Jackson Co. Iron Mine dumps: Actinolite & Almandine Rockhounding in Jackson County, Wisconsin
- Minerals reported
- 7
- Elevation
- 910 ft
- Best months
- April to October
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. The Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey documents almandine garnet porphyroblasts up to 2 cm alongside staurolite, andalusite, kyanite, sillimanite, and magnetite in the mica schist and iron formation around the pit. Collecting is done on the waste-rock piles and schist exposures, since the open pit itself is now the deepest lake in the state. Reported finds include actinolite, almandine, andalusite, biotite, kyanite, and more. Below: coordinates, access notes, nearby spots, and trip-planning links.
Plan your visit
Generally open to casual rockhounding
- County
- Jackson County
- State
- Wisconsin
- Coordinates
- 44.29387, -90.71836
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: Wazee Lake Recreation Area is a free Jackson County park; the flooded pit is a scuba lake, so collecting is limited to the surrounding waste rock and schist outcrops. Confirm current access to the dump areas with Jackson County Forestry and Parks before visiting, and collect by hand only.
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 Jackson Co. Iron Mine dumps
Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)
Best months: April to October. Typical highs run 81°F in midsummer and 24°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 6°F.
Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, NEILLSVILLE 3ESE station (19 mi away), adjusted for elevation.
Geology at Jackson Co. Iron Mine dumps
This spot sits on ground mapped as sandstone that formed roughly 540 to 485 million years ago. Sedimentary rock like this erodes unevenly, so the most productive collecting is typically along fresh cuts, badland slopes, and active drainages.
- Age
- 540–485 Ma (Cambrian)
- Rock types
- sandstone
- Elevation
- 910 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.
- Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey
- Wisconsin DNR property rules
- Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest
- Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules
Found at Jackson Co. Iron Mine dumps
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 Jackson Co. Iron Mine dumps.
- Black River & tributariesClark County, Wisconsin · 19 mi awayAgate, Jasper
- Central Wood CountyWood County, Wisconsin · 35 mi awayAgate, Aventurine, Quartzite
- La Crosse CountyLa Crosse County, Wisconsin · 37 mi awayLake Superior Agate
- Bluffs of Miss. RiverLa Crosse County, Wisconsin · 44 mi awayLake Superior Agate, Jasper, Diamond
- Little Falls AreaEau Claire County, Wisconsin · 45 mi awayBeryl
- OwenClark County, Wisconsin · 46 mi awayJasper
- Big Falls ParkEau Claire County, Wisconsin · 46 mi awayAlmandine, Cummingtonite, Hornblende
- HalderMarathon County, Wisconsin · 52 mi awayEpidote, Unakite
Across the state line from Jackson Co. Iron Mine dumps
Jackson Co. Iron Mine dumps is close enough to the Wisconsin border that the next-closest rockhounding spots are in a neighboring state. Worth knowing if you are already on the road.
- Lake WinonaWinona County, Minnesota · 49 mi awayLake Superior Agate
- General Area (Winona)Winona County, Minnesota · 51 mi awayLake Superior Agate
- WinonaWinona County, Minnesota · 52 mi awayLake Superior Agate
- Bronk QuarryWinona County, Minnesota · 53 mi awayCalcite, Dolomite, Goethite
- CaledoniaHouston County, Minnesota · 61 mi awayCalcite
- WabashaWabasha County, Minnesota · 66 mi awayLake Superior Agate
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