Rock & Mineral Links - Michigan and Great Lakes States

The Great Lakes region includes eight states: Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin as well as Ontario, Canada. The Roamin Club is Michigan based, so our focus is on rock collecting, geology, and mining history of the "mitten" state. But, rockhounds love to travel, so the links below include the entire Great Lakes region.

Michigan Rock Information

Articles from various sources about collecting rocks in Michigan, local geology, and tour destinations that a rockhound would find interesting.

Petoskey Stones & Other Fossils

MI Backyard Fossils - good fossil IDs with photos from U of M Museum of Paleontology
"The Petoskey Stone" - history, lore and facts from Michigan DEQ, downloads a PDF.
"What are Petoskey Stones?" - from Rock & Gem Magazine
"Mind the find: Petoskey stone picking comes with 25-pound limit" - Limit on rock collecting on MI state land.
"Where to Find Petoskey Stones in Michigan" - Petoskey Stone hunting sites, and what to look for.
"How to Polish Petoskey Stones"
"How to Polish your Petoskey Stone" - short video
"Guide to Michigan Fossils" - From Michigan DNR, downloads a PDF.
"Michigan Fossils" - From Michigan DNR, downloads a PDF with photos to help with ID.
Friends of the UMMP Michigan Basin Specimen Database - Numerous photos of many types of fossils with ID
"The Petoskey Stone" - from MSU
"Petoskey Stones" - Rock & Gem Magazine
"Kona Dolomite"- fossil stromatolite from Marquette County. Gitche Gumee Museum
Kona Dolomite Facts - fossil stromatolite. Bernardine Jewelry
Michigan Fossils: Stromatolites and Stromatoporoids, what the heck are they? - difference between these two fossils (15 min video)

Datolite

"Datolite" - Description, photos, and collection locations by county in Michigan's UP. From Michigan Tech Univ.
"Beach Rocks - Datolite" - Brief description and photos of rough rock exteriors.

Puddingstone

"Puddingstone (rock)" - Wikipedia.
"Michigan Puddingstone" - Downloads a PDF.
"All About Pudding Stones" - YouTube video, 6 minutes.
"Pudding Stones" - Description of formation. Source: MSU
"Pudding Stones of Lake Huron, St. Joseph Island & Drummond Island"

Gowganda Tillite

"Ancient Ice Ages" - Describes Gowganda Formation in Ontario and how tillite was transported to Michigan via glaciers.
Gowganda Tillites - PDF explains the Gowganda Formation and location and how the tillite ended up in Ohio via glacial deposition.

Banded Iron Formation (BIF)

Jaspilite banded iron formation (BIF) - Description and photo of Iron Mountain, Michigan BIF
Banded Iron Formations BIF - Describes BIFs including those from the Lake Superior Region.
Jasper Knob - Jasper Hill - Description and photos of BIF in Ispeming
Michigan Iron Mines - State of Michigan, dated 1957. Downloads 12 page PDF.

Yooperlites®

"Yooperlites, aka Glowdalites: what are they and where can I find them?" Article from michiganrockhounds.com
"A New Find of Fluorescent Sodalite" - PDF of Mineral News, May '18. Describes minerals in Yooperlite®.
"How to find Yooperlites" - the official Yooperlite website
How to find Yooperlites - from Rock & Gem Magazine
"A Guide to Finding Michigan's Yooperlites" - Article on Pure Michigan website.
"Yooperlite Glow Rocks" - Video describing the stone and its discovery. YouTube 3 mins.
"Treasure dive found Yooperlites while Scuba Diving Lake Superior" - 5 min. video
"Glowing, fluorescent 'Yooperlites' found in Michigan's Upper Peninsula" - Detroit Free Press. Discovery of stones.
"The Spectacular Science of the Great Lakes' Glowing Rocks" - Atlas Obscura. Describes how to find, and property of fluorescence.
"Light Up The North - The Story of the Yooperlites" - Discovery, mineral testing, how to find them, and lapidary work (20 min video)

Omarolluk (Omar)

"The Omars and Yoperlites of Northern Wilds" - Describes Omarolluks, commonly called Omars, and from where they originate.
"Beach Rocks - Omars" - Descriptions and photos from Keweenaw Geoheritage.

