New Creek: Calcite & Chert Rockhounding in Mineral County, West Virginia
- Minerals reported
- 4
- Elevation
- 1,330 ft
- Best months
- March to November
New Creek is a mapped rockhounding spot in Mineral County, West Virginia. Reported finds include calcite, chert, hematite, red quartzite. Below: coordinates, access notes, nearby spots, and trip-planning links.
Plan your visit
Generally open to casual rockhounding
- County
- Mineral County
- State
- West Virginia
- Nearest road
- US 50
- Postcode
- 26743
- Coordinates
- 39.36341, -79.00726
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 New Creek
Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)
Best months: March to November. Typical highs run 87°F in midsummer and 38°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 19°F.
Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, KEYSER 2 SSW station (4 mi away), adjusted for elevation.
Geology at New Creek
This spot sits on McKenzie Formation and Clinton Group, mapped as sandstone and shale that formed roughly 445 to 420 million years ago. Tough silica like agate, jasper, and chert typically weathers out of beds like these and collects as float in drainages and on deflation surfaces.
- Mapped unit
- McKenzie Formation and Clinton Group
- Age
- 445–420 Ma (Silurian)
- Rock types
- sandstone and shale
- Elevation
- 1,330 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.
Today's weather
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Get the appSources & 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.
- West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey
- Monongahela National Forest
- West Virginia State Parks rules
- Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules
Found at New Creek
Each name 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 New Creek.
- Knobly MountainMineral County, West Virginia · 1 mi awayCelestite, Blue Calcite
- Knobly MountainMineral County, West Virginia · 1 mi awayChalcedony, Calcite, Dolomite
- PetersburgGrant County, West Virginia · 26 mi awayCalcite, Dolomite, Quartz
- North Fork GapGrant County, West Virginia · 29 mi awayCalcite, Celestite, Dolomite
- South Fork MountainGrant County, West Virginia · 34 mi awayHematite
- Smoke HolePendleton County, West Virginia · 38 mi awayGeode, Gypsum, Pyrite
- HarmanRandolph County, West Virginia · 41 mi awayCalcite, Dolomite, Quartz
- Berkeley SpringsMorgan County, West Virginia · 46 mi awayCalcite, Jasper, Pyrite Cube
Across the state line from New Creek
New Creek is close enough to the West Virginia border that the next-closest rockhounding spots are in a neighboring state. Worth knowing if you are already on the road.
- HancockWashington County, Maryland · 50 mi awayFossil, Quartz
- RivertonWarren County, Virginia · 53 mi awayCalcite, Quartz
- Front RoyalWarren County, Virginia · 56 mi awayBiotite, Quartz, Unakite
- IdaPage County, Virginia · 61 mi awayAzurite, Chrysolite, Cuprite
- Mt. PleasantWestmoreland County, Pennsylvania · 62 mi awayAmethyst
- Sherman ValleyBedford County, Pennsylvania · 63 mi awayCalcite, Chlorite, Orthoclase
New Creek FAQ
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More rockhounding in West Virginia
See all 41 West Virginia spots →
Open New Creek on the map
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