I was taking screenshots of places to go rockhounding, but couldn’t keep track of them.
Complex forum pages and old websites struggled to load on my phone, especially when outdoors with bad reception.
And nothing was worse than driving dirt roads just to find a “private property” gate at the end.
If that sounds familiar…
rockhoundingmap.com makes visiting new rockhounding spots easier.
Over 80,000 miles of driving has gone towards visiting rockhounding locations to create an interactive map that pairs with journal-style pages for each location.
Built For Phones
Annotated Albums
Photo albums show finds, observations, and sometimes a few surprises along the way.
Pages are simple and load quickly - great for when you’re outdoors without good cell service.
Locations are checked against a land map to help keep us on land we’re allowed to explore.
Getting There
Ownership Checked
Vehicle recommendations are included along with notes on ideal times of the year to visit.
Handwritten, Not AI Generated
All photos are unedited and pages are written by hand. It’s a slow growing project by someone that loves to both dig and create websites.
Below you can browse locations sorted by state:
The website is designed to be browsed as a map. Join the free Patreon Group to access the map. The map includes:
Color-coded layers to easily sort locations
Ability to download into your own Google Maps
Links back to each location’s web page
The button below will take you to Patreon. The link to the map is in the first pinned post.
95 members
About
I am not a geologist or a professional web developer. This is my best effort to put together a simple resource I wish I had when getting into rockhounding more seriously.
You will notice many locations near Lake Superior, as I am from Wisconsin - but more are being added around the country. The FAQ Page has information about the website and locations listed.
Thanks for checking out the project. It is still in its early stages. I hope it helps you plan awesome trips and make great memories outdoors!
Griffin Cole - Author