Michigan Rock Collecting and Locations

Michigan Rockhounds Map - shows collecting spots that are beaches, gravel pits and fluorescent sodalites
"Identifying the Rocks of Lake Michigan (Geode, Septarian, Agate, and More)" - Lake Michigan beach stone identification.
"Beachgoer’s Guide to Lake Michigan Fossils and Rocks" - Common types of Great Lakes beach stones.
"Collectible rocks of Southwest Lake Michigan beaches"- Photos to help ID common types of beach stones.
"Rock Collecting - Michigan Tradition" - Describes kinds of rocks to find.
Gallery of Specimens from Seaman Mineral Museum - Click on photo for specimen description.
"Tips for Rock Hunting In Northern Michigan" - includes locations in both upper and lower peninsulas
"Rock Collecting in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan"
"Rock Collecting Tour of the Western Upper Peninsula of Michigan - "The Copper Country""
"Rock Collecting Tour of the Eastern and Central Upper Peninsula of Michigan"
"Collecting Rocks - State of Michigan Pamphlet 6" - Downloads a PDF.
"Minerals of the Lake Superior Region" - Describes 13 minerals, their formation, and uses.
"List of Mineral and Gemstones found in Michigan!" - Describes 11 rocks or minerals.
"Lake Superior Agates, Gem Stones & Rocks - Part 1 Igneous and Metamorphic Lake Superior Beach Rocks"

Michigan Geology & History

Gold Mining History in Michigan - from Michigan State University
"A Long Forgotten Gold Mine in Michigan's Wilderness - Ropes Gold Mine" - History of the gold mine.
"The Lake Superior Basin's Fiery Beginning" - Lake Superior Magazine
"Abandoned Salt Mine 1200 Feet Under Detroit"
"Detroit's salt mines are Michigan's biggest buried secret"
"Meet Michigan's most bizarre prehistoric creatures" - info on many larger animals and videos to help illustrate ancient animals
"Michilogic Time Line" - Geologic time and the fossil record in Michigan. Downloads a PDF.
"Prehistoric Michigan covered by ancient seas, tropical jungles before Mitten formed"
"A Rocking Good Time" - Fossil history of Michigan's Northern Lower Penninsula.
"General Geology of Michigan" - MI Dept. of Environmental Quality, Geological and Land Management Div.
Geology of Michigan and the Great Lakes - Western Michigan Univ., 39 page PDF.
"Bedrock Geology of Michigan" - Map from MI DNR
Grand Ledge Michigan Geology - The Ledges of the Grand River are the best exposure of Pennsylvanian age rocks in Michigan
Jacobsville Sandstone - Formation of Keweenaw sandstone, Recognized as a Global Heritage Stone Resource, first in the US. Source: Michigan Tech Univ.
The geologic story of Isle Royale National Park - USGS Bulletin
"Eskers in Michigan" - Map and info on glacial hills in Michigan. From MSU
"Michigan's Sand Dunes" - Good description of Sand Dunes in Michigan (12 page PDF)
Precambrian rocks of the UP - Geologic formation maps of UP and info on Jacobsville Sandstone and other sedimentary rock. From MSU
Crystalline Rocks of the Western UP - Maps and info on igneous or metamorphic rocks in the Western UP. From MSU
Mid-Continent Rift Zone and Michigan - Maps and information. Source: MSU
Geologic Timeline of the Keweenaw - good overview of geologic history of area.
At this Spot North America Almost Split in Two; The Midcontinent Rift - video 12 mins.
How a Lava Sea Made These Waterfalls; Keweenaw Waterfall Tour - Lake Superior and rift geology in the UP. Video 11 mins.
Remapping the Keweenaw Fault & Gratiot Lake’s Bedrock Geology - webinar video (40 mins)

Great Lakes Parks and Sites of Interest

Michigan

"Visit Mount Arvon- Michigan's Highest Point" - Baraga County, Huron Mountains in UP MI
Keweenaw National Historical Park - Calumet and Hancock, MI - Copper mining history
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore - Munising, MI
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore - Empire, MI
"8 Ways to Enjoy the Dunes Along Lake Michigan; Michigan Sand Dunes" - 6 minute video
Isle Royale National Park - accessible by ferry boat only
Rockport State Park - Alpena, MI - Fossil collecting
Adventure Mine Tour - Greenland, MI
Quincy Mine Hoist Association Tour - Hancock, MI
Delaware Mine Tour - Copper Harbor, MI
Iron Mountain Iron Mine Tour - Vulcan, MI
Michigan Iron Industry Museum - Negaunee, MI
Fiborn Quarry - Mackinac County, just north of Caffey, MI - Abandoned quarry part of public nature preserve.
Fiborn Karst Preserve - Mackinac County, MI
Tahquamenon Falls State Park - Paradise, MI
Waterfalls of the Upper Peninsula - Over 100 waterfalls listed by county and name.
Presque Isle River Waterfalls Loop Trail - Gogebic County near Porcupine Mountains State Park
Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park - Ontonagon in Gogebic Co, MI
Stevens Twins Sinks and Bruski Sink - Sinkholes near Alpena, MI. Part of Thunday Bay Karst Preserve.
Mystery Valley Karst Preserve - Presque Isle and Alpena Counties, MI
Mystery Valley Karst Preserve and Nature Sanctuary - Describes geology and visiting the area in Alpena and Presque Isle Co.
Fayette Historic State Park - Historic townsite known for 19th century iron smelting. Garden, MI
Dinosaur Gardens - Ossineke, MI near Alpena. Classic roadside dinosaur attraction from the 1930s
Eddy Discovery Center - Waterloo Recreation Area, Chelsea, MI. The Exhibit Hall is worth a visit.
Carpenter Lake Nature Preserve - Southfield, MI. Has variety of very large boulders to look at or "climb".
"Hike the Trails and See the Ledges at Fitzgerald Park in Grand Ledge" - park has sedimentary rock outcroppings on the Grand River.
Rivers and Ledges - More on Grand Ledge from the Historical Society. Describes specific points of interest to visit.
Drummond Island Fossil Ledges - on North shore of Drummond Island, MI

Michigan Science Museums

University of Michigan Museum of Natural History - Ann Arbor, Now Open in new building.
Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum - Ann Arbor
Cranbrook Institute of Science - Bloomfield Hills
A. E. Seaman Mineral Museum - Houghton (U.P.)
Wayne State University Geology Mineral Museum - Detroit, very limited hours.
Central Michigan University Museum of Cultural and Natural History - Mount Pleasant
Michigan State University Museum - East Lansing
Impression 5 Science Center - Lansing
Copppertown USA - Calumet, MI (U.P.) Copper Mining Museum
Besser Museum for Northeast Michigan - Alpena
Michigan Science Center - Detroit
Schmaltz Geology and Mineral Museum - Kalamazoo, at WMU, open Mon-Fri only.
Kingman Museum - Battle Creek, open weekends only.

Ohio

Cuyahoga Valley National Park - Several locations between Cleveland & Akron, OH
"Fossil Park ... Can you Dig It?" - Sylvania, OH - Collect Devonian fossils in Olander Park, from Ohio Magazine
Fossil Park - Sylvania, OH - Collect Devonian fossils
"The Epic Park In Ohio Where You Can Take Home 300-Million-Year-Old Fossils For Free" - Sylvania, OH
The Glacial Grooves - Kelleys Island, OH
Crystal Cave - Put-In-Bay, OH. Cave tour of "the world's largest geode"
Hocking Hills State Park - Logan , OH
"Best Less Trekked Trails in the Hocking Hills, OH" - Get off the beaten trail in this scenic area of OH
Ohio Caverns - West Liberty, OH
Olentangy Indian Caverns - Delaware, OH
Trammel Fossil Park -Sharonville, near Cincinnati, OH. Collect fossil shells up to 450 million years old from Upper Ordovician limestone and shale layers.
Oakes Quarry Park - Fairborn, OH. Silurian crinoid fossils and glacial grooves.
Flint Ridge Museum - Glenford, OH. Website
Flint Ridge Preserve Museum - Licking County, OH. (2 min. video) Native Americans began mining flint from the area over 2,000 years ago. You can visit the ancient mining pits, as well as a museum, and nature preserve.
Nethers Farm Flint Quarry - Hopewell, OH. Collect Flint for a fee. (2019 cost $7.50 per person and $0.50 per lb of flint you take.) Facebook page.
"Nethers Farm Flint Ridge Rockhounding" - article describing Flint collecting site.
Cleveland Museum of Natural History - Cleveland, OH
Orton Geological Museum - Ohio State Campus, Columbus, OH. Open Mon-Fri only.
Karl E. Limper Geology Museum - Miami Univ. Campus, Oxford, OH. Open Mon-Fri only.
Museum of Natural History and Science - Cincinnati, OH

Illinois

Mazonia-Braidwood State Fish & Wildlife Area - Braceville, IL - Collect fossils March-Sept. with day permit.
Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art - Now open in new location in Oak Brook, IL
Field Museum - Chicago, IL
Burpee Museum of Natural History - Rockford, IL
Fryxell Geology Museum - Rock Island, IL at Augustana College
Funk Gem and Mineral Museum - Funk's Grove, McLean County, IL
American Fluorite Museum - Rosiclare, IL
Dunn Museum - Libertyville, IL

Indiana

Indiana Dunes National Park - Porter, IN
Indiana Dunes National Park - Porter, IN - video showcases Park and discusses effect of climate change to habitat.
Falls of the Ohio State Park - Clarksville, IN - Largest exposed Devonian fossil bed in the world.
Joshua Tree Earth and Space Museum - Lakeville, IN - Minerals, meteorites and fossils. (video tour - 12 min. )
Bluespring Caverns - Bedford, IN - Boat tour through river in cavern.
Marengo Cave - Marengo, IN - Cave Tour
Squire Boone Caverns - Mauckport, IN - Cave Tour
Hanson Quarry Observation Deck - View a limestone quarry operation in action from a fenced observation area.
"This Fossil Hunting Trail In Indiana Is The Ultimate Destination For Adventure Lovers" - Richmond, IN
Whitewater Valley Fossil Hunt - Richmond, IN. Wayne County.
Fossil Collecting Location - St. Leon, IN - opens in Facebook

Minnesota

Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park -Soudan, MN - Historic underground mine tour.
"Folded BIFs of Soudan, Minnesota" - Soudan, MN - Outcrops of Precambrian Banded Iron Formation.
Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park - Preston, MN. Cave tour.
Hill Annex Mine State Park - Bigfork, MN. Weekend fossil hunt and historic mine tours Memorial Day to Labor Day.
"Fascinating Scraps of Minnesota Iron Mining History are Still Visible at Hill Annex Mine State Park" - park description and mining history
Moose Lake Agate & Geological Center - at Moose Lake State Park, Moose Lake, MN
Get Pickin - Cloquet, MN. search rock piles to find agates. Website link.
Recreational Geology - MN Dept. of Natural Resources - State Parks with interesting geology. Rules for rockhounding.
Bell Museum, University of Minnesota - Natural History Museum in St. Paul
Minnesota Museum of Mining - Chisholm, MN
Science Museum of Minnesota - St. Paul, MN
Jeffers Petroglyphs Historic Site - Comfrey, MN. Description and photos
Rare Minnesota Lake is the Only Saltwater Lake in the State
Mary Ellen Jasper - Mary Ellen Mine, Biwabik, MN

New York

Penn Dixie Fossil Park - Blasdell, NY. Collect Devonian age Trilobites
"Dig for Diamonds at New York's Herkimer Diamond KOA Resort"
Herkimer Diamond Mines - Herkimer, NY
Garnet Mine Tours - North River, NY
Niagara Falls State Park - Niagara Falls, NY
American Museum of Natural History - New York, NY
New York State Museum - Albany, NY
Buffalo Museum of Science - Buffalo, NY
Museum of the Earth, Paleontological Research Institution - Ithaca, NY
Gilboa Museum - Gilboa, NY. Devonian fossils.

Picture of two dinosaur fossils in museum

Pennsylvania

Ringing Rocks Park - Upper Black Eddy, PA. Bring a hammer and make music on rocks.
Pennsylvania Caverns & Cave Tours - Links to several caves.
"Going Into These 9 Caves In Pennsylvania Is Like Entering Another World"
Drake Well Museum and Park - Titusville, PA. Birthplace of the modern petroleum industry.
Carnegie Museum of Natural History - Pittsburgh, PA
Academy of Natural Sciences - Drexel Univ., Philadelphia, PA
The State Museum of Pennsylvania - Harrisburg, PA
Earth and Mineral Sciences Museum - Penn State Univ., University Park, PA
Everhart Museum - Scranton, PA
Anthracite Heritage Museum - Scranton, PA. Story of hard coal mining in northeastern Pennsylvania.
North Museum of Nature and Science - Lancaster, PA

Wisconsin

Apostle Islands National Lakeshore - Bayfield, WI
National Park lands in Wisconsin - links to 4 locations.
Cave of the Mounds - Blue Mounds, WI. Underground cave tour.
Crystal Cave - Spring Valley, WI. Underground cave tour.
University of Wisconsin Geology Museum - Madison, WI
Weis Earth Science Museum - Menasha, WI. Official Mineralogical Museum of WI.
The Mining and Rollo Jamison Museums - Platteville, WI. Tour underground in the 1845 Bevans Lead-Zinc Mine
Devil's Punchbowl - Menomonie, WI. Park with waterfall and trails to natural rock amphitheater.
"One Tough Rock; Central Wisconsin's Rib Mountain" - Describes origin and geology of Rib Mountain
"Wisconsin's Niagara Falls; Manitou Falls" - History and photos of the falls
Copper Falls; Geology - Copper Falls is near Mellen in Ashland County. Good description of geology
Dinosaur Discovery Museum - Kenosha, WI