Michigan Rockhoundsthe field guide, from Higgins Lake
Michigan has more shoreline than any state but Alaska, and a lot of it is rock. This is where Michigan rockhounds actually find things: which beach, which stone, and the rules that keep it legal.
every stone, dropped where it turns up most
Where to go, region by region
Lake Superior west and the Keweenaw
Agate country and copper country. The gravel beaches past Ironwood and up through the Keweenaw Peninsula hold the stones people drive twelve hours for.
- Lake Superior agate: Little Girls Point County Park near Ironwood.
- Thomsonite: the beaches around Copper Harbor and Fort Wilkins, and Esrey Park.
- Prehnite: Calumet Waterworks Park and Esrey Park.
- Isle Royale greenstone, datolite and native copper: the old mine rock piles of the Keweenaw. Some charge a fee, some need permission. Ask first.
Grand Marais and the eastern U.P.
The Lake Superior shore between Munising and Whitefish Point. Agates by day, Yooperlites by night.
- Yooperlite: Grand Marais public beaches and Muskallonge Lake State Park. Bring a UV flashlight and go after dark.
- Lake Superior agate: the Grand Marais beaches, best after a big northwest blow.
- Unakite: Agate Beach in Grand Marais and the lake side of Muskallonge.
Marquette and the iron ranges
Red rock country. Jasper Knob in Ishpeming is the famous one, a whole hill of banded red jasper and black hematite.
- Red jasper and banded iron: Jasper Knob, and the old pits around Negaunee and Republic.
- Magnetite: the Republic and Champion mine dumps. Bring a magnet.
- Kona dolomite: the Goose Lake area near Marquette, and Big Bay.
Little Traverse Bay and the northwest Lower
The fossil coast. Petoskey stones are Michigan's state stone, and this is home.
- Petoskey stone: Petoskey State Park and Fisherman's Island State Park. Wet them, the pattern shows up.
- Charlevoix stone: Mt. McSauba and the beaches around Charlevoix.
- Leland Blue: Van's Beach and North Beach in Leland. It is slag from an old iron smelter, and it is beautiful.
- Frankfort green: Christmas Cove near Northport.
- Chain coral: Point Betsie and Wilderness State Park.
Alpena and the northeast shore
The best fossil hunting in the state, on Lake Huron.
- Trilobites, crinoids and brachiopods: the old quarry at Rockport State Recreation Area, and the Besser Museum fossil park in Alpena.
- Horn coral and bryozoans: Partridge Point.
- Puddingstone: Hammond Bay Harbor and the shore north toward Mackinaw.
Lake Michigan's southwest shore and the Thumb
Sand beaches, but the right ones still give.
- Lightning stones: Deerlick Creek beach in South Haven Township and Pier Cove Park.
- Beach glass: Warren Dunes State Park.
- Petoskey stones wash up as far south as Lakeside Beach in Port Huron.
The rules
25 pounds per person, per year. That is Michigan's limit for collecting rocks on state-owned land and public trust lands. A big Petoskey over the limit can be confiscated, and the DNR has done it.
National lakeshores are hands off. Sleeping Bear Dunes does not allow you to take stones. Look, photograph, leave them.
Private land and mine sites need permission. Many old mine rock piles in the Keweenaw welcome rockhounds for a small fee. Ask before you dig.
Rules change. Check the State of Michigan rockhounding page before a trip.
Know what you found
48 Great Lakes stones, each with the one tell that separates it from its look-alikes.
Lake Superior agate
Petoskey stone
Yooperlite
Leland Blue
Isle Royale greenstone
Puddingstone
Charlevoix stone
Trilobite
Thomsonite
Copper agate
Lightning stone
Beach glass
All 48 Michigan beach stones →
What Michigan rockhounds carry
Questions rockhounds ask
How many rocks can you take from a Michigan beach?
On state-owned land and public trust lands, 25 pounds per person per year. National lakeshores like Sleeping Bear Dunes do not allow collecting at all. On private land, ask the owner.
Where is the best place to find Lake Superior agates in Michigan?
The Lake Superior shore of the U.P. Little Girls Point near Ironwood and the Grand Marais beaches are two of the best known. Go after a storm, when the waves have turned the gravel over, and walk with the sun behind you so the bands light up.
Where do you find Petoskey stones?
Little Traverse Bay and the northwest Lower Peninsula: Petoskey State Park, Fisherman's Island near Charlevoix, and the gravel in between. They show up as far as Port Huron. Dry, they look like plain gray rock. Wet them.
Where can you find Yooperlites?
The eastern U.P. along Lake Superior, especially Grand Marais and Muskallonge Lake State Park. Go at night with a UV flashlight. They glow orange.
Is there a free app for identifying Michigan rocks?
Yes, the Rock Journal. Free, 48 Great Lakes stones, no account, and it runs in your phone's browser.
10% of every order goes to northern Michigan animal shelters.