Rockhounding Near Minneapolis, Minnesota: A Guide

Minnesota is one of the best states to travel to if your plan is to search for great locations for rockhounding.

In fact, people come from all over the country and the world to this state in order to take advantage of its many great rockhounding locations.

We will specifically look in at some of the areas near Minneapolis, Minnesota that are the best for this activity.

Where To Go Rockhounding Near Minneapolis

Disclaimer

The information provided in this article by YesDirt.com is for informational purposes and is subject to change. Laws are updated. Accessibility guidelines and restrictions change. Be sure to confirm the land status and collection rules before you travel to an unfamiliar location or collect any material.

If you are looking to find rockhounding locations that don’t take you very far outside of Minneapolis itself, then your best bet is to start looking at some of the areas within just a few miles of the city center.

You might be surprised to learn that there are excellent rockhounding areas that are located very close to the city itself.

Here is an abbreviated list of some of the places that people from the area say are the best near Minneapolis:

Osseo, Area gravel pits
Quarry Island
St. Paul area creeks, pits
Stillwater area creeks, pits
Minneapolis area creeks, pits

Any of these locations will provide you with the type of rockhounding experience that you are looking for.

The chances are high that you might find something a lot more interesting and unique as you get further away from the city itself, but that is a personal choice that must be left up to you.

You can definitely find a lot of great rocks even if you stay close to where you are staying in a hotel or similar accommodation.

Can You Find Fossils In Minneapolis?

Yes! There are a lot of opportunities to find interesting fossils when you are in the Minneapolis area.

In fact, most of the fossils that are found in the state of Minnesota originate from the central/northern part of the state.

Therefore, it is not surprising at all that many of them are uncovered in Minneapolis.

You should be extremely careful and extremely sensitive when you are looking for fossils.

These fossils have formed as a result of some kind of plant or animal life that died hundreds of millions of years ago.

They are literal artifacts of a world that has long since been gone.

If you are delicate with these fossils, they can be a very beautiful thing, but you need to be careful not to break or destroy them by mistake.

Fossils are very cool to look at and examine, but make sure you do so with the utmost care.

You do not want to find yourself breaking something that took that long to form in the Earth.

Believe it or not, this kind of thing happens all the time.

What Type Of Rocks And Minerals Can You Expect To Find?

Before you begin to pack your bag and plan your trip to the land of 10,000 lakes, make sure you know what kind of rocks and minerals you might expect to find while you are there.

This is true regardless of where you want to take your next rockhounding trip, but it is particularly important for those who are serious about making the most of their experience.

The good news here is that Minnesota is known for a lot of different types of minerals, so you can pretty much find just about any kind that you could possibly hope for while you are out there.

Some of the most common types include:

Jasper
Quartz
Lintonite
Pyrite
Garnet

There are several others that may show up in your adventures in this particular state.

As we mentioned before, it is the ideal spot to go to for rockhounding.

Is Gold Something You Can Find In Minneapolis?

Once again, there are areas of the state where you might be lucky enough to unearth some gold.

It is obviously incredibly rare, but you might just strike it lucky and find some gold while you are out doing your rockhounding.

Given the price of gold these days, you need to be very delicate with this material if you happen to uncover it.

Some of the areas that are said to have gold deposits are: Bigfork, Cook County, International Falls, Linden Grove, Vermillion, and Virginia Horn.

That said, this is not confirmed, and you would be highly unlikely to come across it yourself.

Still, if you are feeling in an adventurous mood and don’t mind if you turn up nothing, then you should give those areas a look over.

The worst that can happen is that you find nothing, but as long as you are prepared for that likelihood, then there is really no harm in poking around and seeing what there is to find.

What Are The Best Areas Of Minnesota To Go Rockhounding?

If you want to know the very best areas of Minnesota to look for rocks, your best bets are Cook County and Carlton County.

Both of these areas are rich in rocks and minerals, and they have many more sites where you can go and explore.

You might have to venture out some ways from Minneapolis in particular, but at least you can see what the state has to offer.

Some of the rocks that have been discovered in these counties include the Lake Superior Agates with its beautiful red, orange, and yellow colors, and the general agates that populate much of Carlton County.

From a beauty point of view, these rocks are hard to beat.

You could search many other locations all throughout the country and not find the kind of variety of agates and other rocks that you could uncover in Minnesota.

That is why so many people continue to want to come to this specific region to do their rockhounding. They know how important a geological area this is.

If you are interested in taking your rockhounding hobby to the next level, then you should plan a trip to Minnesota today.

You will finally get the opportunity to see some of the most amazing rocks and formations that you have ever laid eyes on, and you will get to do it all while engaging in a hobby that remains stable and interesting and creates great dinner party conversation.