Struggling with basic rock ID during outdoor trips

I love collecting rocks when I'm outside, but I always get stuck trying to name them. For instance, I picked up a brownish stone that could be sandstone or siltstone. They feel different, but without a guide, I'm just guessing. It's frustrating because online resources assume you know terms I don't. I end up with a box of unknowns. How do you guys get better at this without taking a class?

3 comments

3 Comments

wendyprice1d ago

Man, I feel this so much. I read a blog post once that said most beginners overthink the shiny rocks and ignore the boring ones. It pointed out that common rocks like sandstone and siltstone have tells, like how they break or feel. The writer suggested just rubbing two stones together to see if one scratches the other, which sounds silly but works. I tried it on some creek finds and it cut down my guesswork by half. Now I have a box of semi-identified rocks instead of complete unknowns. Progress, I guess.

leodavis1d ago

You mentioned online resources assume terms you don't know, but I see it differently. Learning those terms is the fastest way to get past guessing. For your brownish stone, try the taste test - just kidding, but really, check if it crumbles easily. Sandstone often feels gritty, while siltstone is more like pressed mud. I started with a free app that uses my phone's camera, and it helped me spot common rocks like limestone by its fizz in vinegar. Give it a few tries, and soon you'll name most finds without a guide.

michael_wright901d ago

Funny, I used to roll my eyes at all the technical terms too. Seemed like pointless homework just to name a rock. Then I wasted a whole weekend trying to figure out a piece of chert without knowing what conchoidal fracture meant. Once I learned that one term, everything clicked and I stopped mixing up quartz and flint. Your point about the app is right, doing simple tests with household stuff makes the terms stick way better. I guess sometimes you have to speak the language to get anywhere.