Tye River Gap: Epidote & Unakite Rockhounding in Rockbridge County, Virginia

Plan your visit

Generally open to casual rockhounding

County

Rockbridge County

State

Virginia

Nearest road

Tye River Turnpike

Coordinates

37.88689, -79.15646

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 Tye River Gap

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Best months: March to November. Typical highs run 82°F in midsummer and 40°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 18°F.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, MONTEBELLO FISH CULTURAL STN station (3 mi away), adjusted for elevation.

Geology at Tye River Gap

This spot sits on Megacrystic Charnockite, mapped as charnockite that formed roughly 1600 to 1000 million years ago. Quartz crystals typically weather out of veins and pockets and end up in nearby soils and creek beds.

Mapped unit

Megacrystic Charnockite

Age

1600–1000 Ma (Mesoproterozoic)

Rock types

charnockite

Elevation

3,000 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.

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