Where to Find Serpentine in California
6 mapped serpentine rockhounding spots in California, across 5 counties. Most of the mapped spots sit in Monterey County, Placer County, and San Benito County. Serpentine is reported at multiple rockhounding spots across the United States. California covers a wide range of rockhounding: gold-bearing rivers in the Mother Lode, jade on the central coast, and agate and jasper in the Mojave.
Map of 6 serpentine rockhounding spots in California
Serpentine by county in California
Counties ranked by number of serpentine spots in our database.
Every serpentine spot in California
Sorted by county. Coordinates open in Google Maps. Click a row for details.
| Spot | County | Minerals | Coordinates | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Sur areaLos Burros Road | Monterey County |
| 35.8938, -121.4523 | Public |
| Willow Creek areaCabrillo Highway | Monterey County |
| 35.8922, -121.4613 | Public |
| Shady Run Gravels | Placer County | 39.2069, -120.7425 | Public | |
| Aurora Mine (permission required)Mexican Lake Road | San Benito County | 36.3949, -120.6741 | Permission | |
| Happy Camp Jade MinesSouth Indian Road | Siskiyou County |
| 41.8766, -123.4602 | Public |
| Coffee CreekState Route 3 | Trinity County |
| 41.0835, -122.7051 | Public |
Serpentine in California FAQ
Where can I find serpentine in California?+
RockHoundR tracks 6 serpentine spots in California, spread across 5 counties. The strongest concentration is in Monterey County.
Is collecting serpentine legal in California?+
Casual hand collection of common rocks and minerals like serpentine is allowed on most BLM and U.S. Forest Service land in California, with daily and annual limits set by the local field office. National parks, most state parks, and tribal land are off-limits. Always confirm rules before a trip.
What is the best serpentine location in California?+
Monterey County has the most serpentine spots in our database for California. The full county breakdown is below, and different counties produce different qualities and varieties.
Other states for serpentine
Hunt serpentine in California on the map
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