Rockhounding: Places to Visit or Collect in Southwestern USA
Places to Visit or Collect in the Southwestern United States
(Re-posted by RTA editors on this Trip Advice Forums by permission from the author.)
These are places I visited or were recommended to me while traveling in the Southwest for my book. I mostly visited rock related places and ground open to collecting.
Weather wise, October may be the best time to travel the Southwest, followed by May.
It is impractical to visit every place you want to go because day after day you will find certain stores, mines, and museums closed.
Traveling Monday through Thursday is especially tough, my advice is to prospect or collect on those days and then try to visit businesses and museums closer to the weekend.
You will have to return to the Southwest to visit places closed on your first travel. I envy you.
Arizona (and one exception in Utah)
James Mitchell’s Gem Trails of Arizona is dated but essential.
Anyone traveling extensively off-pavement in Arizona should get an Arizona State Trust Land Permit. $15.00 for an individual. Rockhounding on Arizona State Trust Land is prohibited but stopping at any point on these lands constitutes a “use” and that use demands a permit. Determining where these properties exists while driving is impractical, most are managed grazing land outside of small towns or settlements. Rather than guess, it may be easier just to get a permit.
Washington County (Utah)
BLM Arizona Strip Office
345 E Riverside Dr.
St. George, UT 84790
435-688-3200
37°04.986' N 113°34.611' W
This office is physically present in Utah but manages Arizona land. They manage the Grand Canyon’s North Rim, a no collecting area, and the Virgin River Recreation Management Area in northwest Arizona, a noted rockhound area. The office has some nice rock and mineral displays.
On my last visit they requested that I fill out a rockhound permit when I asked about collecting areas. This form applied to casual use, not commercial operations which is usually what demands a permit. Many BLM and USFS offices act as their own fiefdoms, drawing up practices and procedures to fit their particular area.
Apache County (St. Johns)
Petrified Forest National Park (Apache and Navajo Counties)
1 Park Road, AZ
928-524-6228
34°48.016' N 109°53.120' W (First Entrance)
34°48.923' N 109°51.941' W (Rainbow Forest Museum)
A must stop with no collecting permitted.
Petrified wood here exhibits brilliant colors of white, red, brown, black, purple, and blue from trace elements. The vast amount of petrified wood here resulted from a logjam of trees which occurred in an ancient river in the Late Triassic Period, some 200 million years ago.
The Painted Desert Inn Visitor Center’s lower floor reveals how the building was constructed with petrified tree logs.
The Petrified Forest National Park stretches north and south between Interstate 40 and Highway 180, with an entrance at each end. Near the south entrance is a fee-dig site for petrified wood. This is the DoBell Ranch, listed further under entries for Navajo County.
The Navajo Nation Museum and Library
Highway 264 and Loop Road
Window Rock, AZ 86515
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 1840
Window Rock, Arizona 86515
928-871-7941
35°39.843' N 109°03.308' W
The Navajo Nation Museum and Library is located in Window Rock, Arizona. Despite its name, the Museum is located in Apache County. This facility has historic jewelry fashioned by native people. Jewelry sold at the gift shop is done by American Indians, some sourced from local and
Southwest material.
Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests
Supervisor’s Office
30 S. Chiricahua Drive
Springerville, AZ 85938
928-333-6280
34°07.912' N 109°16.507' W
Two woodlands managed as a single forest. This East-Central Arizona territory looks like an upside-down “L”. The forest covers parts of Coconino, Navajo, Apache, and Greenlee counties, some 2.76 million acres. These are two Apache-Sitgreaves Ranger Districts in in Apache
County:
Springerville Ranger District
165 S. Mountain Ave.
Springerville, AZ 85938
928-333-6200
34°07.868' N 109°17.261' W
Alpine Ranger District
42634 Hwy. 180/191
Alpine, AZ 85920
928-339-5000
33°50.958' N 109°08.823' W
Cochise County (Bisbee)
Sunshine Gallery and Gifts
1313 North Highway 80
St. David, Arizona, 85630
520-586-4560
31°55.770' N 110°16.865' W
marieluetcke@hughes.net
Destination rock shop, if not for the rocks and minerals, then for Rolf himself. Rolf is a mineral authority with vast personal and professional experience. His fascination with everything rock related began in Germany when he was nine. He knows all about the Bisbee area and
Tombstone. Plan a trip. Tell him Thomas said “Hi” and that I plan on visiting soon.
Bisbee Mining & Historical Museum
No. 5 Copper Queen Plaza
Bisbee, Arizona 85603
520-432-7071
31°26.537' N 109°54.969' W
Bisbee was known as the “Queen of the Copper Camps’. It lies in southeast Arizona, a world class location noted for copper and a variety of other minerals. Occupying a historical mining setting, the museum complex features exhibits and an underground mine tour. Read more about
Bisbee’s copper connection in the August, 2019 edition of Rock&Gem Magazine.
BLM Safford Field Office and BLM New Mexico’s Las Cruces Field Office
711 S 14th Ave.
Safford, AZ 85546
928-348-4400
32°49.926' N 109°43.446' W
BLM’s Safford Field Office manages areas in Cochise, Graham, Greenlee and Pinal, Counties.
Coconino County (Flagstaff)
Grand Canyon National Park
South Rim
Grand Canyon, AZ 86023
928-638-7888
36°03.558' N 112°06.583' W (South Rim Visitor Center)
One of the great natural wonders of the world. A UNESCO World Heritage site. “Unique combinations of geologic color and erosional forms decorate a canyon that is 277 river miles long, up to 18 miles wide, and a mile deep. Grand Canyon overwhelms our senses through its
immense size.” Viewable from sites at both North and South Rims as well as Grand Canyon East and West.
Grand Canyon – Parashant National Monument (North Rim)
Public Lands Information Center
345 East Riverside Drive
St. George, UT 84790
435-688-3200
36°11.958' N 112°03.153' W (North Rim Visitor Center)
The North Rim has many overlooks at the end of challenging, lengthy 4WD roads. Seasonal road closures. No services. Permits required for overnight stays. Inquire at the Public Lands Information Center in St. George, which also doubles as BLM’s Arizona Field Strip District
Office. No collecting allowed. The North Rim visitor center is open May 15th through October 15th.
Museum of Northern Arizona
3101 North Fort Valley Road
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
928-774-5213
35°14.094' N 111°39.934' W
“Celebrating the Colorado Plateau.” A must stop for anyone visiting Flagstaff and beyond. The 1935 building is a beautiful work of art and geology. Its walls are principally malpais basalt fieldstone and its interior courtyard and many paths are lined with native sandstone pavers. A
geology collection of note, with many mineral, rock and meteorite samples.
Downtown Flagstaff
Flagstaff Visitor Center
1 East Route 66
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
928-213-2951
35°11.860' N 111°39.098' W
Walking Tour of Flagstaff’s Downtown Stone Buildings
Self-guided tour. Recommended book: Stone Landmarks: Flagstaff’s Geology and Historic Building Stones by Marie D. Jackson. Piedra Azul Press. 1999. May be available in town at Starrlight Books. Call ahead. 928-774-6813.
