Rockhounding Map Explorer
Explore all 50 states with permission-aware status, clickable pins, map-view filtering, saved places, and one-tap navigation.
This is a permission-aware rockhounding map for all 50 U.S. states. It separates places that are Ready for the modeled activity from Conditional, Research-only, and Protected/viewing records, then provides directions without treating navigation as collecting permission.
What makes this rockhounding map different?
Most location maps answer “where is it?” This database also answers “what does the current evidence support?” Every record carries a trust status, a reason, a last-checked date, a map precision role, and separate navigation eligibility. A visible pin is therefore a research/navigation aid—not a blanket statement that collecting is legal.
Rockhounding by state
Open a state guide for server-rendered counts, current collecting-status examples, county/equivalent coverage, material interests, and direct access to that state in the interactive map.
101 visible · 9 ReadyAlabama
96 visible · 4 ReadyArkansas
126 visible · 3 ReadyArizona
9 visible · 1 ReadyCalifornia
18 visible · 0 ReadyColorado
50 visible · 8 ReadyConnecticut
52 visible · 5 ReadyDelaware
85 visible · 2 ReadyFlorida
83 visible · 5 ReadyGeorgia
185 visible · 8 ReadyHawaii
34 visible · 0 ReadyIowa
143 visible · 5 ReadyIdaho
19 visible · 0 ReadyIllinois
142 visible · 1 ReadyIndiana
130 visible · 1 ReadyKansas
146 visible · 4 ReadyKentucky
188 visible · 2 ReadyLouisiana
93 visible · 3 ReadyMassachusetts
58 visible · 4 ReadyMaryland
128 visible · 3 ReadyMaine
62 visible · 5 ReadyMichigan
112 visible · 5 ReadyMinnesota
116 visible · 5 ReadyMissouri
157 visible · 1 ReadyMississippi
109 visible · 3 ReadyMontana
37 visible · 5 ReadyNorth Carolina
181 visible · 10 ReadyNorth Dakota
86 visible · 0 ReadyNebraska
137 visible · 5 ReadyNew Hampshire
59 visible · 5 ReadyNew Jersey
115 visible · 3 ReadyNew Mexico
86 visible · 2 ReadyNevada
17 visible · 0 ReadyNew York
138 visible · 3 ReadyOhio
142 visible · 4 ReadyOklahoma
119 visible · 1 ReadyOregon
23 visible · 23 ReadyPennsylvania
125 visible · 1 ReadyRhode Island
39 visible · 0 ReadySouth Carolina
114 visible · 2 ReadySouth Dakota
104 visible · 5 ReadyTennessee
169 visible · 2 ReadyTexas
104 visible · 1 ReadyUtah
4 visible · 3 ReadyVirginia
201 visible · 2 ReadyVermont
58 visible · 4 ReadyWashington
22 visible · 2 ReadyWisconsin
101 visible · 5 ReadyWest Virginia
111 visible · 2 ReadyWyoming
46 visible · 6 Ready
Explore the atlas by goal
Use these national guides to move from a broad question to the right state, material, map filter, or field-planning workflow.
How the four trust statuses work
| Status | What it means | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Ready | Current evidence supports the specifically modeled collecting activity. | Recheck posted rules, closures, hours, claims and local conditions before travel. |
| Conditional | A stated permission, access, season, permit or ownership condition must be resolved first. | Use the record as a lead; verify the blocker before collecting. |
| Research only | Useful geological/location context exists, but collecting authority is not established. | Research ownership, access and land-manager rules before field use. |
| Protected / viewing | The location is modeled for viewing/research and not for collecting. | Do not collect; use only for lawful visitation or context. |
Why do some map records have detailed guides and others stay in the map?
A separate guide is created only when the underlying record has enough location-specific evidence, geographic context, material information and status detail to answer a distinct visitor question. Broad county geology, statewide occurrence research and policy controls remain available in the map and state guides without being turned into repetitive standalone pages.
Can I get directions from the map?
Yes. Every navigation-active record exposes Google Maps, Apple Maps and OpenStreetMap options. Exact public/official coordinate records are distinguished from county/context positions so a directions link never silently implies coordinate precision or collecting permission.
How do I find rockhounding near me?
Use the map’s Near Me control. It intentionally narrows the result set to Ready records before sorting by distance, so an uncertain research occurrence is not promoted merely because it is geographically close to you.
How current is the database?
The newest evidence check in this release is August 30, 2026. Statuses should still be rechecked before travel because closures, claims, permits, land ownership and operator rules can change after a record was reviewed.
How the atlas organizes evidence
The map keeps consistent fields for state, county/equivalent, material or interest, trust status, manager context, map precision, navigation eligibility, Near-Me eligibility, review date, reason and primary blocker. Detailed guides preserve the original evidence reason and add place-specific explanations rather than replacing it with generic wording.