"Rockhounding New York": A Falcon Guide
By Robert Beard
This book is the second in the series by the author, Robert Beard. It deals with the unique geology in New York State, and focuses on sites that are accessible to the public only. The book covers the entire state, from the Canadian border to the New York City Metro area.
I have a special liking to the book, because the author published my name in the acknowledgements, as well as information that I provided him through my mineral website and through e-mail communications. It was a nice surprise to see my name in the book, as I was not expecting it!
The book gives thorough reviews of each site, including collecting difficulty, GPS location, driving directions, land status, family-friendliness, as well as special concerns. Numerous well known sites are discussed, as well as some little known localities, where you can pick up fossils or minerals at your leisure. Being an avid New York collector, I was surprised at some of the sites that were listed, as I have driven past many of them numerous times, and never knew they were there. Discussed within the book are other topics, rockhounding basics, a discussion of state geology, and a full map of collecting localities. The author also goes into detail on the subject of the natural resources of the state that are produced commercially, which was a very interesting read.
Some surprising information in the book has already sent me on a few road trips to investigate some new sites for collecting possibilities. Some of these new ones are four sites on Staten Island, numerous sites around Bear Mountain (I am a regular collector in this area, and the book introduced me to several additional spots), several sites around Kingston, NY, and numerous fossil sites along US Highway 20 through the center of the state. The author also published several of my favorite collecting spots, including Amity, Ellenville, Wurtsboro, Highland Mills, Barton/Hooper, and a complete listing of all of the Herkimer Diamond sites.
Overall, I really enjoyed the book, and I believe it will make a great addition to any rockhound's library.
Click here to buy the book on Amazon.