Flagstaff’s stone buildings are to that city what Victorians are to San Francisco. Here, a rockhound can look and touch a variety of materials while visiting a colorful and historic downtown. Building stones are all local. They include moenkopi sandstone, malpais basalt, kaibab limestone, and olivine laced basaltic lava. The Babbitt building, a highlight of the walking tour, was built of what Jackson calls pumiceous dacite, “a frothy, silica rich volcanic rock” produced by an explosive eruption from nearby Mount Eden a half a million years ago.
This downtown tour enlarges on the experience one will have at the Museum of Northern Arizona and at the Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. Parking is limited in the downtown district and card-based meters are in effect. The visitor center does provide 30 minutes of free parking, allowing enough time to at least see nearby Leroux Street, which has three buildings featured in the book.
Next up: More from Flagstaff and beyond.
Flagstaff to Safford, Arizona
Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument
6082 Sunset Crater Road (Visitor Center)
Flagstaff, AZ 86004
Mailing Address:
Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument
6400 U.S. 89
Flagstaff, AZ 86004
928-526-0502
35°22.149' N 111°32.610 W (Visitor Center)
“Sunset Crater Volcano was born in a series of eruptions sometime between 1040 and 1100.
Powerful explosions profoundly affected the lives of local people and forever changed the
landscape and ecology of the area. Lava flows and cinders still look as fresh and rugged as the
day they formed. But among dramatic geologic features, you'll find trees, wildflowers, and signs
of wildlife – life returns.”
Meteor Crater, also known as Barringer Crater
Interstate 40
Winslow, AZ 86047
800-289-5898
35°01.633' N 111°01.350' W (Visitor Center)
Five miles off I-40 on Meteor Crater Road, past the RV Park.
Driving Directions
From Flagstaff, AZ: Head east on I-40 about 35 miles. Take the Meteor Crater Road exit (exit
233) and turn right. Drive about five miles to the Visitor Center parking lot.
From Winslow, AZ: Head west on I-40 about 18 miles. Take the Meteor Crater Road exit (exit
233) and turn left. Again, drive about five miles and you will come to the parking lot.
Admission required. Pay whatever they want, it is worth it.
The Meteor Crater may be America’s greatest natural wonder in private hands. Highly
recommended. It is awesome to behold such a sight. While inside viewing is provided behind a
panoramic sheet of glass, the best experience is outdoors in the sun and wind. Walking tours of
the crater’s rim are also available, inquire before visiting. Photographers should bring a tripod in
case they want to take panoramic shots of the crater. Which they will want to do.
The crater’s interior is only viewable from platforms accessed by paying an admission fee at the
Visitor Center. That fee includes entrance to their well-done museum featuring displays about
meteorites and asteroids. There are also exhibits on space, the solar system and comets. A gift
shop also exists, however, be careful about buying any rock labeled as a meteorite or meteorite
related. Demand authenticating paperwork.
The Meteoritical Society, a group of academics, earth science professionals, and enthusiastic
amateurs, prefers to call The Meteor Crater by another name. They use the title Barringer Crater, in honor of Daniel Barringer. He labored for decades to prove that the crater was the result of a meteor and not a volcano.
Gila County (Globe)
Diamond Rim Quartz Collecting Site (USFS) Near Payson
Diamond Rim is near Payson in the Tonto National Forest. It is located on the Tonto National
Forest Map, but the best way to get there is to collect directions from multiple sources.
Get to Tonto Village before going further. Diamond Rim is on USFS Road 65, but the access
road to 65 goes by many names: Forest Road 64, Fire Control Road, Control Road, and Tonto
Village Road. When they are open, the Payson USFS Ranger District Office in Payson may help
with directions. The Tonto National Forest produced by the USFS is comically big, nearly four
feet wide, but invaluable.
Collecting rules are posted at the site. Surface collecting only for most of the year. Digging is
allowed from October 1st until February 28th, when the ground is often snow-covered.
Mindat.org supplied coordinate:
34°17.250' N 111°11.533' W
USFS Payson Ranger District
1009 E. Hwy 260
Payson, Arizona 85541
928-474-7900
34°14.538' N 111°18.361' W
Gila County Historical Museum
1330 North Broad Street
Globe, AZ 85501
928-425-7385
33°24.592' N 110°47.720' W
“The Gila County Museum is in the old Mine Rescue Station, which was opened in 1920. As
you walk through the Museum you will experience the workings of the Mine Rescue Station.
From photographs to equipment, it is on display.”
Crick’s Gems and Minerals
549 W Ash Street
Globe, AZ 85501
928-425-8217
33°23.406' N -110°47.270' W
Peridot Dreams
Stevie Joey
P.O. Box 539
Peridot, AZ 85542
33°21.064' N 110°27.591' W
peridotdreams.sj@gmail.com
Apache tribal member Stevie Joey’s has peridot claims on the San Carlos Reservation. Peridot is
also known as gem grade olivine, a green stone thrown out of the earth by ancient tectonic
activity. The coordinates listed mark San Carlos, not the claims themselves. Contact Stevie
through his website to arrange a visit. He also sells beautiful jewelry as well as rough stones and
cabs. Be patient when corresponding, he may be traveling to shows or working hard at his claim.
The town of Peridot is in southeastern Gila County and northwestern Graham County.
“Take stones and ashes and thorns, with some scorpions and rattlesnakes thrown it, dump the
outfit on stones, heat the stones red hot, set the United States Army after the Apache, and you
have San Carlos.” An unknown Apache of the time.
Graham County (Safford)
Peridot Dream Claims. See Gila County
Eastern Arizona Museum & Historical Society of Graham County, Inc.
2 North Main
Pima, AZ 85543
928-485-9400
928-485-3032 (Alternative number)
A small but notable display of rocks, minerals, and ore. Open limited days.
Black Hills Rock Hound Area — BLM managed
Black Hills Rock Hound Area lies 17 miles north of Safford in the northern part of the Peloncillo
Mountains. These mountains span Cochise, Graham and Greenlee Counties.
32°52.438' N 109°23.697' W
BLM’s Safford Field Office manages areas in Cochise, Graham, Greenlee, and Pinal Counties.
See their contact information under the Cochise County entry.
Greenlee County (Clifton)
Greenlee Historical Museum
299 Chase Creek
Clifton, AZ 85533
928-865-3115
33°03.368' N 109°18.257' W
Early mining. Museum located in the Chase Creek Historical District.
Rock-A-Buy: Rocks and Gifts
809 SE Old West Highway
Duncan, AZ 85534
928-215-1641
32°42.791' N 109°05.921' W
Doug Barlow is the affable owner of this east-central Arizona rock shop. Fire agate is the big
draw in this area and Doug will show you samples of what to look for. He will even provide a
map of promising locations for anyone who comes into his shop and signs his guest book. The
nearby Round Mountain Rockhound Area, listed below, is close and Doug has advice for anyone
heading out. Ask, too, about Black Hills, another BLM rockhounding area. Call to make certain
Barlow’s shop will be open when you visit. He’s a great guy. He gave me a piece of calcite he
had named the “The Volcano.” Gifted it, mind you. It glows beautifully under short wave. I
treasure that piece.
