Moneta: Garnet & Pyrite Rockhounding in Bedford County, Virginia

Plan your visit

Generally open to casual rockhounding

County

Bedford County

State

Virginia

Nearest road

Reindeer Point

Postcode

24523

Coordinates

37.19467, -79.56857

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 Moneta

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Conditions here are workable year-round, with typical highs from 48°F in winter to 87°F in summer.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, BEDFORD station (10 mi away), adjusted for elevation.

Geology at Moneta

This spot sits on Alligator Back Formation - Feldspathic metagraywacke, mapped as metagraywacke that formed roughly 1000 to 485 million years ago. Sedimentary rock like this erodes unevenly, so the most productive collecting is typically along fresh cuts, badland slopes, and active drainages.

Mapped unit

Alligator Back Formation - Feldspathic metagraywacke

Age

1000–485 Ma (Neoproterozoic to Cambrian)

Rock types

metagraywacke

Elevation

670 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