Camp Plymouth State Park: Gold Prospecting in Windsor County, Vermont
Updated July 2026
Camp Plymouth State Park sits on Buffalo Brook and Echo Lake in Vermont's 1850s gold-rush country, where the old Rooks Mine once worked placer gold. It is the one place in the state where recreational hand-panning is expressly allowed on public land, so beginners can pan for real Vermont gold flakes without chasing landowner permission. Fine gold still shows up in the brook gravels below the day-use area. Reported finds include gold. Below: coordinates, access notes, nearby spots, and trip-planning links.
Camp Plymouth State Park photos
Public image records connected to this spot or its reported material.
Map showing Camp Plymouth State Park in Windsor County, Vermont
Quick details
- Access
- Public area
- County
- Windsor County
- State
- Vermont
- Nearest road
- Scout Camp Road
- Coordinates
- 43.46550, -72.70560
Geology at Camp Plymouth State Park
This spot sits on Hoosac Formation - chlorite albite schist and granofels member, mapped as Neoproterozoic to Early Cambrian granofels and quartz feldspar schist. Gold in metamorphic belts like this is typically tied to quartz veins and shear zones, with placer color in the creeks that cut them.
- Mapped unit
- Hoosac Formation - chlorite albite schist and granofels member
- Age
- Neoproterozoic to Early Cambrian
- Rock types
- granofels and quartz feldspar schist
- Elevation
- 1,100 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 Camp Plymouth State Park
Best months: April to November. Typical highs run 81°F in midsummer and 29°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 7°F.
Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, CAVENDISH station (8 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 Camp Plymouth State Park
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 Camp Plymouth State Park.
- LudlowTop pick in VermontWindsor County, Vermont · 5 mi awayTourmaline, Pyrite, Talc
- GassettsTop pick in VermontWindsor County, Vermont · 10 mi awayQuartz, Garnet, Tourmaline
- Devil's DenTop pick in VermontRutland County, Vermont · 12 mi awaySmoky Quartz, Quartz, Pyrite
- Round HillRutland County, Vermont · 13 mi awayGreen Aventurine
- PerkinsvilleWindsor County, Vermont · 13 mi awayPyrite, Pyrrhotite, Chlorite
- ProctorRutland County, Vermont · 21 mi awayMarble
- Elizabeth MineOrange County, Vermont · 31 mi awayChalcopyrite, Pyrrhotite
- White RiverTop pick in VermontOrange County, Vermont · 33 mi awayGold
Across the state line from Camp Plymouth State Park
Camp Plymouth State Park is close enough to the Vermont border that the next-closest rockhounding spots are in a neighboring state. Worth knowing if you are already on the road.
- FairhavenWashington County, New York · 28 mi awayPyrite, Bornite, Chalcopyrite
- Beryl MountainSullivan County, New Hampshire · 29 mi awayBeryl, Rose Quartz
- Melvin Hill (Grafton)Grafton County, New Hampshire · 32 mi awayBeryl, Spessartine Garnet
- Derry HillCheshire County, New Hampshire · 34 mi awayBeryl, Rose Quartz
- HanoverGrafton County, New Hampshire · 34 mi awayJasper, Quartz
- Pillsbury RidgeSullivan County, New Hampshire · 36 mi awayAquamarine, Beryl, Amethyst
Camp Plymouth State Park FAQ
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More rockhounding in Vermont
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