Round Mountain Rockhound Area — BLM managed
BLM: 32°32.632' N 109°05.389' W
Google Maps: 32°28.593' N 109°04.528' W
BLM directions: “From Highway 70 east of Safford approximately 50 miles, travel into New
Mexico to just beyond milepost 5. Take the dirt access road on your right for 12 miles, following
the signs to the Rockhound Area.”
BLM’s Safford Field Office manages areas in Cochise, Graham, Greenlee, and Pinal Counties.
See their contact information under the Cochise County entry.
More to come...
Parker, Quartzite, Phoenix, Chandler, Mesa and area
La Paz County (Parker)
Bouse Assay Office and Museum
44362 East Main Street
Bouse, AZ 85325
928-851-2509
33°56.001' N 114°00.188' W
“There is a very small historical museum in Bouse that used to be the Assay Office and has rocks as well as mining items.” Diane Hilliard.
Quartzsite
Quartzsite comes alive in winter. January sees a gathering of rock, gem, and mineral collectors
and sellers from all over the world. I’ve written about this extensively at my blog. See you there in January.
Quartzsite Museum
161 West Main St
Quartzsite, AZ 85346
928-927-5229
33°39.971' N 114°13.182' W
Located in the Tysons Well Stage Station. Mining artifacts, assay office. Seasonal hours.
Hardies Beads & Jewelry
1250 W. Main St
Quartzsite, AZ 85346
928-927-6381
33°39.754' N 114°14.256' W
Outstanding rock, gem, and mineral collection on display. Most material collected locally. Not
many rocks for sale, mostly things bead related. A Quartzsite institution. Seasonal hours.
Maricopa County (Phoenix)
Deer Valley Petroglyph Preserve Center for Archaeology and Society
3711 W. Deer Valley Road
Phoenix, AZ 85308
623-582-8007
33°40.648 N 112°09.156' W
Rock art! “The Deer Valley Petroglyph Preserve is an archaeology museum and 47-acre Sonoran
Desert preserve, and home to the largest concentration of Native American petroglyphs in the
Phoenix area.” Fee charged.
Huhugam Heritage Center
21359 South Maricopa Road
Chandler, AZ 85226
520-796-3500
33°15.250' N 111°58.426' W
Natural history museum with AZ collections. “In the Ancestral Lands exhibit see the master
work of our Huhugam ancestors: pottery, jewelry, carved stone bowls and tools.”
Four Peaks Mining Company
9500 E Via De Ventura, Suite D-110
Scottsdale AZ 85256
480-434-6074
Retail, high end store. Amethyst mine owners.
33°33.355' N 111°52.621' W
Arizona Museum of Natural History
53 North Macdonald
Mesa, AZ 85201
480-644-2230
33°25.476' N 111°50.034' W
Special geology collections viewable by appointment, among them an Arizona Mine Collection,
featuring mines primarily within a fifty-mile radius of Mesa. Museum as a whole excellent for
children. Fee charged.
Arizona State University
Interdisciplinary Science & Technology Building IV
781 S Terrace Rd, Tempe, AZ 85287
480-965-5081
33°25.095' N 111°55.703' W
Arizona State University R. S. Dietz Museum of Geology — no longer operating
An internet search for Arizona geology museums returns dozens of references to the R. S. Dietz
Museum of Geology at ASU which no longer exists. Its collection is mostly in storage.
Karin Valentine, Media Relations and Marketing Manager for Arizona State University, explains
that while they are considering what to do with the collection, “Some pieces are on display in
ISTB4 and in some of our other facilities, and we are working on displaying some of the rest in
the newly renovated Bateman Physical Science Building F-wing. We hope to have much of the
collection together again on display. We do have geology and planetary science exhibits
available in ISTB4.”
Saddle Mountain — Dispersed BLM camping area and Collecting Site
Unless otherwise prohibited, BLM permits camping on much of their managed land in the
Southwest. Saddle Mountain is a dispersed camping area, allowing stays of up to 14 days for no
fee. It is popular with Snowbirds who camp their RVs on the flat desert in spring to enjoy the
mountain backed setting.
Saddle Mountain’s popularity rest with rockhounds who for decades have found fire agate
“rough” to a greater or lesser degree. Its accessibility to nearly any kind of vehicle adds to its
reputation, as comfortable camping near any productive ground is rare. An extended stay lets a
rockhound put in the hours necessary to find something.
Numerous web pages and YouTube videos exist about Saddle Mountain. This is one.
YouTube has videos from both the RV and rockhound point of view. Look for key words like
these on YouTube: Saddle Mountain / BLM Dispersed Camping / Tonopah AZ. /fire agate
Saddle Mountain.
Mitchell’s Gem Trails of Arizona contains specific road directions to Saddle Mountain.
BLM Phoenix District Office
21605 North 7th Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85027
623-580-5500
33°29.471' N 112°05.002' W
The Phoenix District Office is composed of two Field Offices. One is the Lower Sonoran Field
Office, covering a significant part of Maricopa County, including Saddle Mountain. The other is
the Hassayampa Field Office, which manages almost one million acres north of Interstate 10.
Tonto National Forest
Supervisor’s Office – No public services
2324 E. McDowell Rd.
Phoenix, AZ 85006
602-225-5200
Cave Creek Ranger District
40202 N. Cave Creek Rd.
Scottsdale, AZ 85262
480-595-3300
33°50.940' N 111°50.118' W
Mesa Ranger District
5140 E. Ingram St.
Mesa, AZ 85205
480-610-3300
33°26.965' N 111°43.268' W
38 mineral districts were established over the years in the Tonto Basin. Mines recovered
everything from lead to gold. Many other commodities were pulled from the Tonto’s heavily
mineralized ground. The Tonto NF includes the Diamond Rim Quartz Collecting Site near
Payson in Globe County.
Next up: More from Kingman and beyond.
Chloride, Kingman, Petrified Wood and more
Mohave County (Kingman)
Chloride
Elkhart Avenue
Chloride, Arizona 86431
Contact the museum through:
Chloride Chamber of Commerce
PO Box 268
Chloride, Arizona 86431
928-565-9777
35°24.835' N 114°11.968' W (Near center of town)
A onetime silver mining camp in Mohave County, Arizona, Chloride is considered the oldest
continuously inhabited mining town in the state. It’s somewhat confusing to drive the backstreets of the city as land ownership is uncertain to visitors. Nearby ground is well claimed, research before going.
Merle Anderson, Chamber of Commerce Secretary, says that, “We do have some rocks and
minerals on display in our museum, but we are a very small museum, so only have a few. Many
specimens are available in our area by ATV though, and lots of rock and mineral buffs come
here and go exploring in the desert to find them, especially since we are surrounded by BLM
land. There are many old mines in the area accessible by ATV, and the Kingman Turquoise
Mine (not accessible to the public) is right up the road with a very nice shop where they sell the
turquoise. Chloride is a fantastic place to mention for rocks and minerals. Our town is a
veritable museum of old mining equipment, and history in itself. Chloride was specifically
formed because of the ‘rocks’ in the immediate area. So, you can see, that one can get much
more here in Chloride than just a look at rocks and minerals.”
