Best spot

Great Salt Lake: Aragonite & Bloedite Rockhounding in Tooele County, Utah

Updated June 2026

The Tooele side of Great Salt Lake offers an unusual sediment specimen rather than a hard-rock target: oolitic sand made of calcium-carbonate coats around tiny nuclei in shallow, wave-agitated brine. UGS documents accessible oolitic dunes on BLM public lands at Stansbury Island and explains that Great Salt Lake sand is often chemically grown in the lake rather than washed down as quartz grains. Reported finds include aragonite, bloedite, gypsum, halite, thenardite, and more. Below: coordinates, access notes, nearby spots, and trip-planning links.

Great Salt Lake photos

Public image records connected to this spot or its reported material.

1 photo

Hypersaline lacustrine mudcracks with a halite salt crust at Great Salt Lake, Tooele County, Utah

Quick details

Access: Public area
County: Tooele County
State: Utah
Coordinates: 40.97682, -112.68245

Geology at Great Salt Lake

This spot sits on ground mapped as water. Fresh exposures, cuts, and drainages are typically the most productive places to look on ground like this.

Mapped unit: water
Elevation: 4,210 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 Great Salt Lake

Best months: March to June. Typical highs run 93°F in midsummer and 36°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 18°F.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, UTAH TEST RANGE station (14 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.

State guidance last verified: April 1, 2026

BLM Utah — Rockhounding overview
Utah Geological Survey — collecting guidelines
SITLA — surface use rules
Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules

Found at Great Salt Lake

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 Great Salt Lake.

Across the state line from Great Salt Lake

Great Salt Lake is close enough to the Utah border that the next-closest rockhounding spots are in a neighboring state. Worth knowing if you are already on the road.

WendoverElko County, Nevada · 74 mi awayBischofite, Carnallite, Halite

Great Salt Lake FAQ

Where is Great Salt Lake?+

Great Salt Lake is in Tooele County, Utah, at 40.97682, -112.68245.

What rocks and minerals can you find at Great Salt Lake?+

Great Salt Lake is reported to produce Aragonite, Bloedite, Gypsum, Halite, Thenardite, Mirabilite.

Is collecting allowed at Great Salt Lake?+

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. Always confirm current rules with the managing agency before a trip.

What tools should I bring to Great Salt Lake?+

A rock hammer, sturdy gloves, safety glasses, and a collecting bag cover the basics here. Add a spray bottle: wet rock shows color and pattern that dry rock hides.

When is the best time to visit Great Salt Lake?+

The most comfortable months at Great Salt Lake are March to June.

How do I get to Great Salt Lake?+

Open the directions link to navigate to 40.97682, -112.68245 in Google Maps. Some spots are remote, so check road conditions before driving out.

More rockhounding in Utah

See all 246 Utah spots →

Open Great Salt Lake on the map

Use the RockHoundR app for live land overlays, weather, geology, directions, and saved finds.