Updated August 2026
77 mapped spots across 38 counties. Wisconsin produces a wide range of rockhounding-grade material: see the full list of spots, minerals, and access notes below.
The best rockhounding in Wisconsin is at Bayfield County in Bayfield County (agate, jasper), Near Saxon Falls in Iron County (calcite, chlorite), and Jackson Co. Iron Mine dumps in Jackson County (actinolite, almandine). In total, 77 mapped collecting spots across 38 counties produce quartz, agate, and jasper, each listed below with coordinates and land access notes.
Representative spot and material photos from locations in this state, shown where verified public image records are available.
Map showing 77 rockhounding spots in Wisconsin
Day-trip range. Each section lists the closest mapped rockhounding spots within about 150 miles of the city — most are inside a 2 to 3 hour drive.
6 closest spots to Milwaukee, WI.
6 closest spots to Madison, WI.
6 closest spots to Green Bay, WI.
Geology rarely respects state borders. These states share mapped rockhounding country with Wisconsin — useful when Wisconsin is the start, not the whole trip. Each card links to the closest county across the line.
County pages are linked once we have at least 3 mapped spots for a focused guide with coordinates, mineral notes, and nearby spots.
Hand-picked standouts from the Wisconsin list, chosen for unusual mineralogy, documented public access, or both. Each card links to coordinates, access notes, and what to look for.
Top pickBayfield County
The Lake Superior shoreline of Bayfield County, along the State Highway 13 corridor between Port Wing and Cornucopia, is a classic stretch of public agate beach.
Agate, Jasper
Top pickIron County
The Montreal River gorge below Saxon Falls exposes Keweenawan basalt whose gas cavities are lined with zeolite minerals.
Calcite, Chlorite, Epidote, Laumontite
Top pickJackson County
The reclaimed Jackson County iron mine, now the free Wazee Lake Recreation Area east of Black River Falls, is one of Wisconsin's premier metamorphic mineral localities.
Actinolite, Almandine, Andalusite, Biotite
Racine County
Quarry Lake Park in Racine exposes the Silurian Racine Formation dolomite, part of the reef complex recognized as among the first fossil coral reefs described in North America.
Fossils, Calcite, Marcasite
Top pickIowa County
The Wisconsin River gravel bars near Muscoda carry Lake Superior agates and quartz transported south by glacial outwash, giving the Driftless Area a rare source of free public collecting.
Agate
Top pickDouglas County
Wisconsin Point, a three-mile public sand and gravel spit at the mouth of Superior Bay, is the state's most accessible Lake Superior agate beach.
Lake Superior Agate, Jasper, Copper, Basalt
Top pickAshland County
Big Bay Town Park on Madeline Island gives collectors a Lake Superior beach reachable by the Bayfield ferry.
Lake Superior Agate, Jasper, Thomsonite, Basalt
Iron County
Saxon Harbor is Wisconsin's only county park on Lake Superior, set on Oronto Bay near the Michigan border.
Lake Superior Agate, Jasper, Copper
Top pickOzaukee County
Lime Kiln Park near Grafton preserves two small Silurian reefs in the walls of a former limestone quarry along the Milwaukee River.
Fossils, Coral, Crinoids, Dolomite
Top pickIron County
The schist exposures near Powell, on the Manitowish Range, form one of Wisconsin's few good kyanite and staurolite localities.
Kyanite, Staurolite, Almandine, Biotite
Sorted by county. Tap coordinates to open in Google Maps, or open RockHoundR for the full map view with land overlays and weather.
Open the RockHoundR app to see Wisconsin on a real map with public land overlays, weather, geology, and your saved finds.