Seasonal hours.
Mohave Museum
400 West Beale Street (Extremely close to Historic Route 66)
Kingman, AZ 86401
928-753-3195
35°11.423' N 114°03.694' W
This museum is all about Mohave County. In Arizona, Mohave is spelled here with an “H,”
whereas in neighboring California, it is most often spelled with a “J.” The museum has a number
of rock and gem displays featuring local materials. An especially nice case features turquoise
carvings commissioned by S.A. Colbaugh and his wife. Colbaugh founded Colbaugh Processing,
still in business, their material Kingman turquoise. The museum has a terrific railroad caboose in
back without “Keep Off” signs.
BLM Kingman Field Office
2755 Mission Boulevard
Kingman, AZ 86401
928-718-3700
35°11.394' N 114°00.864' W
The BLM Kingman Field Office is part of the BLM Colorado River District. it manages the
Burro Creek Campground and surrounding BLM land, including the Burro Creek Wilderness
Area.
Questa Fire Agate Mine
Don Nelson
9049 (Old Route 66) West Oatman Highway
Golden Valley, AZ 86413
35°02.241' N 114°20.539' W
These coordinates locate the rugged dirt driveway to Don Nelson’s private property. From his
land he directs rockhounds to his nearby claims. Take the driveway for a few hundred yards until it forks. Bear right. No trailers or RVs should go down that road. Little turn around room exists at his house where people receive an orientation and pay their fee. Open year round but it is vital to call first to make arrangements. Nelson’s driveway is easy to find if coming from Kingman. It’s just a few miles from the store at Cool Springs, a Route 66 landmark.
If coming from Laughlin, on the other side of the hill, head south to Boundary Cone Road. Take
that road which eventually hooks up with the Oatman Highway. Using only the physical street
address for Nelson’s driveway may lead to complete confusion for any navigation device when
coming from the west. The area approaching Oatman lacks cell coverage and most smartphone
navigating apps will stop working. Use GPS coordinates instead with a dedicated nav unit. A
hardcopy atlas or road map is also helpful, unfortunately, most are too big in scale to show
smaller roads like Boundary Cone. Do not take any off-pavement roads to the claim area.
Back to the fire agates. They are a type of chalcedony, broadly speaking, quartz. At this location
they are found within rhyolite, the matrix or host rock. And there is hard clay all around. A
rockhound generally searches for large pieces of rock which might contain a fire agate. At the
bench, a collector must cut away the matrix toward a promising bit of calcedony. The hope is
that their stone will eventually reveal a display of colors or fire. This gemstone, therefore, does
not come out of the ground fully presented. Instead, it takes a talented lapidarist to bring out the stone’s beauty. Rough pieces, however, have a charm and beauty by themselves and many are left uncarved because of that. Their bubbly shape is called botryoidal.
Don Nelson is an engaging personality, delighted to explain all about fire agates and the long
history of the claims. He and a helping miner named Al, usually work side by side with
rockhounds to coach them on the best way to recover the agate. At the time this author visited,
work centered around a specific hole that had been dug by hand over the last two years. There
was no need to wander the claims, looking for a promising spot. That spot had already been
found. Nelson also sells rough and finished material. Bring cash in small bills, for any purchase
or the dig fee.
The United States Geological Survey reports that, “Arizona is the only State currently to have
commercial production of fire agate. Fire agate is a form of chalcedony which contains inclusion
of iron oxides that result in a play of colors much like that of precious opal. Eleven operations in
Arizona report either commercial production of fire agate or dig-for-fee production. The material
is produced in Graham, Greenlee, Maricopa, Mohave, and Yuma Counties.”
Burro Creek Recreation Site
Burro Creek Campground
Burro Creek Campground Road
34°32.163' N 113°27.112' W Coordinates for BLM campground
34°32.02667' N 113°25.935 W Coordinates for preferred intersection of Burro Creek
Campground Road and Highway 93
BLM’s Burro Creek Recreation Site, known to rockhounds as Burro Creek, is frequented mostly
for agates. It is approximately 60 miles northwest of Wickenburg. Wikeiup is Burro Creek’s
nearest town, with gasoline and limited supplies available. Rock and Gem Clubs from as far as
Utah make field trips to Burro Creek, sometimes each year. It is a beautiful area.
For your first visit, go with a group to find the best spots. People camp at BLM’s Burro Creek
Campground since there are no local hotels. Fee charged. Most collecting is done on the other
side of Highway 93. Consult Gem Trails of Arizona if nothing else.
The Kingman Field Office manages the area as well as the nearby Upper Burro Creek
Wilderness Area. Inquire about the group campground of somewhat small size. A nasty barbed wire fence encloses the campground, a few fence breaks allow creek access.
Navajo County
Jim Gray’s Petrified Wood Company
147 Highway 180
Holbrook, AZ 86025
928-524-1842
34°53.433' N 110°09.581' W
Self-billed as the largest rock shop in the world, this store may qualify as such. Located on the
way to the Petrified Forest National Park, the outside rock yard contains tons of petrified wood, a veritable forest of its own. Inside, polished pieces present themselves in all forms, from table
tops to book ends.
DoBell’s Curios/Rhonda's Petrified Wood Dig at Dobell Ranch
P.O. Box 691
9274 Highway 180
Holbrook, AZ 86025
34°47.521' N 109°53.611' W
Facebook: Search for “Rhonda’s Petrified Wood-dig at Dobell-Ranch”
Rhonda DoBell operates this petrified wood fee-dig operation. The driveway is right before the
road to the south entrance of the Petrified Forest National Park, 19 miles from Holbrook. The
rockhound is close if the Petrified Forest Gift Shop is in view.
The dig site is three miles from the house with the highway signboard. Call Rhonda when you
get to the signboard or before. The operators may be at the dig.
928-245-9010
928-524-2628
928-241-0260
Crystal Forest Museum and Gifts
Highway 180
Holbrook, AZ 86025
928-524-3500
34°47.530' N 109°53.476' W
You can’t miss this shop. Its sign must be a hundred feet across. It’s at the corner of Highway
180 and Petrified Forest Road.
Petrified Forest Gift Shop
6492 Petrified Forest Road
Holbrook, AZ 86025
928-524-3470
34°47.586' N 109°53.545' W
Another gift shop on the way to the National Park.
Pima County (Tucson)
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
2021 North Kinney Road
Tucson AZ 85743
520-883-2702
32°14.692' N 111°09.986' W
Major natural history museum and accompanying grounds. Holds kid’s programs. “We have an
extensive Sonoran Desert region gem, mineral, and fossil collection totaling 14,095 catalogued
specimens, some of which are on display at the Earth Sciences Center. Our relatively new
vertebrate paleontology collection contains the first and only significant dinosaur skeleton from
Southern Arizona.”
The University of Arizona Gem and Mineral Museum
Old Pima County Courthouse
115 North Church Ave
Tucson, AZ 85701
520-621-7743
32°13.407' N 110°58.522' W
World-wide collection but emphasizes Arizona and Mexico minerals. Meteorites. “The University of Arizona Gem & Mineral Museum is dedicated to providing public education
and the preservation of minerals and meteorites while also serving the research needs of
professionals, students and collectors. The collection is world-wide in scope, but with specific
emphasis on minerals from Arizona and Mexico.”
