Where to Find Moonstone in Michigan: 3 Mapped Sites

Michigan has 3 mapped sites where moonstone have been reported. The best-known are Keweenaw Point, Lake Superior Beach, and McClain State Park. Each listing on the map above includes GPS coordinates, access type, and what has been found there.

We have 3 documented moonstone sites in Michigan, compiled from community submissions and published locality records and reviewed by the Rockhounding.org Research Team.

Casual collecting is generally allowed on BLM and National Forest land for personal, non-commercial use — the standard BLM limit is 25 lbs per day plus one specimen. National parks, monuments, and many state parks prohibit collecting, and private land always requires the owner's permission. Check the site report for each location and verify current land status before you dig.

Moonstone is feldspar with adularescence — a soft blue-white sheen that floats beneath the surface and moves as you tilt the stone. Hardness 6, and unlike quartz it has two good cleavage directions, so broken pieces show flat, subtly stepped faces. Wet the stone and rock it in sunlight; the glow is the identification.

The basics: a rock hammer, safety glasses, gloves, a bucket or padded bag for specimens, and a GPS app with the coordinates from this page. Add a spray bottle — wetting a stone makes color and banding far easier to judge in the field.