Lake Willoughby: Muscovite & Beryl Rockhounding in Orleans County, Vermont

Plan your visit

Generally open to casual rockhounding

County

Orleans County

State

Vermont

Nearest road

South Trail

Coordinates

44.72759, -72.03294

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.

Access note: Collecting is from the highway road-cuts on Route 5A along the east shore; park well off the pavement at the pull-offs and watch for traffic. Willoughby State Forest adjoins the site, where only small hand samples are allowed and no digging. Stay off posted private land.

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 Lake Willoughby

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Best months: April to October. Typical highs run 74°F in midsummer and 20°F in midwinter, with winter lows near -4°F.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, SUTTON 2NE station (4 mi away), adjusted for elevation.

Geology at Lake Willoughby

This spot sits on Waits River Formation - carbonaceous phyllite and limestone member, mapped as phyllite and limestone that formed roughly 425 to 395 million years ago. Carbonate rock like this dissolves and weathers readily, so fresh road cuts, quarries, and creek exposures are typically the most productive ground.

Mapped unit

Waits River Formation - carbonaceous phyllite and limestone member

Age

425–395 Ma (Pridoli to Early Devonian)

Rock types

phyllite and limestone

Elevation

1,710 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.

• Vermont Geological Survey
• Green Mountain National Forest
• Vermont State Parks, Camp Plymouth
• Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules