Buck Mountain Creek: Agate Rockhounding in Albemarle County, Virginia

Plan your visit

Generally open to casual rockhounding

County

Albemarle County

State

Virginia

Nearest road

Buck Mountain Road

Postcode

22940

Coordinates

38.14954, -78.53949

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: Creek-gravel agate in Albemarle County. Search public stream access points and road crossings; much of the surrounding land is private, so confirm access and stay within the streambed on navigable waters.

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 Buck Mountain Creek

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Conditions here are workable year-round, with typical highs from 48°F in winter to 90°F in summer.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, CHARLOTTESVILLE ALBEMARLE AP station (5 mi away), adjusted for elevation.

Geology at Buck Mountain Creek

This spot sits on Fauquier Formation - Metasiltstone and phyllite, mapped as metasiltstone and phyllite that formed roughly 1000 to 540 million years ago. Metamorphic rock like this weathers into resistant float, and minerals that survive transport typically concentrate in nearby drainages.

Mapped unit

Fauquier Formation - Metasiltstone and phyllite

Age

1000–540 Ma (Neoproterozoic)

Rock types

metasiltstone and phyllite

Elevation

440 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.

• Virginia Energy, Geology and Mineral Resources
• Virginia State Parks
• George Washington & Jefferson National Forests
• Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules