Pennsylvania Collecting Sites!
Updated 9/7/2006!
We are going to continually add to this page as new information is obtained.
Please let us know about your favorite sites in Pennsylvania. We will be happy to
post it here for all to enjoy!
As with all collecting localities, you should have permission to collect at the
localities listed below. Many are on private property. If you are not certain,
ask! We cannot guarantee that the information presented here is totally accurate, or
that all sites are open for collection.
Please be considerate of others and remember to leave any site in the same condition
that you found it. Fill in any holes you may have dug, do not litter and be careful!
Jeri Jones, consulting geologist for Codorus Stone
Supply Company quarry in Emigsville, PA has contributed an enormous amount of
the information supplied below. Penn Minerals owes Jeri a debt of
gratitude for his efforts to make this a worthwhile page!
Collecting Sites in Pennsylvania
 | CONSTITUTION - Rt. 851 on Maryland Line - in fields in the area are nice rutile
crystals, many that are twinned together. Since site is located in cultivated fields,
collecting can only be conducted during non-crop times. Rutile,
garnet, kyanite, magnetite and gold have been panned from a small stream
located on Gross Road. Permission must be granted from the owner.
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| CODORUS STONE CO. QUARRY - Emigsville - about 5 miles north of York -
An active quarry working in the oldest carbonate unit in southeastern
Pennsylvania, this quarry has produced a nice suite of micro minerals since
about 1960. Larger crystals of calcite, fluorite and quartz have been
collected. A total of 26 minerals occur here, but the collecting
varies based on the workings of the quarry. Nice fluorite crystals
were spotted as recent as July, 2000. A large chalcopyrite seam still
produces massive specimens. Sphalerite, hematite, goethite,
hydrozincite, malachite and pyrite are just some of the species
identified. Quarry is located off of Mundis Race Road, about 1
mile northeast of Emigsville. Collecting is permitted on Fridays,
Saturdays and Sundays, escorted by Jeri Jones. Jeri can be
reached at JLJ276@aol.com.
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| ROSSVILLE ROAD CUT - about 1 mile north of Rossville, which is about 15 miles
north of York on Rt. 74 - found in 1974 as part of a road expansion, azurite and malachite
coatings on the hornfels have been a favorite to many collectors. To
obtain these specimens some heavy hammering is now required as the
"excavation" is now about 3 feet back into the road cut.
Surprisingly, opal hyalite is found on some the hornfels, only seen under black light appearing as
a pale green color. At the southern portion of this road cut micro-sized
heulandite, stilbite and chabazite crystals can be
found.
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| MUD LAKE/GRUBB LAKE, SILVER SPRINGS, LANCASTER CO. - located between Columbia and Mountville near
lronville, an abandoned iron mine is now one of the most popular collecting sites for "iron geodes" or
"bombs." Minerals identified from here are goethite,
hematite, kaolinite, lepidocrocite, magnetite, pyrolusite and quartz.
Grubb Lake can be accessed from Rt. 23 near Silver Springs. Turn south
onto Hempfield Road and go around two right-angle turns. Turn right
onto small stone driveway leading back to Grubb Lake. Park near
fenced-in building. Best collecting is located to the south of the
driveway across from the building on the mine dumps. Property is owned
by Mountville Borough and permission must be obtained to collect here.
|
| VALLEY QUARRY - GETTYSBURG - has been a popular collecting site for years producing various
copper
minerals and zeolites. Although presently, zeolites have become somewhat rare, a
nice suite of copper minerals are being
found. Bornite, chalcocite, chrysocolla and a trace of native copper have
been seen. Other species include epidote, andradite, chabazite,
chalcopyrite, djurleite,
stilbite and heulandite. Quarry is open for collecting to groups and clubs
by appointment only. Contact the quarry superintendent (717) 334-3165. Quarry is located along Rt. 97, about 0.5 mile west of Rt. 15.
|
| VALLEY QUARRY - FAIRFIELD - Located along Rt. 116 about 10 miles south of
Gettysburg, this quarry is very similar to their Gettysburg site mentioned above.
Quarry is open for collecting to groups and clubs by appointment only.
|
| MECKLEYS QUARRY - MANDATA, PA - Northumberland Co., - undoubtedly the best
location in PA for celestine. Many pieces have removed from here with museum-quality
crystals. Collecting for clubs by appointment only. Call Ted
Keck 570-758-3340. There is an open house for all collectors the day after Winfield in
September.
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| PROSPECT PARK - Located SW of Philadelphia at the Morton Homestead on Rte 420 off
exit 9 of US 95, this is a popular site for Kyanite. To the right of the parking lot there
is a small stream feeding Darby Creek, and again over rte 420 near the gas station. Nice
Kyanite blades can be collected by using a trowel and sifting the mud. The best material
is obtained by carefully breaking the Quartzite with a 4lb sledge. Also readily available
are large orthoclase feldspar crystals in the boulders lining the stream
|
| CRYSTAL POINT DIAMOND MINE - 1307 Park Avenue Williamsport,
PA 17701, 15 miles north of I-80 along US Rt 15. Very popular fee for
entry quartz crystal locality. Contact Ray Smith at Raytown in
Williamsport. New website!
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| GOLD!! Since 1975, gold
has been rediscovered in many of the streams in southeastern
Pennsylvania. In York County gold can be found in
the stream near Dillsburg, Wellsville, Rossville, Grantham and also in the Delta area, bordered by Muddy Run to the north, Constitution to the
west and the Susquehanna River to the east. In Lancaster County,
Peters Creek west of Quarryville and Rt. 272 is one of the best producing
streams in the area. In Southern Lancaster County gold has been found in streams around Peach
Bottom and Muddy Run Park . Remember,
these streams are on private property and permission to pan them needs to be
granted by the landowners.
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FOSSILS COLLECTING LOCALITIES IN S.E. PA.
| YORK HAVEN - Triassic petrified wood site located near York Haven. In several
cultivated fields north of town, nice samples of petrified wood are regularly found. In a
long railroad exposure along the Susquehanna River near Brunnees Island south of town,
fern fossils have been collected from the Triassic sandstone.
|
| Saville Township, Perry
County, PA - One of the finest producing sites for Devonian marine
fossils is located behind the Saville Township building on Rt. 74.
This site is located about 3 miles north of the intersection of Rts. 74 and
174. The site is a working burrow pit with much shale to search
through. The land is privately owned and has recently been posted so
permission for fossil collecting must first be obtained. Good pelecypods crinoid stems,
trilobites and bryzoan can be found. On the upper level at the north
end of the pit, complete shells can be extracted from the sandstone. Phacops
trilobites are common in north wall of lowest level.
|
| JOLIETTE, SCHUYLKILL CO., PA - Pennsylvanian-aged
petrified wood and fern fossils from the anthracite coal mines. From
Interstate 81, take Exit 107 (Tower City) and proceed west on Rt. 209 into
Joliette. At cross roads, turn right and proceed past a fire hall on left. Travel about 0.75 mile to gravel
road on right and park at the chained driveway. Permission is not
needed to collect on the property. Other dumps along the unchained
road belong to Summit Coal Company with no permission needed to
access. Abundant fossils in both the shale and sandstone.
|
| ST.CLAIR, SCHUYLKILL CO., PA - another fern fossil site and probably the best
such site in the country. This site produces the ferns that are coated with a thin white
mineral that highlights the ferns. Every large geological museum in the nation has samples
from this locality and yes, they are still plentiful with a bit of digging and luck. Site is located
about 5 miles north of St. Clair and is rather hard to find unless you have a copy of
"Fossil Collecting in PA" or go with someone who has been there.
THIS SITE HAS BEEN CLOSED TO COLLECTING. PENNSYLVANIA ANTHRACITE NO
LONGER ALLOWS ANYONE ON THE PROPERTY DUE TO LIABILITY CONCERNS. |
| Locust Lane, West, Manchester Township, York
County - A new site discovered in the last two years where
Cambrian trilobites have been collected from the Kinzers Formation.
Trilobites have been recovered from the shale exposed here. To access
this road cut from North George Street, travel north on North George Street
(Rt.181) from Exit 10 of I-83. Proceed through first traffic light and
go about 0.3 miles. Turn left onto Sycamore Lane. Go three blocks and
turn right onto Clearbrook Blvd. Go to "T" intersection and
turn left onto Locust Lane. Cross the Interstate 83 bridge and park on
left. |
Many Thanks to Jeri Jones for supplying much of the
information on SE PA collecting sites. Jeri is the Program Coordinator for York
County Parks and the consulting Geologist for the Codorus Quarry. He also runs many
field trips and a Gold Panning Seminar! You can e-mail Jeri: JLJ276@aol.com
        
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