General Area: Quartz & Hematite Rockhounding in Oconto County, Wisconsin

Quick details

Access

Public area

County

Oconto County

State

Wisconsin

Nearest road

Carter Fire Tower Trail

Coordinates

45.37404, -88.63297

Geology at General Area

This spot sits on Quartzite, mapped as quartzite and conglomerate 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)

Rock types

quartzite and conglomerate

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.

Best time to visit General Area

Best months: April to October. Typical highs run 77°F in midsummer and 21°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 3°F.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, LAKEWOOD 3 NE station (7 mi away), adjusted for elevation.

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.

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 General Area

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

• QuartzEncyclopedia →
• HematiteEncyclopedia →