generally open to casual rockhounding

County

Jefferson County

State

Tennessee

Nearest road

Hicks Road

Postcode

37760

Coordinates

36.11064, -83.47704

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 Mossy Creek

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Conditions here are workable year-round, with typical highs from 47°F in winter to 87°F in summer.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, JEFFERSON CITY station (1 mi away).

Geology at Mossy Creek

This spot sits on Jonesboro Limestone, Newala Formation, Mascot Dolomite, Kingsport Formation, Longview Dolomite, and Chepultepec Dolomite, mapped as limestone and dolostone that formed roughly 485 to 445 million years ago. Carbonate rock like this is the classic host for lead, zinc, and fluorite mineralization, which typically follows old cavities and replacement zones.

Mapped unit

Jonesboro Limestone, Newala Formation, Mascot Dolomite, Kingsport Formation, Longview Dolomite, and Chepultepec Dolomite

Age

485–445 Ma (Ordovician)

Rock types

limestone and dolostone

Elevation

1,170 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.

• Tennessee Division of Geology
• Cherokee National Forest
• Tennessee State Parks rules
• Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules