🪨 Calcite
Common but versatile carbonate mineral that forms in many crystal habits. Found in geodes, cave deposits, and veins throughout the US.
Best Places to Find Calcite
Warsaw Area Geodes
Warsaw, Illinois · Public Land
Road cuts and creek beds in the Warsaw area produce excellent geodes (Keokuk-type) along the Mississippi River valley.
Hall's Gap
Stanford, Kentucky · Public Land
Road cut exposures and creek beds producing geodes and calcite crystals in central Kentucky. Good beginner location.
Rose Hill Mine
Ogdensburg, New York · Fee Dig
Famous mineral locality in the Balmat-Edwards district known for fluorite, sphalerite, and calcite specimens.
Platteville Galena Mines
Platteville, Wisconsin · Public Land
Historic lead-zinc mining district. Mine dumps and exposures produce galena, sphalerite, and calcite specimens. Mineral collecting on public areas.
Missouri Geode Beds
Macon, Missouri · Public Land
Stream beds and road cuts producing geodes in northeastern Missouri. Part of the same geologic formation as Iowa's Keokuk geodes.
Tennessee Fluorite Beds
Carthage, Tennessee · Public Land
Middle Tennessee mining district dumps for fluorite, calcite, and galena specimens. Historic Mississippi Valley-type deposits.
Kentucky-Illinois Fluorite District
Marion, Kentucky · Public Land
Historic fluorite mining district along the Ohio River. Mine dumps produce colorful fluorite, calcite, and sphalerite crystals.
Indiana Geode & Fossil Beds
Bedford, Indiana · Public Land
Southern Indiana creek beds and road cuts for geodes, calcite crystals, and crinoid fossils. Part of the prolific Mississippian bedrock.
Ohio Geode Beds
Tiffin, Ohio · Public Land
North-central Ohio creek beds and exposures for geodes and calcite crystals. Part of the Findlay Arch mineral district.
Illinois Fluorite District
Rosiclare, Illinois · Public Land
Historic Illinois-Kentucky fluorspar district. Mine dumps produce blue, purple, and yellow fluorite crystals. Once the world's largest fluorite produc...
Indiana Fluorspar District
Rising Sun, Indiana · Public Land
Historic fluorite mining district in southeast Indiana. Mine dumps produce colorful fluorite, calcite, and sphalerite crystals along the Ohio River.
Sparland Fluorspar Area
Sparland, Illinois · Public Land
Central Illinois exposures for fluorite and calcite crystals. Part of the Illinois-Kentucky fluorspar district extension.
Apple River Canyon State Park
Apple River, Illinois · State Park
Scenic state park in northwest Illinois with limestone bluffs exposing geodes and calcite veins. Collecting limited — check with park office.
Long Hill Mine (Old Mine Park)
Trumbull, Connecticut · Public Land
Well-known historic collecting site in Old Mine Park, Trumbull. Produces calcite, fluorite, pyrite cubes, scheelite, and blue topaz crystals. Public p...
Potosi Lead Mine District
Potosi, Missouri · Fee Dig
Historic lead mining district in Washington County. Old mine dumps produce galena cubes, calcite, pyrite, and sphalerite. Part of the famous Missouri ...