Hunting for Unakite and Lake Superior Agates at Whitefish Point - Upper Peninsula Michigan

#rockhounding #thefinders #geology
In this video I explore Whitefish Point in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan with my mom and aunt. There are so many beautiful rocks here, it's a rockhound's dream. We were mainly on the search for unakites and agates, but found plenty of other great things as well.
Please note, part of Whitefish Point is a protected area managed by the US Fish and Wild Service. It is not legal to collect rocks with the boundary of the National Wildlife Refuge. Please make sure you are outside the bounds of the refuge if you do come here to collect, and please note that along state managed beaches there is a limit to how much rock you can take home per person per year.
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[@aeronautee]

The stone your mom found at 3:09 isn't a hag stone nor a hag stone in the making; hag stones have a hole all the way through. She found an omarulluk, or omar for short. Omars originate from only one place, the Omarulluk Formation on the Belcher Islands in Hudson Bay and were brought south by glaciers. They are graywacke, a type of sandstone. The pits are created when concretions erode out or are knocked out of the host rock. They're interesting in their own humble way and fun to find.

[@RockandRoadRockhounding]

Neat! I didn't know that. Thank you!

[@patriciamckean4186]

The basalt looking rock with some red jasper may be magnetite. I always take an earth magnet when hunting in U.P. plus a ultraviolet light for night hunting yooperlites. Omar (omarulluk) vs a hag stone. Glacial stones. Love unikites and agates. Enjoyed your sharing the hunt!

[@wilbondcajunrockhound5758]

Really cool mix of rocks, beautiful beach to hunt on

[@joshdavenport5787]

Born and raised in Ohio.. Lived in Michigan for a short period of time (maybe 6 months) and it is beautiful there.. Lakes everywhere! Never been up north though.. Awesome finds!

[@deniseview4253]

Nice to see someone keep rocks cuz their pretty. 🥰

[@hossuandrei9492]

Green is my favorite color i love epidot i unakite🥰🤩😍🤯🤤💖💗💝🔝♾💚💚💚💚💚

[@MrChubbyHubby.]

Cool finds for sure my new friend! And I will second that the rock at 3:09 is called an Omar, I have also seen that name used for rocks with holes all the way through as well so not 100% on that. Thank you for showing us your hunt😁.

[@geofferyhess9676]

Just moved to Northern Wisconsin and I'm looking forward to coming up there in October and doing some rock hounding. Thanks for your video

[@signecadwallader2158]

Just subscribed. Enjoyed the rock hunt.

[@reneeizzard1932]

Your black rock was magnetite.

[@Ontario_Rockhound]

I find stray unakite pieces once in awhile when I arrowhead hunt in the fields around me. It's nice material and it tumbles up well.

[@RockandRoadRockhounding]

I'm planning on tumbling up some of mine, it has such great colors! Do you find a lot of arrowheads? I always keep my eye out when I'm somewhere that they might get turned up, but so far no luck for me.

[@Ontario_Rockhound]

@@RockandRoadRockhounding I just started with arrowhead hunting this year, had some decent luck, the hardest thing to do is find good spots. I actually have videos on my KZbin channel on some of the stuff I have collected so far.

[@East_TN_Explorer]

Nice finds! I gotta work on a unakite hunt here in East TN

[@johnbyington3458]

I started watching Michigan Rocks a year or so ago. I didn't realize that Michigan had unakite. I live in East Tenn and the Unaka Mountain straddle Tenn & NC and unakite is found there. I thought we had a monopoly on unakite. Anyway, I saw unakite in the title and started watching your video here 🙂

[@RockandRoadRockhounding]

Yeah I didn't know Michigan had unakite either until I was walking a beach up there a few years ago.

[@patriciamckean4186]

Weird rock is probably magnetite. Basalt with red jaspers, always bring an earth magnet on my hunts. Also bring a good uv lite for yooperlites.

[@GrandTreasureBay]

Ive seen some folks in the great lakes rock and minerals page mention the strange basalt rock with veining in the beginning. I would be interested if it is magnetic. Some folks have mentioned Hematite or magnetite with basalt being possibilities. I couldn't find and consensus on it tho. Some of those unakites were pretty great! I bet they would make some great cabs.