The Coronado National Forest
Supervisor's Office
300 W. Congress St.
Tucson, AZ 85701
520-388-8300
32°13.333' N 110°58.546' W
Vast national forest in many parts. 1.78 million acres across the mountains of southeastern
Arizona and southwestern New Mexico.
The Asarco Mineral Discovery Center
1421 West Pima Mine Road
Sahuarita, AZ 85629
520-625-8233
31°59.883' N 110°59.737 W
Large open-pit copper mine tour. Small fee charged. Visitor center is free, includes excellent
exhibits on copper recovery and copper mineral examples. Great place to visit in February if in
Tucson for the shows. Call ahead for reservations. 15 miles south of Tucson. The nearby Desert
Diamond Casino has bathrooms and food.
Arrive an hour before a tour begins to allow time to visit the gift shop, exhibits, and outdoor
garden which is arrayed with mining equipment. The Visitor Center has impressive copper
mineral displays and short movies explaining the mining and milling process. The gift shop may
have copper ore rough from the mine for sale.
Take a telephoto lens for shooting the maneuverings of distant haul trucks. Overlook positions
have fence openings that allow photography. With the quick pace of the tour, a monopod is the
fastest way to set up.
Arizona’s official motto is “The Copper State” and mines like this power that statement. The
mine processes tons of so-called overburden to recover minute amounts of copper and other
minerals. But that amount adds up quickly with fleets of haul trucks carrying 240 tons or 340
tons of material at a time. One ton of ore eventually produces 13 pounds of copper. 189 tons of
ore concentrate leaves the Mission Mine every day for ASARCO’s smelter in Hayden, Arizona.
It then goes to their Amarillo, Texas refinery. The pit area from which all of this comes
represents what’s known as the Mission ore body.
The Mission ore body originated from volcanic and tectonic activity 60 to 100 million years ago.
Metal-bearing fluid expelled from cooling magma pushed up from the earth's interior, leaving
the present ground rich in sulfide minerals. Sometimes called a skarn deposit, the dominant
mineral is chalcopyrite, the chief ore of copper. It is finely disseminated through the rocks of the
complex, which include argillite, arkosite, quartzite, and limestone. To the author’s eye, it
looked like a bottomless pit of caliche and alluvium. Other minerals found here include galena,
pyrite, silver, molybdenite, and sphalerite. Precious metals tend to follow copper through
flotation recovery and eventual smelting. This can contribute significantly to a mine’s revenue.
Indeed, in 2016, the Mission Mine produced 1.3 million ounces of silver.
Upon leaving, make sure to pick up the pamphlet at the visitor center entitled “Your Visit to
ASARCO GRUPO MEXICO Mineral Discovery Center.” $4.00.
Next up: More from Florence and beyond.
Finishing up Arizona (Florence, Jerome, Nogales and Yuma)
Pinal County (Florence)
BLM’s Safford Field Office manages areas in Cochise, Graham, Greenlee, and Pinal Counties.
See their contact information under the Cochise County entry.
Santa Cruz County (Nogales)
Pimeria Alta Historical Society and Museum
136 North Grand Avenue
Nogales, Arizona 85621
520-287-4621
Duquesne Ghost Town Area
Duquesne, Arizona serves as the central point for any fee/dig activities that might occur in this
long-closed area. Green garnets, milky quartz crystals, secondary copper minerals and
outcroppings of Japan Law twins are noted here.
Schwartz Fine Minerals has been trying to arrange fee digs in Duquesne. Contact them through
their website or through their Facebook page. They respond by FB Messenger. Or call Rick and Jill Pitrone at 520-860-0219. Even if digs have been cancelled, we should thank these people for
trying to arrange them.
Yavapai County (Prescott)
Jerome Historical Society Mine Museum
200 Main Street
Jerome, AZ 86331
928-634-5381
34°45.057' N 112°07.093' W
The Douglas Mansion has been a landmark in Jerome since 1916 when James S. Douglas built it on the hill above the Little Daisy Mine. This converted home presents Jerome area history along with photographs, artifacts, and minerals.
Yuma County (Yuma)
Castle Dome Museum
Castle Dome Road
Yuma, AZ
928-920-3062
33°02.807' N 114°10.679' W
Museum with a ghost town setting that preserves Castle Dome City’s history. Associated with the Hull Mine. The Hull Mine has an outstanding fluorescent wall, a natural occurrence of fluorescent minerals. Book ahead for mine tours.
Fee charged. Seasonal hours. Call first.
BLM Yuma Field Office
7341 E 30th St.
Yuma, AZ 85365
928-317-3200
32°40.408' N 114°30.426' W
Manages campsites near Quartzsite, variously called Dome Rock Road and Dome Rock Mountain. The Dome Rock Mountain Camping Area allows 14-day stays.
Next up: California and beyond.
Northern and Central (western) California
California
This section lists important fee digs, open collecting ground, and various rock related sites and
attractions in California. Otie Braden’s Gem Trails of Southern California is an essential
accompaniment, along with Rockhound Barstow by Justin Zzyzx. (Both first and second
editions) As with all collecting spots, even those mentioned below, proceed with care. Leave
gates as found, respect claim markers, keep off tribal land, and diligently work to avoid private
property.
Inyo County
Nopah Range Wilderness Area and South Nopah Range Wilderness Area
Trilobite collecting site and general exploration area
Tecopa Road /Old Spanish Trail
35°53.070' N 116°03.881' W —Roadcuts for trilobite
Roadcuts here on the Old Spanish Trail Highway yield partial trilobite specimens. The
coordinates above fix on the parking area for the site, essentially a wide road pullout. The
Highway is also known as the Tecopa Road and the area itself is southwest of Pahrump, Nevada.
Digging locations in the shale are obvious as the area has been worked for decades. Brick
hammer recommended as always for splitting shale. Handsome country, the area returns beauty
and tranquility if not a complete bug. Blue colored lichen on some rocks.
This highway marks the dividing line between these two similarly named Wilderness Areas. As
these areas allow casual collecting, day hiking and wandering from the highway may reward
rockhounding. The Nopah are marine mountains, mostly limestone, shale, a little slate, much
quartzite. BLM’s Barstow Field Office manages these WAs.
Kern County (Bakersfield)
Fee/Dig: Bakersfield area fossils
The Ernst Quarries
Round Mountain Road
Bakersfield, CA 93308
Directions at their website, no street address for the gathering point
661-319-7800
35°26.779' N 118°53.924' W
The coordinates above are for the staging area but do not rely upon them. They were not
provided by the operator of the quarries. I took them at the meeting point. Follow the complete
driving directions at their website.
“The Ernst Quarries, located near Sharktooth Hill, California, are home of the largest deposit of
Miocene marine fossils in the world. The property sprawls over 260 acres and comprises three
distinct quarries. Each quarry yields fossil specimens of various colors and varieties. Together,
they offer a unique natural history experience not found anywhere else.”
