C.P. J.
5/5
The nitty-gritty of the gravel pit:
I began converting my short, rutted dirt road to a gravel road in 2016, using loads of rock from Crystal River Quarries gravel pit in Lecanto. The site offers rock and fill dirt by the ton at the weigh station scales at the entry to the quarry; elsewhere in the back is a spot to get clay, and the big, commercial trucks drive down into the pit to get their loads, stopping on the scales to pay.
For those who have not been here before, the scale house is the first visible structure through the fence on the left side of the road after you turn off South Lecanto Highway at the traffic light, opposite the entrance to the school complex. As the signs state, all visitors must check in at the scale house. Follow the paved road to the right of the scale house, passing between it and a small, concrete pad for parking near the bathrooms. If you only have questions and do not want gravel, park there and walk up the front stairs to the large window. (Can’t climb stairs? The site uses vacuum tubes to send receipts and payment up to the operator from the ground level; it would be best to call first to ask about ADA-compliant procedures.)
If you brought the proper type of vehicle to get a load of rocks — a pickup truck or trailer with sides — keep going along that road to the stop sign. You may peer down into the gravel pit from there, perhaps spotting the water at the bottom, but make a sharp U turn onto the nearest lane heading back toward the scale house — the left side (as you face the back of the building) for gravel, the right side for full dirt. Stop before pulling onto the scale, then go slowly to line up the bed of your vehicle with the path of the big crane. I try to pull as close to the crane-side of the scale as I can, lining up my pickup’s back window with a large white PVC tube near that wall, then I squeeze out my door to walk upstairs to the office.
Expect to wait, especially if there are big trucks going through the other side. The operator might ask you to realign your vehicle if he cannot get the crane into the correct position to drop the rocks/dirt into the bed. (Note, you cannot bring an SUV or a truck with a topper and expect to get service here. That crane only goes up and down on a fixed radius, it cannot go sideways into a hatchback.)
I get No. 57 medium-sized gravel; when I started in 2016, it cost maybe $20 a ton. As of early 2024, it is about $30 per ton, plus tax. Other sizes and types of fill could cost different amounts. (Tip: If you want more rocks for your money, go after a few days with no rain, so you’re not paying for water weight. You do risk a dustier load, then, so bring appropriate covers.)
Not sure what size you want? You can see the three main sizes of gravel in the bays by the crane. The operators are knowledgeable about other options. Bring a hard rake or shovel to adjust the pile.
If you want clay, ask about the process for that; it used to be that you had to stop on the scale to get your empty weight recorded, then head off into the depths of the quarry, dodging the big rock-movers and other trucks, to wait by the mound of red clay until another operator could load your vehicle, then you’d return to the scale for loaded weight and payment. (Another tip: Do NOT get clay after it rains; no matter how good the tread on your tires or your shoes, you risk both slipping, sliding and getting stuck in wet clay.)
Fun for the whole family: Florida is made out of limestone and sand dunes. I have found fossilized seashells, sand dollars and even some yellowish, translucent quartz crystals in my No. 57 loads. A small size of gravel is probably too ground-up to have many shells, while the larger size could have more chance of quartz and clumps of shells in the limestone.
As of January 2024, the quarry is open from 6 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. weekdays. The last load must be completed and paid for before 4 p.m. Because this is a commercial quarry, I avoid arriving before 7:30 or so, to let the big trucks queue up and head out to whatever construction sites they go.
