A Unique Set of Guides for Rockhounders

Do rocks and minerals excite you? If you are one of the thousands of rock collectors in the United States, I am sure you will find Mountain Press's Series on Roadside Geology fascinating. For review purposes, I reviewed Roadside Geology of Indiana since they don't yet have one available for my home state, Michigan. This guide was published in 1999 and written by Mark J. Camp and Graham T. Richardson.

The book is divided into sections dealing with Southeastern, South-Central, Southwestern, and Northern Indiana. Take this book in your car if you should travel through this state. Although the book is a bit difficult to read straight thru, it is a wonderful reference book on the geology of Indiana. If you are visiting a particular town, you can use the index to find information on the geological formations located in or near that particular town. Directions and maps are given to help you find examples of various geological periods. If you happen to live in Indiana, this book can be used to guide your rock collecting expeditions. It also shares much of the history of the towns and cities where significant mines or quarries were located.

Since I am a rockhounder from my youth, I tried to find the names of various fossils in the index. I was pleased to learn that I could find a fossil name and be guided to the localities in Indiana where I might be able to dig up samples. In my opinion, this feature alone makes this a valuable reference book for anyone living in Indiana or visiting the state on a vacation.

Mountain Press already has published these guides for 20 states. I personally look forward to one on Michigan. Check their website to see if your state's guide is currently available.

Geology Underfoot in Illinois, written by Raymond Wiggers, was published by Mountain Press in 1997. This book is similar to the Roadside Geology series. You will find information on various geological formations in Illinois. Maps, photographs, and detailed descriptions of the features are provided. The chief difference in the two books is that Geology Underfoot in Illinois delves into rock formations that may actually be underground instead of being readily visible.

While reading through these books, I briefly compared the information provided about a location. The Roadside Geology series concentrates on those rock formations found near major roads or highways. The Geology Underfoot series presents its information by counties rather than roads. Since the books dealt with two different states, I was unable to determine if virtually the same information is being presented using a different organization for the books.

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