Keokuk Geodes: Easily Identify and Collect Iowa's World-Famous Geodes

by Jim Magnuson

Overview

Uncover the secrets of Keokuk Geodes with this pocket-size booklet—perfect for identifying, collecting, and displaying these crystal treasures of nature.

Whether you’re a seasoned rockhound, a curious beginner, or a geology enthusiast, keep this convenient guide close at hand. Written by expert collector Jim Magnuson, this beautiful booklet is packed with everything you need to know about the world-famous geodes found in southeastern Iowa, northeastern Missouri, and western Illinois, with the epicenter around Keokuk, Iowa.

Begin with an introduction to these natural wonders, including their geography and how they form. Learn about the annual festival devoted to these geodes, including a bit of local history and points of interest. Then let the rock hunting begin! You’ll get expert insights on where to look and what to look for, as well as essential safety tips. An identification section introduces you to more than 25 types of geodes, with details about the kinds of crystals and cubes inside—showcasing quartz, calcite, pyrite, UV-reactive minerals, and more. You’ll also appreciate Jim’s advice on how to open your finds and some of the best ways to display them.

Quick guide features:

• Pocket-size format—easier than laminated foldouts
• Identification guide to 25 important types of geodes
• Expert guidance on finding, opening, and displaying geodes
• Maps of commercial dig sites and natural hotspots
• Safety tips, festival information, and more

Bring this durable, lightweight quick guide along on your next rockhounding trip and discover why Keokuk Geodes have earned their place among the most fascinating natural wonders.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781647554880
Publisher:	Adventure Publications, Incorporated
Publication date:	04/07/2026
Series:	Adventure Quick Guides
Pages:	24
Product dimensions:	4.38(w) x 7.50(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Jim Magnuson has been an avid hunter of various gems, minerals, and fossils since childhood. Because of his in-depth knowledge, he is frequently called upon to present to groups such as rock and mineral clubs, geological societies, and educational institutions that focus on outdoor and environmental interests. He likes to perform various lapidary arts with the stones that he finds, and he has a small business making and selling custom-polished stones and jewelry pieces.

Read an Excerpt

The Keokuk Geode Festival

If you attend the Geode Family Fest in Keokuk, Iowa, you’ll quickly find out why I refer to the Keokuk Geode as “world-famous.” Chat with people at the festival site and while you’re out hunting for geodes, and you’ll find visitors from across the country and sometimes from around the world!

Sponsored by the Keokuk Chamber of Commerce, the annual Geode Family Fest (also known as Geode Fest or Keokuk Geode Fest) is a fun-filled weekend event at the end of September for everyone from beginners to experienced rockhounds. The cost to attend is around $25 per adult and $5 per youth (ages 15 and younger). I recommend registering ahead of time, but you can register at the event itself. There’s an orientation session on Thursday night that’s especially important if you’ve never before attended the event.

As part of the festival, you can participate in up to five guided hunts at commercial geode-collecting mine sites. You will “caravan” out to your choice of sites and then be led to the collecting area at that site. You’ll have about two hours at each location to hunt for and collect geodes—and then pay for what you’ve collected on the way out.

Many vendors attend the festival and sell both pre-opened and unopened geodes. There’s a wide variety of geode types and sizes that are reasonably priced. Additionally, many of the vendors have geode-opening or cracking tools that you can use to open the geodes you’ve purchased from them or collected yourself. Vendors typically charge a nominal fee, such as $1 per geode, for using their tools to break open a geode.

Table of Contents

Keokuk Geode Geography and Geode Formation

The Keokuk Geode Festival

Local History and Points of Interest

Where to Find Keokuk Geodes

Geode Hunting Overview

Hunting Tips & Safety

Geode Identification Guide

Fossils

Opening Geodes

Display & Decorative Ideas

Reference Information

About the Author