Delaware County (Olentangy/Ohio Shale contact)

Delaware County, Ohio, north of Columbus, has real, documented pyrite — but it comes from a specific geological contact, not the county at large. Where the Olentangy Shale meets the older Ohio Shale, the boundary carries small pyrite nodules and phosphate particles, and this contact is exposed along streams including the Olentangy River. The best-documented public exposure of this geology is Shale Hollow Park, a Preservation Parks of Delaware County site between Delaware and Columbus, though it's UNVERIFIED whether that park's rules permit removing rock or mineral material. This entry's coordinates land generally in Scioto Township near the county seat rather than one named outcrop, so treat it as a regional reference to the Olentangy Shale/Ohio Shale contact zone rather than a single pinned dig site.

Shale Hollow Park sits just west of US-23 between Columbus and the city of Delaware, and exposes this shale sequence along its trails. UNVERIFIED whether this is the exact spot the DB coordinates point to, or a different exposure along the Olentangy elsewhere in Scioto Township.

General-area inference: pyrite here typically shows up as small nodules or crystal faces in shale exposures and streambed concretions, requiring careful surface examination rather than digging. No source confirms current collecting is permitted at any specific Delaware County exposure.

Land status is UNVERIFIED for this specific location. Preservation Parks of Delaware County manages several natural-area parks in the county (including Shale Hollow) that commonly restrict removal of natural materials — confirm rules directly with Preservation Parks before collecting anything. Separately, stretches of the Olentangy managed by the US Army Corps of Engineers near Delaware Lake have historically allowed fossil/mineral collecting with restrictions, per Ohio Department of Natural Resources fossil-collecting guidance — but it's UNVERIFIED whether that applies at these specific coordinates. Don't assume either the park or the river corridor is open without checking first.