[@RockandRoadRockhounding]

I've seen some of those posts in Facebook rock groups too, it seems like a few people have some thoughts on what it could be, but nothing conclusive. When I have some time I think I'm going to dig further into finding out what it is. I don't think it was magnetic when I tested it a few weeks ago though.

[@isaiahwellerding1089]

Septarian Nodule?

[@isaiahwellerding1089]

Septarian Nodule?

[@user-vv2il7ie9w]

Probably already ID'd the black rock with red "spots"... I am thinking it has magnetite (black).... a strong magnet would tell for sure.

[@patriciamckean4186]

Amyloidal or galaxy stone. Agates, yeah!

[@wandabrumbelow3562]

Love your video ! I'm planning a trip to UP next year an plan to visit white fish ! Are they any other beaches you reccomend in the area to look for rocks. I'm from North Georgia so any info would be greatly appreciated. 😊

[@RockandRoadRockhounding]

Whitefish Point is probably my favorite. I've heard good things about the Grand Marais area as well. I like the beaches along the Keweenaw Peninsula because everything is so red and you have a higher chance of finding agates.

[@mattb7069]

Is their any monetary value in finding these various rocks and selling them so that one’s hobby doesn’t become a ton of rocks stored in a garage?

[@tamasi952]

U can but you have to pay for permits for collecting more than the general standard of 25 pounds per year (I tend to believe no one follows that rule) and a permit to then sell them too. But I think it depends on your state. Honestly tho… you would be better to own a claim or pay to dig for more valuable, gem quality minerals and mineraloids. She could possibly sell the unikite but that’s kinda it. And she would have to make sure she polishes them well or they rnt “valuable” to consumers. And rock tumbling can get expensive when it comes to grit usage. As u become better at spotting the right rocks and develop your knowledge of minerals and compositions, you tend to collect less anyways. The pickier you are, the less crowded your garage will be! The whole point of it for me is to find treasures for yourself and friends :)

[@mattb7069]

@@tamasi952 thanks for the very helpful answer!

[@isaiahwellerding1089]

Septarian Nodule is what I think you have at :56.

[@RockandRoadRockhounding]

I thought maybe a septarian, but I think it's some sort of basalt formation so I'm not sure if it still fits the definition of a septarian. One of these days my curiosity is going to get the best of me and I'm just going to cut it open and see.

[@openyoureyes7539]

Don't meteors look like this?

[@kendrafowler6493]

I'm heading to Paradise Michigan next month could you please tell me exactly where you were at so I can search in that spot? it looks like a really good spot. I'm hoping you can help me.

[@RockandRoadRockhounding]

This was at Whitefish Point, make sure you stay to the west side of the lighthouse area if you go - the eastern part is a US Fish and Wildlife area and is off limits to collecting. Good luck on your hunt!

[@kseaglass8920]

If you're ever in Michigan, let me know. We know some awesome places here to find pudding stone and petoskey stone.

[@RockandRoadRockhounding]

We might be planning a trip up there later this summer!

[@kendrafowler6493]

Please help me with my pudding stone search I've never found one in the wild can you give me some ideas where I'm almost certain to find one. I'm traveling from Midland Michigan up to Paradise Michigan I'm willing to go and either direction within an hour. Thanks a bunch.

[@RockandRoadRockhounding]

@@kendrafowler6493 From my understanding, they come from Canada and were carried south by glaciers. I've heard Drummond Island has some really nice big ones, but I'm not sure on the beach access there. I've only found a few myself, one in Mackinaw City outside our hotel and one on Kelley's Island in Ohio.

[@tombeilman5579]

Does unakite glow under a UV light , some people from Michigan bought some to our gem club meeting in Kingman AZ

[@RockandRoadRockhounding]

Unakite doesn't glow under UV light, it's just quartz, feldspar and epidote so unless it formed to include a different mineral that does floresce it won't glow, but yooperlites do, which are a different kind of rock that include the mineral sodalite.

[@tombeilman5579]

@@RockandRoadRockhounding yooperlights is what I was thinking of, my bad

[@josephholtrop5535]

Put those rocks back where you found them

[@canadiangemstones7636]

Creepy sorta comment bro.