Rockhounding sites near Lexington

24 rockhounding collecting sites within about 90 miles of Lexington, Virginia.

This page lists 24 natural rockhounding sites near Lexington, Virginia, sorted by distance within about 90 miles.

Where can you collect near Lexington?

Near Lexington, Virginia, our directory maps 24 natural rockhounding sites within about 90 miles of the city center — including 8 quartz & crystalss, 1 gemstones, 3 fossilss, and 1 turquoise & opal. The closest mapped spot is Lexington (0.9 mi straight-line). Distances are not drive time; open each listing for directions, fee notes, access rules, and safety context before you travel.

At a glance — rockhounding sites near Lexington

Central placeLexington, Virginia
Search radiusAbout 90 miles
Mapped spots24
Closest listingLexington (0.9 mi)
Specimen typesQuartz & Crystals (8), Gemstones (1), Fossils (3), Turquoise & Opal (1), Other (11)
Typical fees24 varies

All rockhounding sites near Lexington

24 rockhounding collecting sites in Virginia, sorted by distance from the city center. For live GPS sorting, use rockhounding sites near me.

Lexington — calcite rockhounding site near Virginia, VA
CalciteVA

Lexington

Lexington is a documented mineral occurrence near VA. Reported specimens include Calcite, Chalcopyrite, Dolomite, Pyrite. Verify land access and collecting rules before visiting.

Fee varies0.9 mi awayVirginia
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Big Mary's Creek — gem unakite rockhounding site near Virginia, VA
Gem UnakiteVA

Big Mary's Creek

Big Mary's Creek is a documented mineral occurrence near VA. Reported specimens include Gem Unakite. Verify land access and collecting rules before visiting.

Fee varies14 mi awayVirginia
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Spottswood — quartz rockhounding site near Virginia, VA
QuartzVA

Spottswood

Spottswood is a documented mineral occurrence near VA. Reported specimens include Quartz crystals. Verify land access and collecting rules before visiting.

Fee varies15 mi awayVirginia
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Irish Creek — blue moonstone rockhounding site near Virginia, VA
Blue MoonstoneVA

Irish Creek

Irish Creek is a documented mineral occurrence near VA. Reported specimens include Blue Moonstone, Cassiterite. Verify land access and collecting rules before visiting.

Fee varies16 mi awayVirginia
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Hogpen Hollow Prospect — cobalt rockhounding site near Rockbridge, VA
CobaltVA

Hogpen Hollow Prospect

Hogpen Hollow Prospect is a mineral prospect in Rockbridge, Virginia, documented by the USGS Mineral Resources Data System. Reported specimens include Cobalt, Pyrolusite.

Fee varies16 mi awayRockbridge
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Tye River Gap — epidote rockhounding site near Virginia, VA
EpidoteVA

Tye River Gap

Tye River Gap is a documented mineral occurrence near VA. Reported specimens include Epidote, Unakite, Beryl, Quartz crystals. Verify land access and collecting rules before visiting.

Fee varies17 mi awayVirginia
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Fancy Hill — amethyst rockhounding site near Virginia, VA
AmethystVA

Fancy Hill

Fancy Hill is a documented mineral occurrence near VA. Reported specimens include Amethyst, Quartz crystals. Verify land access and collecting rules before visiting.

Fee varies19 mi awayVirginia
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Back Creek Cave #2 — fossil rockhounding site near Virginia, VA
FossilVA

Back Creek Cave #2

Fossil collection site, Bath County, Virginia. Environment: cave. Source: Paleobiology Database (PBDB), CC BY 4.0.

Fee varies21 mi awayVirginia
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Back Creek Cave #3 — fossil rockhounding site near Virginia, VA
FossilVA

Back Creek Cave #3

Fossil collection site, Bath County, Virginia. Environment: cave. Source: Paleobiology Database (PBDB), CC BY 4.0.

Fee varies21 mi awayVirginia
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Chestnut Ridge — quartz rockhounding site near Virginia, VA
QuartzVA

Chestnut Ridge

Chestnut Ridge is a documented mineral occurrence near VA. Reported specimens include Quartz crystals. Verify land access and collecting rules before visiting.

Fee varies22 mi awayVirginia
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Little Piney Mountain Prospect — cobalt rockhounding site near Prospect Is A Historic Mining Site In Bath, VA
CobaltVA

Little Piney Mountain Prospect

Little Piney Mountain Prospect is a historic mining site in Bath, Virginia, documented by the USGS Mineral Resources Data System. Reported specimens include Cobalt, Pyrolusite.