This 150-million-year old collecting site is a fascinating visit. Shark teeth are the big draw and in
small sizes are plentiful to collect off the ground with patient looking. Larger sizes require
digging and screening. The dig site is in isolated hills, so bring everything needed for the day:
food, water, sunscreen, gloves, and so on. Not open after big rains or in the summer. Late April
or early May maybe the driest months but there is no guaranteeing the weather.
Jeff Ernst is the gracious guide and thoughtful owner of the quarries. He provides frequent
updates on his website about hill conditions and if a dig will proceed on schedule. Visitor
signups are through his website. Bring cash or a check to the staging area. Download the
information package beforehand and fill out the release form before arrival. This is very
important for visitors coming from long distances who may not have a printer at their hotel.
There are alabaster or gypsum rocks on the hill and selenite crystals, also in rock form. Ask Jeff
if you can go poking around. Look, too, for marine vertebrae when you dig, not just shark teeth.
On my visit I picked two off the ground without digging. Jeff said they could belong to anything
from a junior whale to a sea lion, the identity now lost to time. Interestingly, he said that close
examination of anything like this material eventually reveals tooth marks. It was not an easy life
in the ancient seas.
In case of a rainout, a rockhound can see pieces from the quarries by visiting the Buena Vista
Museum of Natural History and Science in Bakersfield. Visiting before a dig is an excellent way
to get oriented. The museum is at 2018 Chester Ave. Bakersfield, CA 93301.
Desert Discoveries Rock Shop
12131 Boron Ave
Boron, CA 93516
760-762-6861
35°00.076' N 117°39.003' W
A must-stop rock shop, especially before or after visiting the nearby Rio Tinto Borax Mine.
Located off State Route 58 between Barstow and Bakersfield, this shop in Boron always has a
good selection of desert minerals and local advice. The 20 Mule Museum is nearby in case the
rock shop is closed. Call ahead as the proprietor is often off rockhounding. You can’t expect
small businesses like this to stay open every when only two or three people might stop in.
The Rio Tinto Borax Mine
14486 Borax Rd (Headquarters’ Office, not open to the public)
Boron, CA 93516
Visitor Center
760-762-7588
35°01.805' N 117°41.245' W
Borax and related mineral mining goes on near Boron at the largest open pit mine in California.
Great views from the free Visitor Center. The parking lot has room for RVs, trailers, and buses.
No plant or mine tours but good photography possible from the overlooks. Bring a tripod for
panorama shots.
The visitor center has wonderful displays of desert minerals commonly extracted from the mine.
These include colemanite, ulexite, kernite, and borax. Free postcards with samples of these
minerals attached are available. These materials may be available in bigger sizes from piles at the far end of the visitor center parking lot. Selection varies throughout the year. No food available at the center but water and bathrooms are provided.
A Center highlight is a life-size fiberglass twenty-mule team in harness. A perfect background
for pictures with mules that will never bite or kick.
Leave State Route 58 at exit 196 west of Boron. From the freeway, head north on Borax Road
for three miles. The visitor center is high on a hill. Drive past the unattended guard shack at the
facility’s main entrance and continue on an unpaved road up the hill.
Randsburg
Rand Desert Museum
161 Butte Avehttp://www.randdesertmuseum.com
Randsburg, CA 93554
760-371-0965
35°22.080' N 117°39.323' W
Editor, Historian, Lay Curator: J. Bart Parker
Only 22 miles from Ridgecrest, this living ghost town makes an interesting stop when their
stores and attractions are open. Do not arrive too early in the morning. The Rand Desert Museum is manned by volunteers and only open on weekend unless other arrangements are made. Mining history is a main focus.
“A visit to Randsburg, California is a visit to the past, when the mining camps of the Mojave
were boomtowns and gold was being dug out of the hills. The community has survived the many
perils the desert mining camps faced, and some of its residents still work the land for its hidden
riches. It is a living ghost town, a working mining town that likes having some — but not too
much — company. There are no stoplights, gas stations or malls here; just an unpretentious,
quiet little town that enjoys its place in desert history.” Len Wilcox, DesertUSA
Open weekends. Call ahead.
Minerals Unlimited
127 N Downs Street
Ridgecrest, CA 93555
760-375-5279
35°37.425' N 117°41.271'
Next to a Salvation Army thrift shop sits one of the finest rock and mineral stores in the
Southwest. It’s operated for seventy years and has a great selection of minerals inside and plenty of rough outside. I have developed most of my rare earth mineral reference collection from this store.
A rockhound or collector can check the store’s website but a visit is best. It makes a great stop
when visiting either the Kern River Canyon Area or when going toward Death Valley. It is a
treat meeting Wendi, the woman owner and operator. Call her Ace. But telephone first.
Bureau of Land Management
Ridgecrest Field Office
300 S Richmond Road
Ridgecrest, CA 93555
760-384-5400
35°37.103' N 117°38.858' W
Manages a wide swath of land in Kern and Inyo County, including much in the Highway 178
corridor.
Highway 178 Kern County/Inyo County
This highway corridor is a treat in spring and fall, although summer weather is good at its higher
elevations. The highway runs through a mix of the Sequoia National Forest, BLM managed
lands, and private holdings. Quite a bit through the Kern River Canyon. Good rockhounding
opportunities on both USFS and BLM lands. Respect claims if noted.
Roadcuts are amazing throughout the area. You might think you are looking at granite with black looking splotches. You’re most probably looking at granodiorite with inclusions called xenoliths.
After randomly pulling over by the side of the road, I came up with a rock that when broken
revealed black tourmaline, known as schroll. Not gem quality, but it was tourmaline and it was
now mine. Toward Bakersfield is the Kern River Uranium Area, whose boundaries can be
looked up online. Having a roadside geology book for this area is an excellent thought, although
just looking around and exploring is extremely worthwhile. No heavy commercial truck traffic,
although two or three of these vehicles might be encountered in an hour.
The Kern river is popular for swimming and rafting and it routinely kills people.
Maturango Museum
100 East Las Flores Ave
Ridgecrest, CA 93555
760-375-6900
35°37.848' N 117°40.158' W
Guided tours go in spring and fall from Ridgecrest to visit Little Petroglyph Canyon. The
Museum is the only group that can arrange accessed. At Little Petroglyph, rock art images by the thousands were etched into canyon walls and boulders by native people long ago. The canyon is on the property of the China Lake Naval Air Station. The NAS suffered considerable damage in a recent earthquake and may not be currently allowing visitors. Call or look online for current information on this bucket list tour.
Riverside County (Riverside)
Wiley's Well Campground
33°29.610' N 114°53.286' W
Newly renovated by BLM, Wiley's Well Campground sits in the lower Colorado Desert in
eastern Riverside County. The Hauser Geode Beds, if they still exist, and the now closed Opal
Hill Fire Agate Mine are in the vicinity by way of 4WD roads. Many trails and areas to collect
are here along with the Bradshaw Trail National Scenic Byway.
Nearest intersection is Wiley's Well Road and the Bradshaw Trail. Administered by the Palm
Springs South Coast Field Office. Proceed with caution using the Owlshead website described
under San Bernardino County.
