The Complete Yooperlite Hunting Guide
One of the coolest things about living in Michigan is the rock-hunting. Sure, rock-hunting is a thing in other parts of the United States, but I’m pretty certain there’s no other place with an entire population where absolutely everyone that visits the beach knows the excitement when you come across a local stone. At some point in each Michigander’s life, they’ll make their way to the beach and search for Petoskey stones, Leland blues, Frankfort greens, and Charlevoix stones; we can thank our marvelous Great Lakes for that! It’s become more popular to not just hunt for stones but to turn them into jewelry, bolo ties, knife handles, and tons of other things people are learning to craft with our unique rocks. Even so, in recent years (2017 to be exact), a guy named Erik Rintamaki discovered and named the newly hunted Yooperlite.
If you’re from Michigan, the term ‘Yooperlite’ already makes sense to you. If not, it’s referring to the Upper Peninsula (U.P.), where this rock is found. People that live in the Upper Peninsula are referred to as ‘yoopers’, and since this rock is mostly found along the shores of Lake Superior, the name is fitting for obvious reasons.
This rock isn’t necessarily new to the area; in fact, it’s been around for literally ages. Part of why it took so long for it to be discovered is because in natural light and even in the dark, the rock just looks like every other grey rock out there. It only becomes identifiable as a yooperlite when a special kind of UV light is shined on it, in which case it then will glow florescent golden orange.
The reason for this is because the rock is mostly syenite (similar to granite) but has sprinkles of sodalite throughout. Not all sodalite is fluorescent, either. Somewhere between 8,000-10,000 years ago, this specific type made its way via glaciers from Lake Algonquin to what we now know as Michigan. The fluorescent stone can only be differentiated from other rocks with two things: 1) it needs to be quite dark, so this is not a daytime activity, and 2) it’s only visible with 365nm wavelength of UV light. Which brings me to my next point - you’ll need a UV flashlight.
Which UV Flashlight Do I Buy?
There are some really expensive (and by that I mean ~$100 which is expensive for a flashlight to me, but if it’s not to you, then by all means buy a nice one) ones out there that will definitely work and help you find yooperlites. If you’re ready to invest that much in one, I recommend the Convoy C8 365nm UV Flashlight.
If you’re like me and you’re okay with a cheaper flashlight that isn’t quite as nice but will still get the job done for your rockhounding hobby, I thought this DarkBeam 365/395 UV Flashlight did just fine! I was able to find yooperlites with it even on a night when the moon was fairly bright. You just have to make sure it’s on the 365nm wavelength setting. Another one that I did not try but that has great reviews and seems to be a good flashlight for yooperlite hunting is this LumenShooter365 UV Flashlight.
What Else Do I Need?
A regular flashlight: UV flashlights are great for yooperlite hunting, but they aren’t very bright compared to regular flashlights. Since you have to go at night in the dark, it’s always good to keep an extra regular flashlight on you in case you need to see better.
Batteries: there’s nothing worse than getting excited to go rock hunting only to then realize your flashlight is flickering on its last life when you get there. They’re small, light, and easy to care, so just bring ‘em.
Glow sticks: or some other way to mark where you entered the beach. As someone who has made this mistake, let me tell you, it is incredibly easy to get caught up walking a long ways down the beach staring at the ground for rocks when all of a sudden you look up and have no idea where you entered the beach at. If you can see your vehicle from the water it’s probably not too much of an issue, but if you have to walk down a path to get to the water, you definitely want to mark the spot so you can find it to leave.
Gloves: not a necessity, but something I was glad to have. Lake Superior stays pretty cold even in the summer, and you might have to reach in the water or at least in the wet sand to get your rock. I appreciated breaks to wear my gloves and warm my hands back up.
A pack to carry your rocks: self-explanatory.
Shoes with good grips: the beach can be uneven and the rocks can be slippery at times, and walking it in the dark can make it even easier to slip. Wear some good shoes!
Patience. The first time I went, I kept finding stones that I thought might be yooperlites, so I was collecting a bunch of these. They didn’t have the same yellow/orange glow but more just looked like they had neon pink paint splattered on them. I never did find out what these were, but they weren’t yooperlites. When I finally DID find a yooperlite, I knew immediately. They definitely are quite obvious that they are exactly what you think they are. You’ll know when you find it, but you might have to be patient!
Where and When Do I Go?
There’s lots of places along Lake Superior you can find yooperlites! Pretty much any beach that has stones. No matter where you’re going, make sure to go with someone or tell someone exactly where it is you’ll be rockhunting. The Upper Peninsula has horrible cell phone reception, and although unlikely, you don’t want to get stuck out there from crazy weather shifts or any sort of injury in the dark.
You can rockhunt at all of the Great Lakes year-round, but the best time has always been in the spring. This is after an entire winter season of the rocks being churned up and washed ashore. Not only is it when the beaches are most littered with rocks, but it’s also prior to the busy summer crowds where the rocks will be pretty picked over by August.
My favorite place to go is the Au Train Boat Launch. It’s easy to park, is empty most nights, and has so many rocks! It is quite uneven to walk across so be careful and watch your step, but you’ll be sure to find some here! GPS coordinates are: (46.446812, -86.888242).
Although I haven’t been rockhunting here, it’s been recommended to me numerous times that the best places to find yooperlites is along the beaches between Grand Marais and Whitefish point. I really hope that I can get up there this spring or summer to take a look!
My final thought to share is to look up at the stars when you’re yooperlite hunting. The star gazing along Lake Superior is amazing, and it can be so easy to miss it when you’re looking at the ground the whole time searching for rocks. If you’re willing to take a break for at least a few minutes to look up, the U.P. sky broadcasts shooting stars, satellites, and if you’re really lucky, sometimes even the Northern Lights.
I hope you have an awesome and safe time hunting! Remember that these rocks were made thousands of years ago, and they won’t be able to be replaced (at least not during our lifetime). While I do hope you have a blast, I also encourage you to only take a few (if any) of these treasures home - because once they’re gone, they’re gone. Let’s all be thankful for such an awesome activity we can do in our Great Lake State!
Good luck and have fun!
Brooke
