Rib Mountain: Rhodochrosite & Quartz Rockhounding in Marathon County, Wisconsin

Quick details

Access

Permission required

County

Marathon County

State

Wisconsin

Nearest road

State Park Road

Postcode

54401

Coordinates

44.91921, -89.67910

Geology at Rib Mountain

This spot sits on ground mapped as Quartzite that formed roughly 2500 to 1600 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

Quartzite

Age

2500–1600 Ma (Paleoproterozoic)

Elevation

1,730 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.

Best time to visit Rib Mountain

Best months: April to October. Typical highs run 78°F in midsummer and 21°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 5°F.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, WAUSAU ASOS station (3 mi away), adjusted for elevation.

Land & collecting status

Permission required before collecting

Requires landowner or agency permission before any collecting. Do not enter without explicit authorization.

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.

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.

Sources: RockHoundR public spot dataset, app land overlays, and local agency review before each trip.

Found at Rib Mountain

Each chip opens all spots that produce that material; the encyclopedia link opens the full ID and field guide.

• RhodochrositeEncyclopedia →
• QuartzEncyclopedia →