Bureau of Land Management
Palm Springs South Coast Field Office
1201 Bird Center Drive
Palm Springs, CA 92262
760-833-7100
33°50.414' N 116°30.318' W
San Bernardino County (San Bernardino)
San Bernardino County is the largest county in the United States. It incorporates the western end of the Mojave Desert whose total area covers 47,000 square miles. Two major highways run east and west across it.
I-15 connects Los Angeles to Las Vegas and beyond. I-40 starts in Barstow, then goes 155 miles
through California’s Mojave Desert to Needles, California. It then crosses into Arizona and
eventually winds up in North Carolina. I-40 parallels much of old Route 66. It is from these two
highways that most rockhounding trips begin.
Desert driving in California and elsewhere is always full of surprises, especially in navigating.
California’s BLM offers assistance by contributing to this website.
The site above tries showing every California BLM road and trail but their suggested routes are
deceptively simple. The many twists, turns, and hazards of desert roads are not well represented.
Take multiple copies of maps or electronic navigation aids when going off-pavement. Be ready
for washouts, hardpacked dirt roads turning into sand bogs, non-existent signposts, illegal gates, closed roads without any indication of same, and on and on. This website will surely improve but for right now, check multiple maps.
San Bernardino
Valley Prospectors of San Bernardino, Inc. ,
1729 East Base Line Rd.
San Bernardino, CA 92410
34°07.280' N 117°14.978'
Known as Valley Prospectors, this well-respected non-profit has been in operation for decades.
They have multiple claims in different areas, including northern ground near Downieville in
Sierra County. The address above is for club meetings. Join.
Afton Canyon – Collecting area 27 miles west of Baker
BLM’s Afton Canyon Campground
35°02.346' N 116°22.971' W
The Afton Canyon area is open to rockhounding. Jaspers, agates and such. BLM’s campground
is a few miles off I-15 from the Afton Road exit. The Mojave River there is usually dry enough
to walk across. The road descending to the main campground can get blown out by rain. The
group campground on top of the hill is always accessible. Check with BLM’s Barstow office for
road conditions. Rockhound Barstow contains more information on Afton Canyon and
surrounding areas.
Barstow
Bureau of Land Management
Barstow Field Office
2601 Barstow Road
Barstow, CA 92311
760-252-6000
34°52.363' N 117°01.240' W
The Desert Discovery Center
831 Barstow Rd
Barstow, CA 92311
760-252-6060
34°53.468' N 117°01.330' W
Cooperative venture by several agencies to present information about California desert life. Free
admission. Hands on viewing of the Old Woman Meteorite, second largest meteorite in the
United States. It weighed 6,070 pounds when discovered in 1975 in San Bernardino County. A
block away is the Mojave River Valley Museum, featuring mineral and rock displays.
Mojave River Valley Museum
270 E. Virginia Way
Barstow, CA 92311
760-256-5452
34°53.284' N 117°01.561' W
Free admission to a great museum. A long block from the Desert Discovery Center. San
Bernardino County history, including mining and local geology.
Diamond Pacific Tool Corporation
2620 W. Main Street
Barstow, CA 92311
1-800-253-2954
34°53.13167' N 117°04.76167' W
Lapidary equipment manufacturer and rock shop. Anyone who has made a cab knows the name
Diamond Pacific. Their machines are now sold in over fifty countries and they still come from
this one factory. Their rock shop features a good selection of local rough, slabs, and some
finished stones. Topo maps. Source for buying Rockhound Barstow, the only book for collecting the Mohave anywhere near Barstow or farther out into the Mojave. That book is described below. But, first, more about Diamond Pacific.
“We welcome you to visit our retail store. Retail shop hours vary, please call for current
information. Closed on holidays and Saturday preceding Monday holiday. Please call to verify
Saturday hours.” Plant tours may be available. Call first. Go early in the day, they shut down
close to three or four unless they know someone is coming.
With luck you may meet Bill Depue, Founder and President of Diamond Pacific. He founded the
company in 1973 and they have been in continuous operation ever since. In good times and bad,under Bill's management, they have never missed a payroll.
Bill began rockhounding before he was ten and can talk authoritatively on all aspects of Mojave
rocks and stones in general. He works up cabs to this day. But never using a template. When I
last visited, I was running late and yet they held the store open for me. Though I had been in
before, I hadn’t met Mr. Depue, who was waiting for me behind the counter and gave me a great price on an agate slab. As well as a tour of the facility.
Book:
Rockhound Barstow 2nd Edition
Justin Zzyzx, illustrated by Brandy Zzyzx
The best collecting guide to California’s Mojave Desert. Available at certain rock shops or at
Amazon, which offers a Kindle book option. Get it before traveling anywhere in the Mojave
from Hesperia to Baker and beyond. Nothing in this book can possibly better describe the
Mojave than Rockhound Barstow. If you can, hunt out the first edition as well.
Big Bear
Gems of the West Rock Shop
40847 Big Bear Boulevard
Big Bear Lake, CA 92315
908-878-0415
34°14.618' N 116°54.640' W
Not visited but intriguing and certainly worth a stop. Just a few miles from San Bernardino itself.
Mojave Trails National Monument
Near Amboy, California.
Located between Barstow and Needles along Route 66, this 1.6-million-acre National Monument
features everything from rough-hewn mountains to sand dunes and even lava flows. Includes a
350,000-acre Wilderness Area within its borders. BLM managed. Rockhounding allowed. No
visitor center.
Amboy Crater is the Monument’s most prominent feature, with no collecting permitted at the
actual site. Parking lot and trailhead are at the end of Crater Road, accessed by Highway 95.
A caution in this area. At least one rest area has water but it is not potable. Make sure to always
have enough water whenever going into the desert, even if you are simply touring by day in a
car.
Parking lot coordinates are approximate:
34°33.441' N 115°46.866' W
BLM Marble Mountain Fossil Bed Collecting Site
34°31.572' N 115°28.401' W — Center of area
34°31.511' N 115°29.453' W — Marble Mountain campground
The Marble Mountain Fossil Beds lie in a 60-feet thick shale formation which dates back over
550 million years. Trilobites are said to be numerous but whether a full bug can be had is
questionable.
Jim Boone’s site, BirdandHike.com, has the best map to this area. He calls the site the Cadiz Trilobite Quarry.
Chambless Rock Collecting Area
Chambless lies at the southern boundary of the Trilobite Wilderness. Hematite and magnetite
may be found there, in the reddish dirt or tailings near abandoned mine entrances. Green epidote might be located in washes. Small garnets and some epidote reported in nearby canyons. Fossils possible in a gray ridge of limestone in the area.
Once again, BirdandHike.com has the best map to Chambless, with GPS coordinates for every
turn in the road. Location photos, too. Ask BLM in Needles for current directions, and
Owlsheadgps.com for further information. The Needles’ BLM office is very helpful and
responds to e-mails.