Fee varies24 mi awayProspect Is A Historic Mining Site In Bath
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Back Creek Cave #1 — fossil rockhounding site near Virginia, VA
FossilVA

Back Creek Cave #1

Fossil collection site, Bath County, Virginia. Environment: cave. Source: Paleobiology Database (PBDB), CC BY 4.0.

Fee varies25 mi awayVirginia
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Roseland — quartz rockhounding site near Virginia, VA
QuartzVA

Roseland

Roseland is a documented mineral occurrence near VA. Reported specimens include Blue Quartz, Ilmenite, Rutile crystals. Verify land access and collecting rules before visiting.

Fee varies26 mi awayVirginia
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Peaks Of Otter — beryl rockhounding site near Virginia, VA
BerylVA

Peaks Of Otter

Peaks of Otter is a documented mineral occurrence near VA. Reported specimens include Beryl, Columbite, Feldspar, Garnet, Quartz crystals, Amethyst, Tourmaline. Verify land access and collecting rules before visiting.

Fee varies26 mi awayVirginia
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Saunders Farm — amethyst rockhounding site near Virginia, VA
AmethystVA

Saunders Farm

Saunders Farm is a documented mineral occurrence near VA. Reported specimens include Amethyst. Verify land access and collecting rules before visiting.

Fee varies26 mi awayVirginia
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Mount Torry Mine Lyndhurst-vesuv — cobalt rockhounding site near Augusta, VA
CobaltVA

Mount Torry Mine Lyndhurst-vesuv

Mount Torry Mine Lyndhurst-Vesuv is a historic mining site in Augusta, Virginia, documented by the USGS Mineral Resources Data System. Reported specimens include Cobalt, Iron, Pyrolusite.

Fee varies27 mi awayAugusta
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Stephenson Prospect — cobalt rockhounding site near Bath, VA
CobaltVA

Stephenson Prospect

Stephenson Prospect is a historic mining site in Bath, Virginia, documented by the USGS Mineral Resources Data System. Reported specimens include Cobalt, Pyrolusite.

Fee varies29 mi awayBath
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Amherst — gem amethyst rockhounding site near Virginia, VA
Gem AmethystVA

Amherst

Amherst is a documented mineral occurrence near VA. Reported specimens include Gem Amethyst. Verify land access and collecting rules before visiting.

Fee varies29 mi awayVirginia
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White Bank Et Al., — iron rockhounding site near Botetourt, VA
IronVA

White Bank Et Al.,

White Bank Et Al., is a historic mining site in Botetourt, Virginia, documented by the USGS Mineral Resources Data System. Reported specimens include Iron, Pyrolusite.

Fee varies29 mi awayBotetourt
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Miller Knob Prospect — iron rockhounding site near Augusta, VA
IronVA

Miller Knob Prospect

Miller Knob Prospect is a known mineral occurrence in Augusta, Virginia, documented by the USGS Mineral Resources Data System. Reported specimens include Iron, Pyrolusite.

Fee varies33 mi awayAugusta
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Lynchburg — virginia greenstone rockhounding site near Virginia, VA
Virginia GreenstoneVA

Lynchburg

Lynchburg is a documented mineral occurrence near VA. Reported specimens include Virginia Greenstone, Calcite, Kyanite, Pyrite, Ankerite, Magnetite, Rutile, Gem Epidote. Verify land access and collecting rules before visiting.

Fee varies35 mi awayVirginia
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Bedford — moonstone rockhounding site near Virginia, VA
MoonstoneVA

Bedford

Bedford is a documented mineral occurrence near VA. Reported specimens include Moonstone. Verify land access and collecting rules before visiting.

Fee varies35 mi awayVirginia
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Wreck Island Creek — chrysocolla rockhounding site near Virginia, VA
ChrysocollaVA

Wreck Island Creek

Wreck Island Creek is a documented mineral occurrence near VA. Reported specimens include Chrysocolla. Verify land access and collecting rules before visiting.

Fee varies36 mi awayVirginia
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Map of rockhounding sites near Lexington

Pins within about 90 miles — open a listing for fees, access, and directions.

24 sites mapped near Lexington

Closest sites by distance

  1. Lexington — 1 mi · Calcite
  2. Big Mary's Creek — 14 mi · Gem Unakite
  3. Spottswood — 15 mi · Quartz
  4. Irish Creek — 16 mi · Blue Moonstone
  5. Hogpen Hollow Prospect — 16 mi · Cobalt
  6. Vesuvius Amethyst Mine Area — 17 mi · Amethyst
  7. Tye River Gap — 17 mi · Epidote
  8. Fancy Hill — 19 mi · Amethyst
  9. Back Creek Cave #2 — 21 mi · Fossil
  10. Back Creek Cave #3 — 21 mi · Fossil
  11. Chestnut Ridge — 22 mi · Quartz
  12. Little Piney Mountain Prospect — 24 mi · Cobalt
  13. Back Creek Cave #1 — 25 mi · Fossil
  14. Roseland — 26 mi · Quartz
  15. Peaks Of Otter — 26 mi · Beryl

Types of rockhounding sites near Lexington

Browse by specimen type in Virginia — each link opens the full state directory for that category.

