While driving from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to the Lower Peninsula, my wife and I made a rockhounding stop at Petoskey State Park. Since it’s widely advertised as the best place to find Petoskey stones, I figured all the good ones would be picked over. But within half an hour of searching the shoreline, we had a couple dozen small, smooth Petoskey stones perfect for turning into jewelry. That day sparked my continuing fascination with these fossilized coral treasures unique to Michigan.
In this blog post, I want to share tips from my Michigan road trip for Petoskey stone hunting. I’ll cover what exactly Petoskey stones are, what to look for when hunting for them, and where the best place to find Petoskey stones is.
Looking for a Michigan road trip itinerary? My 7-day guide takes you from Detroit to the UP and back, with stops at Whitefish Point, Pictured Rocks and Lake Michigan beaches where you can look for Petoskey stones. Grab your copy + get planning!
What’s The Best Place to Find Petoskey Stones?
Given their geological history in ancient Lake Michigan, you stand a good chance of uncovering Petoskey stones on any Lake Michigan beach. But the most popular public hunting ground by far is Petoskey State Park.
Michigan allows you to hunt for rocks and minerals on state park land. However, you can’t go hunting for rocks and fossils on private land, unless you have the owner’s permission.
Wherever you choose, stick close to the water line. The stones are easiest to spot when wet. If you have a dry stone and you think it might be a Petoskey stone, get it wet to look for the hexagonal honeycomb pattern.
What’s The Best Time of Year to Find Petoskey Stones?
The very best time to start searching for Petoskey stones is early spring, as soon as the last snow melts. Winter storms churn up waves that carry stones from the deep lake bottom and then deposit them on beaches. If you go after a long winter, you’ll be among the first to hunt a new crop of ancient stones deposited by the waves.
Just because spring is the best time for Michigan rockhounding doesn’t mean it’s the only time you should go. Anytime from late winter through summer is ideal – but summer might mean more crowds of beachgoers enjoying the lake shores.
I hunted for Petoskey stones in September and was more than happy with what I discovered. Plus, the cooler weather meant I had the lake beaches all to myself!
How to Identify Petoskey Stones
By now, you are probably wondering how to identify Petoskey stones.
When you find a Petoskey stone, you’ll notice a distinct hexagonal pattern on the surface, reminiscent of a honeycomb. Petoskey stones are fossilized coral that lived in ancient seabeds around 350 million years ago. This honeycomb pattern is actually the skeleton of ancient corrals, crystallized into the mineral calcite. Look close enough and you’ll also see small pores, once home to coral polyps.
Petoskey stones come in a range of colors. While many stones are white or gray, it’s possible to find them in tan, brown, green, or even red.
Petoskey stones range in size from small pebbles to mammoth rocks. The smaller specimens work well in crafts and jewelry, and the larger ones are more valuable from a collecting standpoint. If you’re hoping to sell Petoskey stones, focus on finding big ones.
How to Find Petoskey Stones at Petoskey State Park
To be honest, I thought it would be more difficult to find Petoskey stones.
We were going in the fall – wouldn’t most of the good specimens already have been taken by rock collectors?
To my surprise, we found some almost immediately. We found some stones that were dappled with small round marks. Looking closer, we realized this was the telltale hexagonal pattern from the ancient coral.
We squatted on the rock hunting beach and picked through piles of rock. While it was easiest to tell Petoskey stones from pebbles at the shoreline, because the rocks were wet, with practice we could identify them even when they were dry.
Petoskey stones have a lookalike called Charlevoix stones. Charlevoix stones also have the honeycomb pattern, but it’s much smaller. The photo above has examples of both to help you compare.
The stones we found that day were on the small side, but I didn’t mind. For me, the fun of finding Petoskey stones was in the adventure! Today, I keep the raw stones in my house along with other rockhounding souvenirs.
If you’re heading to Petoskey State Park in search of these stones, consider taking a shovel and a bucket. It can be hard on your back to stoop and gather stones.
Also, don’t forget to cover up and wear sunscreen. Even on a sunny day, those lake beaches can be quite windy!
Looking for more ideas of things to do in the Petoskey area? We stopped at nearby Kilwins Chocolate for a pick me up of chocolate caramel turtles after our rock hunt. Nearby Traverse City has an epic Pride parade and is super LGBTQ friendly. We spent an afternoon exploring Traverse City and wished we had more time to discover all its hidden gems. That just means we’ll have to go back!
My Michigan road trip map covers all of my Michigan stops including LGBTQ Traverse City, quirky stops like the mushroom house below, and other rock beaches in Michigan. To get access to that map and other LGBTQ travel tips, sign up for my newsletter.
Petoskey Stones FAQ
Hopefully this background information on Petoskey stones has you eager to plan your own rockhounding adventure!
To help you make the most of your upcoming hunt for Michigan’s state stone, I’ve put together this handy FAQ covering some of the key questions I wish I’d had answers to before my stone hunting trip.
Where can you find the most Petoskey stones?
The highest concentration of Petoskey stones are found along Little Traverse Bay in northern Michigan, especially within the Petoskey State Park area.
Can Petoskey stones only be found in Michigan?
Yes, Petoskey stones can only be found in Michigan since they originated from a species of ancient coral known as Hexagonaria percarinata that existed in Lake Michigan. You may discover other kinds of coral fossils in other locations, though!
Can you find Petoskey stones in rivers?
Yes, it’s possible to find Petoskey stones in rivers that connect to lakeshore beaches.
Are there petoskey stones in Torch Lake?
Yes, you can find Petoskey stones in Torch Lake.
Where to look for petoskey stones?
The best places to look are along shoreline beaches, road cuts, and soil deposits near Little Traverse Bay in northern Michigan.
How to polish Petoskey stones?
Tumble polishing using a rock tumbler is the easiest way to achieve a high shine on Petoskey stones. You can also polish them by hand using sandpaper. Try it the next time you’re streaming something – it can be surprisingly soothing!
I hope this guide to Petoskey stones helps you discover some of these unique treasures for yourself! Comment below if you have any more questions about the rock hunting in Michigan or the best place to find Petoskey stones, and I’ll do my best to help you out!