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Getting StartedRocks & Minerals In New Hampshire
New Hampshire rockhounding maps to hunt for crystals, gemstones, minerals, and ores. New Hampshire's White Mountains region is a popular destination for rockhounds, offering specimens like smoky quartz, beryl, and garnet. The state's vast wilderness and granite-rich geology provide an abundance of collecting sites, such as the Moat Mountain Mineral Site and the Palermo Mine.
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See RecommendationsPlease always bring appropriate attire and do research before venturing out to rock hunt and crystal hunt. Also, be sure to verify that the location you want to hunt at is available for public access. Rockhounding.org does our best to verify, but it is your responsibility to verify as well because sometimes things change. We are not liable for any actions you take from the information you find on this site.
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Popular Rocks, Crystals, & Gemstones In New Hampshire
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AmethystNew Hampshire is home to beautiful amethyst specimens, a violet variety of quartz. Amethyst can be found in several locations throughout the state, including the Ruggles Mine and the Deer Hill locality in Stow.
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BerylBeryl, a beryllium aluminum silicate mineral, can be found in various locations in New Hampshire. The state is known for its colorful varieties of beryl, including aquamarine, heliodor, and morganite, which are often found in granite pegmatites.
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GarnetGarnet, a group of silicate minerals, is commonly found in metamorphic rocks in New Hampshire. The state is known for its almandine and grossular garnets, which can be found in several locations, including the Ossipee Mountains and the Belknap Range.
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Smoky QuartzSmoky quartz, a brown to black variety of quartz, is the official state mineral of New Hampshire. It can be found in several locations throughout the state, including the White Mountain National Forest and the Moat Mountain Mineral Site.
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TourmalineNew Hampshire is renowned for its diverse and colorful tourmaline crystals. The state has a rich history of tourmaline mining, and collectors can find various types, including elbaite, schorl, and dravite, in localities such as the Palermo Mine and the Mt. Mica locality.
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FossilsWhile New Hampshire is not as well-known for fossils as other states, collectors can still find interesting specimens, such as plant fossils and trilobites, in certain locations, like the Littleton Formation and the Connecticut River Valley.
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Popular Rock Hunting Areas In New Hampshire
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Moose River Rockswapping and Mineral CollectingMoose River Rockswapping and Mineral Collecting in New Hampshire is a popular spot for rockhounding, where visitors can find various minerals like garnet, beryl, smoky quartz, and tourmaline in the granite pegmatites.
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Ruggles Mine
Ruggles Mine in New Hampshire, now closed to the public, was once a popular destination for rockhounding, where visitors could find minerals like mica, feldspar, and beryl in the granite pegmatite.
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White Mountain National Forest
White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire offers rockhounding opportunities for minerals like quartz, feldspar, and mica, which can be found in the granite outcrops throughout the park.
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Conway Granite Quarry
Conway Granite Quarry in New Hampshire, now closed to the public, was once a popular location for collecting specimens of Conway Granite, a distinctive coarse-grained pink granite.
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Palermo No. 1 Mine
Palermo No. 1 Mine in New Hampshire, now closed to the public, was once a popular spot for rockhounding, where visitors could find various minerals like apatite, mica, and beryl in the granite pegmatite.
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Parker Mountain Mine
Parker Mountain Mine in New Hampshire, now closed to the public, was once a popular location for rockhounding, where visitors could find minerals like spodumene, lepidolite, and tourmaline in the granite pegmatite.
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Geology of New Hampshire
New Hampshire's geologic history began over a billion years ago with the formation of Precambrian rocks. The state experienced several orogenies during the Paleozoic Era, including the Taconic, Acadian, and Alleghenian, which contributed to the formation of the Appalachian Mountains.
Notable geological features in New Hampshire include the White Mountains, which contain some of the oldest rocks in the state, and the Presidential Range, which hosts the highest peak in the northeastern United States. Glacial activity during the last Ice Age further shaped the landscape, leaving behind glacial deposits, moraines, and the state's many lakes.