Collecting in Iowa

I will be in the Waterloo area for the next few months. Soon I'll get a car and get ready to spend week ends off, hopefully collecting.
Despite Iowa is soooooo flat, is there any good collecting spot out there?
I have heard good comments about Ollie (millerite) and Linwood mine, Buffalo (baryte and calcite), but I do not know whether it is possible to collect there...?

Chris

I'm pretty sure it's hard to collect at Linwood-haven't seen much from there for quite some time. Go east, young man, go east. Really, this isn't just regional pride- the Iowa/Illinois/Wisconsin Tri-State region has quite a few nice places, and is maybe a two hour drive depending on where you are going. You could contact someone at University of Wisconsin-Platteville, they'd probably be able to help you. There were tons of lead/zinc deposits. Not sure if it's of interest, but there are a couple fossil places I could point you to that are pretty impressive and productive. If nothing else, the scenery around the Mississippi there is just great- you'll never call Iowa flat again. :) If you want to drive a bit further to the southeast, there are the Keokuk geode areas.
EMJ

In Iowa the glaciers left an endless supply of interesting rocks in the farm fields and in the gravels of the Mississippi River. Some of the finest example of Lake Superior agate are found in Iowa. There are terminated minerals in a wide variety in the glacial deposits as well. You can find pegmatite or lava boulders that have various crystals inside. Choose a very rocky field and walk rows, bring a crack hammer and a loupe and you will find some interesting specimens. I really enjoy a day of walking rows because of the interesting variety of rocks and minerals out in those fields.

Good Luck!
J T

Access to most of the quarries, etc.in Iowa is very difficult unless you belong to a club. They will be able to have weekend visits to various sites. The Waterloo/Cedar Falls area group is very good and active as well as Cedar Rapids (Cedar Valley Rock and Minerals Society) to the South which sponsors field trips. Linwood does not give access to anyone, and Ollie is closed. The CVRMS is able to collect Millerite from the two Iowa City quarries several times each year. A great fossil park with collecting is near Waterloo. As stated previously, much glacial material and indian artifacts can be found by searching rocky areas.

Chris, as you travel around NE Iowa look on the edges and corners of farm fields for the boulder piles that farmers pick out of the field. As long as you are out-side the fence you should not be bothered. Watch out for snakes as this is a fovorite hide for them. Have found many agates and jaspers there. If you pass by a sand and gravel operation they may give you permission on the week-end to search their sorted out gravel piles. If the water level is down check sand bars and shore lines along any steam or river. I have fjound constuction sites to be very productive of agates but go after work hours and as the rain washes of the rocks they should be easy to spot. Almost any small limestone operation will yield some calcite or barite.

Chris- There is a rock shop in Davenport that had a millerite specimen that was the shaggiest I've seen, some wires a couple inches long, as I remember. You can check w/ them online. There is another rock shop in D-port that is much more metaphysical...
Some friends live near the linwood/lafarge operation, so near their house is suffering as a result, but they know of no collecting possibilities there.
I've sussed out some rip rap and such in the area. That is fun to do anywhere.
John- Thanks for the suggestion. I've thought about doing that locally, but never go out and asked any farmer if it would be o k...Will do now!

Cedar Valley Rock and Mineral Society (CVRMS) is having a field trip into the Conklin Quarry, Coralville, (Iowa City area)on August 26th. You must be a member, however, I'm sure they would sign you up that day. A very productive quarry, possible finds are calcite, sphalerite, pyrite, barite, millerite, coral heads, horn corals, brachiopods, bryozoans, trilobites, crinoids and maybe cephalopods, fish parts, and blastoids. Fossil Gorge museum is nearby in Coralville

Thanks to alla of you, all the infos are really helpful! I know this is a veeeeery flat state, but still, I'm hoping to be looking into some rockpiles soon.
The CVRMS is a good idea, I will keep an eye on them.
Any idea on the link to the Davenport mineral shop? Could not find much online...

Sorry Chris, I meant to mention it, duh...
Honey creek gems.com.

Thanks Mike. The website doesn't say much...but at least I've got the address :)