Quartz & Crystals rockhounding sites — natural outdoor collecting sites

Quartz & Crystals (8)

Quartz veins, crystal pockets, and pegmatite sites — from Herkimer diamonds to Arkansas clear quartz.

Gemstones rockhounding sites — natural outdoor collecting sites

Gemstones (1)

Facetable and collector gems — emeralds, sapphires, garnets, topaz, beryl, and tourmaline localities.

Fossils rockhounding sites — natural outdoor collecting sites

Fossils (3)

Trilobites, brachiopods, petrified wood, and other paleontological collecting on public land.

Turquoise & Opal rockhounding sites — natural outdoor collecting sites

Turquoise & Opal (1)

Turquoise, opal, variscite, and other prized lapidary materials from the American Southwest and beyond.

Other rockhounding sites — natural outdoor collecting sites

Other (11)

Mixed or specialty collecting — zeolites, fluorescent minerals, thundereggs, and unique regional finds.

Natural collecting sites in the Lexington area

Lexington is a practical launch point for day trips to natural rockhounding sites in Virginia. Within about 90 miles you will find 24 mapped destinations in our directory, starting with Lexington about 0.9 mi from the city center.

The mix spans quartz & crystals, gemstones, fossils, turquoise & opal, other — related terms searchers use include creek gravel collecting, desert washes, road cuts, and field collecting.

How distances work near Lexington

Every card on this page is a verified directory entry in Virginia with map coordinates. We measure straight-line distance from the Lexington city center — not driving time. A creek rockhounding site 12 miles away on forest roads can take longer than a river access point 20 miles away on a highway.

Field collecting near Lexington includes informal gravel bars, dry washes, quarry faces, and developed park collecting areas. Rules, fees, and seasonal access differ by land manager. Never assume collecting is allowed without checking the listing and posted signs the day you visit.

Safety and field conditions near you

Field conditions near Lexington change after rain, snowmelt, and summer heat. Unstable slopes, heat exhaustion, loose rock, and flash floods are real risks at creek and quarry rockhounding sites — most sites have no supervision. Check weather and local advisories before you start digging.

We publish original planning copy, safety tips, and last-updated dates on each listing. See our editorial policy for sourcing standards, or contact us if access or conditions have changed.

How we research listings · Report a correction · Safety disclaimer

Rockhounding sites near Lexington — FAQ

Where can you collect near Lexington?

Near Lexington, Virginia, our directory lists 24 natural rockhounding sites within about 90 miles — mainly 8 quartz & crystalss, 1 gemstones, 3 fossilss, and 1 turquoise & opal. Each listing links to directions, fee notes, and safety context. Use near me on your phone for live distance sorting from your location.

How many rockhounding sites are near Lexington, Virginia?

This page shows 24 mapped rockhounding collecting sites within about 90 miles of Lexington. The full Virginia directory may list additional holes farther out or awaiting coordinates. Counts update as we verify new listings.

What is the closest rockhounding site to Lexington?

The closest mapped spot to Lexington is Lexington (0.9 mi straight-line). Open that listing for driving directions, access notes, and current fee information — unofficial holes can change without notice.

Are rockhounding sites near Lexington free?

24 have variable or unverified fees. Open each spot page for current fee details.

What types of rockhounding sites are near Lexington?

Near Lexington, documented specimen types include quartz & crystalss, gemstones, fossilss, turquoise & opal, others. A rockhounding site is a natural outcrop, wash, or creek gravel bar — not a fee dig or shop. Filter by type on the Virginia state page or open each card for specimen and access details.

When is the best time to visit rockhounding sites near Lexington?

Late spring through early fall is the usual field season near Lexington, but snowmelt, drought, and weekend crowds change conditions week to week. Check each listing before you drive — storms can make washes and creek banks unsafe.

Is it safe to collect near Lexington?

Field collecting near Lexington carries real risks: unstable slopes, heat, loose rock, and no rangers at most unofficial sites. Check weather and posted warnings the day you visit. Read our rockhounding safety basics guide and each listing's safety section before you dig.

Listing data last updated across spots on this page.

Use my locationAll Virginia spots