Rockhounding in Michigan

Michigan Great Lakes beaches

Public beach · Varies by beach: state parks, county parks and private owners

The state geology agency says fossils, mostly marine invertebrates and especially corals, can be found on beaches across the lower peninsula, with known collecting localities from the public beach in Frankfort to Fort Gratiot County Park, and that Petoskey stones are most common on Up North beaches. Storms and high lake levels expose new ones.

Finds: Petoskey stone, Other fossil corals and marine invertebrates

Access: Rules depend on who owns the beach: the 25-pound limit applies on state-owned land, and county parks and private beaches have their own rules. Follow local rock collecting rules.

Manager's page →

Access and fees can change. Verify on the manager's official page before you go.

Michigan state land: 25 pounds a year

Michigan's state land rules make it unlawful to remove from state-owned land more than 25 pounds in total per person per year of any rock, mineral specimen (not counting gold-bearing material) or invertebrate fossil, for individual or noncommercial hobby use. The Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy repeats the limit for state parks and shorelines.

• 25 pounds per person per year in aggregate, for hobby use.

Source: Parks and Recreation Areas: State Land Rules, R 299.922(hh) (excerpt, effective Jan. 29, 2014); Most Michigan beaches have fossils. Here's how to find them (May 21, 2026)

Bureau of Land Management land

On BLM public land you may collect reasonable amounts of rocks, mineral specimens and semiprecious gemstones for noncommercial purposes, generally without a permit. This does not apply on developed recreation sites, in areas that are closed and posted, where there are active mining claims or other authorized mineral uses, or where the mineral estate is privately owned. BLM can close or limit collecting in specific areas through its land use plans.

• Noncommercial only: the collector is not selling the items for a business or financial gain.
• No explosives, motorized or mechanical devices to aid collecting, except metal detectors.
• A permit may be needed if you use certain equipment, cause more than negligible surface disturbance, or camp longer than the posted limit.

Source: 43 CFR § 8365.1-5, Property and resources; Public Collection of Rocks, Mineral Specimens, and Semiprecious Gemstones on Public Lands for Noncommercial Purposes: FAQ (Feb. 28, 2024)

National Forest land

Forest Service mining rules list collecting mineral specimens with hand tools, gold panning, metal detecting and non-motorized hand sluicing among activities that need no notice of intent when they cause no significant surface disturbance. Forest Service rules also prohibit damaging or removing any natural feature, and individual forests set their own closures, so ask the ranger district before you collect.

Source: 36 CFR § 228.4, Plan of operations and notice of intent (National Forest mining rules); 36 CFR § 261.9, Property (National Forest prohibitions)

National parks and other NPS units

National Park Service rules prohibit possessing, removing or disturbing minerals, rocks, cave formations and fossils in park areas. Possessing or using a metal detector is prohibited too, unless it is broken down and packed away.

Source: 36 CFR § 2.1, Preservation of natural, cultural and archeological resources (National Park Service)

Fossils on BLM and National Forest land

Casual collecting covers common invertebrate and plant fossils only: a reasonable amount for personal, noncommercial use, picked from the surface or dug with non-powered hand tools, with negligible disturbance. It is allowed on BLM land and National Forest land that is not closed to it. National monuments within the National Forest System are closed. Fossils outside that definition, such as vertebrate bones and teeth, need a permit.

• BLM: up to 25 pounds of common invertebrate and plant fossils per person per day; a larger slab may be taken with hand tools to keep an embedded fossil intact.
• Fossils from National Forest land may not be sold, including casually collected ones.
• No casual collecting of any fossil on National Park Service or Fish and Wildlife Service land.

Source: 43 CFR §§ 49.800–49.810, Casual collecting of paleontological resources; 36 CFR §§ 291.11–291.12, Casual collecting on National Forest System lands

Artifacts and historic sites

Removing or disturbing archaeological, historic or cultural resources is prohibited on BLM, National Forest and National Park land. Leave arrowheads, tools and old structures where they are.

Source: 43 CFR § 8365.1-5, Property and resources; 36 CFR § 261.9, Property (National Forest prohibitions); 36 CFR § 2.1, Preservation of natural, cultural and archeological resources (National Park Service)