Rockhounding: Places to Visit or Collect in Southwestern USA

[Thomas Farley]

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.

[Thomas Farley]

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...

[DonnaR57]

Great resource for those that are rockhounds!


Donna

[Thomas Farley]

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.

[Thomas Farley]

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.

[Thomas Farley]

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.

[Rick Quinn]

Welcome to the Forum, Thomas, and thank you for posting what appears to be a great resource! My wife's parents were hard-core Rockhounds here in Arizona, beginning back in the 1950's. They spent quite a lot of time in the places you're referencing, and they enjoyed themselves immensely. Rockhounding is a better excuse than most for getting off the beaten path; it's nice to see that the hobby is still alive and well!

Rick Quinn