Blue Ridge: Staurolite Rockhounding in Roanoke County, Virginia

Quick details

Access

Public area

County

Roanoke County

State

Virginia

Nearest road

Pine Needle Drive

Postcode

24065

Coordinates

37.17493, -79.95228

Geology at Blue Ridge

This spot sits on Layered Biotite Granulite and Gneiss, mapped as granulite and gneiss that formed roughly 1600 to 1000 million years ago. Metamorphic rock like this is where garnet, staurolite, and kyanite typically grow as the rock recrystallizes under heat and pressure.

Mapped unit

Layered Biotite Granulite and Gneiss

Age

1600–1000 Ma (Mesoproterozoic)

Rock types

granulite and gneiss

Elevation

1,000 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 Blue Ridge

Conditions here are workable year-round, with typical highs from 48°F in winter to 89°F in summer.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, ROANOKE-BLACKSBURG RGNL AP station (10 mi away).

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 Blue Ridge

Each chip opens all spots that produce that material; the encyclopedia link opens the full ID and field guide.

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