Mining Supplies and Rock Shop
16808 F Main St.
Hesperia, CA 92345
Located in the Stater Brothers Shopping Center
760-244-9642
34°25.301' N 117°17.778' W
A woman-owned rock shop featured in two articles of Rock&Gem Magazine, Mining Supplies
supports rock and gem and prospecting clubs in Hesperia and Victorville. Field trips have been
conducted and they offer lapidary classes for a small fee. I made my first and only rock carving
there, a key fob out of jade. It was a great experience. A nice selection of rocks, minerals and
slabs. The shop, unfortunately, may be in the process of being sold. Check before going.
Needles
Bureau of Land Management
Needles Field Office
1303 South U.S. Hwy 95
Needles, CA 92363
760-326-7000
Manages the Marble Mountain Rock Collecting Area and several other recreation areas including
the Mojave Trails National Monument.
Next up: More from Southern California and beyond.
The Southern Mother Lode of California (San Diego County)
San Diego County (San Diego)
The Collector Fine Jewelry/Pala International Inc
912 South Live Oak Park Road
Fallbrook, CA 92028
760-728-9121
33°22.471' N 117°12.556' W
A one-of-a-kind jewelry and rare mineral store specializing in tourmaline. The Collector is only
a few miles from the Pala Mining District. The owner is Bill Larson, known world-wide as a
geologist and authority on gems and rare minerals. He has made more than 150 overseas trips in
his pursuit of minerals and colored stones. With any luck, Bill may be around and you will
discover how little you know. I don’t mean that despairingly, only with humor. Larson is
someone you learn from, someone who honors you with his time.
The store’s central show room emphasizes jewelry, however, there is a marvelous gem pegmatite
pocket exhibit off the main floor. It took four months to recover the pocket intact. If personnel
and time permit, a rockhound may be shown other areas featuring displays of extremely rare
minerals and high-end gems. These equal or surpass any museum or Tucson exhibit.
Fallbrook Gem and Mineral Museum
123 W Alvarado St B
Fallbrook, CA 92028
760-728-1130
33°22.946' N 117°15.125' W
Few gem and mineral clubs have a museum or gift shop, let alone one of this quality. It’s an
outstanding effort of the Fallbrook Gem and Mineral Society, containing examples of San Diego
County minerals and gems and a fluorescent mineral room. Many local specimens for sale,
including three-dollar grab bags of local materials, each small mineral duly described.
The Ocean View Mine and the Pala Chief Mine
37304 Magee Rd, Pala, CA 92059
Jeff Swanger, Owner and Chief Operator
760-415-9143
$75 a person
Special instructions to reach the mine at their website and also discussed below. Oceanview Mines, LLC offers two fee/dig experiences in the Pala Mining District. Commonly found are tourmalines, kunzites, and morganites, along with other sparkly things like pink
lepidolite. The Pala area, a pegmatite mining district, has been actively worked for gemstones
since the turn of the 19th century.
A screen and wash activity is held three times a week in season throughout much of the year. Online videos produced by Jeff Swanger and crew show the entire process. This easy-to-do activity will return attractive stones.
The second experience is held twice a month for part of the year. Bring your own tools. The Pala Chief fee/dig allows rockhounds to search through old tailings and mine dumps, along with hacking at the side of Chief Mountain itself. At some point the mine operator might work an
excavator, digging a six-foot deep trench to bring up fresh dirt and rock for searching. Anything found can be kept.
Follow website directions to the mine with care. Their directions start in Pala. First, get to Magee Road using Highway 76; the mine’s entrance road is a few miles from there. Only Magee’s south entrance from Highway 76 should be attempted. In Pala there is a Magee Place that is not Magee Road. If Magee Road is not in one’s navigation device, try looking for the Pala Raceway. Magee Road is further east on 76.
The mine property road is rough but this author did see a Mini Cooper negotiate its entire length. Staff will happily load people and gear into a buggy if a driver does not wish to drive the road. Bring sunscreen even if it is overcast, snacks, and tools if you are doing the Pala Chief. Full
details at their website. Driest weather month may be May. Resist taking too many photographs, instead, dive into digging or screening as long as you can and as hard as you can. You are going to find something wonderful. Oh, and if you can’t go, you can order a bag of pay dirt if they are still offering it. I found enough nice things in what they sent me to convince me to go to the mine in person.
Magee Road and Highway 76 coordinates:
33°21.830' N 117°03.440' W
Himalaya Mine
c/o/ Lake Henshaw Resort
26439 Hwy 76
Santa Ysabel, CA 92070
775-225-4245
775-772-7724.
33°14.166' N 116°45.823' W
This is another screen/wash activity located at the Lake Henshaw Resort. It’s on the road to Julian, with other rock related attractions along the way. Rockhounds go through tailings from the famous Himalaya Mine. Open year-round, generally Thursday through Sunday from 10 AM
to 3 PM. Call ahead to confirm details.
The screen and wash is out of view in back. To get there, go into the market on the property and get a gate pass code. Drive through the gate to the fee/dig. $75 for an adult. Minerals found may be pink and green tourmaline, black tourmaline, quartz crystals, spessertine garnet, lepidolite, and clevelandite. Keep anything found.
Crossroads Treasures
30219 CA-78, Santa Ysabel, CA 92070
760-765-2530
33°06.521' N 116°40.501' W
Rock shop and birding. Thursdays through Sundays. Seasonal hours. Near the intersection of Highways 76 and 79, making it a convenient stop on the way to Wynola and Julian. Minerals and Places to Visit or Collect in the Southwestern United States gems from the Himalaya, Cryogenie, and Pala Chief Mines. The tri-colored blackbird, the western tanager and the black-headed grosbeak frequent the grounds.
Julian Mountain Gems & Minerals
2015 Main Street, Suite B
33°04.653' N 116°36.068' W
Seasonal days and hours. They are generally open Thursday through Sunday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. “While we do specialize in mostly quartz, fluorite, and tourmaline, we also carry other crystals and minerals.” Check them while heading to the Eagle and High Peak Mines just a mile or two away.
[Update January 2024 (RTA): The original link for Julian Mountain Gems & Minerals is no longer active. There is a Julian Gem and Jewelry at 2000 Main Street, but we don't know if it is the same place the post referred to.]
Eagle and High Peak Mines
2320 C St
Julian, CA 92036
760-765-0036
33°04.926' N 116°35.710' W
1000’ feet of hard rock tunnel on old gold mine property. Guided tour. Low headroom and a steep stairway at the two-thirds mark. Call to see if a mobility-challenged person can be accommodated for the first stretch. There’s much to see before that stairway. Great introduction
to a hard rock mine. After the tour, visitors can chat with their guide about local rockhounding.
$10 charge. Gold panning taught. Visitors can’t keep the gold but learning to pan is worth more than any colors found. Impressive non-working stamp mill on the property along with other gold mining related equipment. Gift shop with rocks from different countries. Tip your tour guide if you can afford to. These are nice people.
The Julian area has been called the Southern Mother Lode of California.
Goffs Schoolhouse
37198 Lanfair Road (Near Goffs Road and Lanfair Road)
Goffs, CA 92332
34°55.281' N 115°04.026' W
Restored ore crushers including a working 10-Stamp Mill. To see it in operation, one must attend
a scheduled event when the mill is in operation. E-mail or check their website to see if any such
events are scheduled.
Next up: Southern Colorado and beyond.
