Powell Kyanite: Kyanite & Staurolite Rockhounding in Iron County, Wisconsin

Plan your visit

Generally open to casual rockhounding

County

Iron County

State

Wisconsin

Nearest road

State Highway 182

Postcode

54547

Coordinates

46.11300, -90.10300

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.

Access note: The documented exposure is a roadcut on State Highway 182 west of Powell, surrounded by state and county forest land. Collect loose material by hand and stay well clear of the traveled roadway; confirm current access, since highway right-of-way collecting is a legal gray area. This is a remote northern site best visited in dry months.

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 Powell Kyanite

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Best months: April to October. Typical highs run 78°F in midsummer and 20°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 1°F.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, REST LAKE station (11 mi away).

Geology at Powell Kyanite

This spot sits on Biotite schist, mapped as biotite schist that formed roughly 2050 to 1800 million years ago. Metamorphic terrain like this typically carries quartz veins and sweats, and weathered crystals tend to end up in the soils and streams below.

Mapped unit

Biotite schist

Age

2050–1800 Ma (Paleoproterozoic)

Rock types

biotite schist

Elevation

1,580 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.

• Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey
• Wisconsin DNR property rules
• Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest
• Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules