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Rockhounding in Arizona

52 mapped spots across 6 counties. Arizona is strong for copper minerals, agate, fire agate, and petrified wood. Round Mountain, Saddle Mountain, Burro Creek, and old mining districts across central and southwestern Arizona give rockhounds plenty of legal places to check.

Arizona rockhounding photos

Representative spot and material photos from locations in this state, shown where verified public image records are available.

5 photos

Map showing 52 rockhounding spots in Arizona

Top minerals found in Arizona

Counts reflect how many spots in this list mention each mineral.

Notable areas: Petrified wood (outside the National Park), fire agate, malachite, azurite, chrysocolla, and Arizona ruby (pyrope garnet) are among the most sought finds.

Geology behind Arizona rockhounding

Southern and western Arizona are dominated by Basin and Range valleys with Tertiary volcanics, the source of much of the state's agate, jasper, chalcedony, and fire agate. The central highlands and Mogollon Rim expose Permian to Triassic redbeds tied to Holbrook-area petrified wood. Mining districts such as Bisbee, Globe-Miami, Morenci, and Bagdad yield secondary copper minerals including malachite, azurite, and chrysocolla, mostly from old mine dumps.

Best regions to focus your search

Western Arizona (Burro Creek, Saddle Mountain, Black Hills)

Fire agate, chalcedony roses, common opal, jasper, geodes, and quartz crystals. Long graded-dirt approaches off US-93 and I-10.

Central / east-central (Round Mountain, Payson, Pinal)

Apache tears (perlite), fire agate at Round Mountain Rockhound Area, peridot at San Carlos Apache (permit required), and copper minerals around Globe and Superior.

Petrified Forest country (outside the park)

Holbrook-area private pay-to-dig ranches (e.g., Dobell, Jim Gray's) and small parcels of state trust land produce gem-grade Triassic petrified wood. The national park itself is strictly off-limits.

Mining districts (Bisbee, Morenci, Bagdad)

Old mine dumps and tailings on private claim ground produce malachite, azurite, chrysocolla, turquoise, and rare secondary copper minerals. Many are now fenced — confirm permission.

Best season

October through April is the comfortable window for low-desert collecting in southwest and western Arizona. Rim country and the high desert near Flagstaff are better from May through October. Avoid the west desert in July and August unless you are set up for extreme heat.

What to bring

Snake-resistant boots and long pants, at least a gallon of water per person per half-day, sun protection, GPS or offline maps, a high-clearance vehicle for many backcountry approaches, and a UV light if you're heading to known fluorescent mine dumps.

Local collecting history

Arizona's rockhounding culture has its roots in mining-camp prospectors and turn-of-the-century mineral collectors at Bisbee and the Morenci district. Petrified Forest National Park was set aside in 1906 in part because so much wood had already been carted off; ironically, that closure pushed collectors onto surrounding ranches that still operate as pay-to-dig sites today.

Rockhounding near major Arizona cities

Day-trip range. Each section lists the closest mapped rockhounding spots within about 150 miles of the city — most are inside a 2 to 3 hour drive.

Rockhounding near Tucson

See all →

6 closest spots to Tucson, AZ.

Neighboring states with rockhounding

Geology rarely respects state borders. These states share mapped rockhounding country with Arizona — useful when Arizona is the start, not the whole trip. Each card links to the closest county across the line.

Rockhounding by county in Arizona

County pages are linked once we have at least 3 mapped spots for a focused guide with coordinates, mineral notes, and nearby spots.

Top picks in Arizona

10 best spots

Hand-picked standouts from the Arizona list, chosen for unusual mineralogy, documented public access, or both. Each card links to coordinates, access notes, and what to look for.

Every rockhounding spot in Arizona

Sorted by county. Tap coordinates to open in Google Maps, or open RockHoundR for the full map view with land overlays and weather.

SpotCountyMineralsCoordinatesAccess
Along North Creek TrailNorth Peak Trail #24Gila County34.1775, -111.4476Public
Area around Diamond Point LookoutForest Road 65Gila County34.2864, -111.1935Public
Area around Ellison CreekGila County34.3473, -111.2735Public
Area of Natural BridgeForest Service Road 583AGila County34.3207, -111.4572Public
Oxbow & Silver Butte MinesOld Payson RoadGila County34.1684, -111.3540Public
1 mi. N of old Three-Way drive-in theaterGuthrie RoadGreenlee County32.9612, -109.2397Public
Both sides of Mule Creek RoadAZ 78Greenlee County
  • Chalcedony Geode
33.1027, -109.0607Public
Canyon to N of road 1 mi. S of Apache Nat. ForestCoronado TrailGreenlee County33.1550, -109.3737Public
Foothills of Sunset PeakGreenlee County
  • Agate
  • Blue Jasper
  • Black Jasper
33.1159, -109.2678Public
Limestone GulchLimestone Trail 84Greenlee County33.0762, -109.2916Public
Mine dumps along Coronado TrailOld Highway 191Greenlee County33.0952, -109.3788Public
N of Mulligan PeakGreenlee County
  • Purple Agate
33.0736, -109.2660Public
W of Mulligan PeakGreenlee County
  • Nodules
33.0717, -109.2704Public
Ward CanyonWard Canyon RoadGreenlee County
  • Red Agate
33.0401, -109.2859Public
York AreaGreenlee County32.8940, -109.2129Public
~4 mi. SW of Cave Creek townBrawling Badger TrailMaricopa County33.7824, -111.9979Public
2 mi. S of road on way to Bartlett ReservoirMaricopa County33.8367, -111.7521Public
Agua Fria River GravelsNorth Coyote Lakes ParkwayMaricopa County33.6437, -112.3159Public
Area around Go John MineSlate TrailMaricopa County33.8257, -111.9930Public
Area S of Horseshoe DamHorseshoe Dam RoadMaricopa County33.9652, -111.7176Public
Hill to W of Cave CreekFlume TrailMaricopa County
  • Red Jasper
33.8178, -111.9885Public
New River Area StreamsWest New River RoadMaricopa County33.9194, -112.1047Public
Quartz outcrop off of jeep road[FR 1058] **4WD**Maricopa County33.9063, -111.7696Public
Red Rover mineWalnut Spring Canyon RoadMaricopa County34.0110, -111.8452Public
Road along Agua Fria RiverWadell Canal CapMaricopa County33.8098, -112.2699Public
San Domingo WashPhoenix–Wickenburg HighwayMaricopa County33.8870, -112.6623Public
Second Peak in Four PeaksMaricopa County33.6710, -111.3224Public
Skunk CreekWest Happy Valley RoadMaricopa County
  • Pink Chalcedony
33.7112, -112.1271Public
15 mi. NW of KingsmanMurals RoadMohave County35.4033, -114.1752Public
Area near Meadow Creek PassMohave County34.8971, -114.1838Public
Area of Mineral Park & CerbatHoover Dam–Kingman HighwayMohave County35.3227, -114.2051Public
BiMetal Gold MineUS 66 HistMohave County35.1559, -114.0819Public
Emerald Isle MineCounty Highway 125Mohave County35.3636, -114.1917Public
Golden Gem & Vanderbilt MinesCerbat RoadMohave County35.3049, -114.1360Public
Kingman Feldspar MineMohave County35.2696, -114.0611Public
Las Vegas (manganese area)Temple Bar Back RoadMohave County35.7431, -114.3880Public
Under Burro Creek BridgeBurro Creek BridgeMohave County
  • Pink Agate
34.5448, -113.4432Public
Dumps near Esperanza MineElams LoopPima County31.8670, -111.1298Public
Neptune Mine near Grays SpringSouth Sierrita Mountain RoadPima County31.9064, -111.2081Public
Sierrita Mountain Mine DumpsPima County31.8777, -111.1950Public
South Yuma MineCoyote Pass TrailPima County
  • Willemite
32.3147, -111.1221Public
All along both sides of road from Morristown to Castle Hot SpringsCastle Hot Springs RoadYavapai County33.9533, -112.4910Public
Area around hotelCastle Hot Springs RoadYavapai County33.9815, -112.3624Public
Area of old Octave mining campOctave RoadYavapai County34.1417, -112.6901Public
Area of old Stanton mining campStanton RoadYavapai County34.1569, -112.7362Public
Congress MineGhost Town RoadYavapai County34.1992, -112.8535Public
Date Creek areaYavapai County34.2126, -113.0498Public
In pegmatite outcrops on area roadsidesCastle Hot Springs RoadYavapai County33.9842, -112.3644Public
On surface around Rich HillYavapai County
  • Gold Nugget
34.1728, -112.7104Public
On top of steep hillStanton RoadYavapai County34.1537, -112.7637Public
Rock Springs Digging AreaPhoenix–Cordes Junction HighwayYavapai County34.0484, -112.1434Public
Seven Springs-Bloody Basin RoadWillow Springs Trail #223Yavapai County34.0773, -111.7073Public

Arizona rockhounding FAQ

Is rockhounding legal in Arizona?+
Yes on most BLM and USFS land under the 25-pound-per-day BLM recreational rule. Petrified Forest National Park does not allow collecting; tribal land requires a tribal permit; Arizona State Trust Land requires a Recreational Permit from the Arizona State Land Department even for hand collecting.
Where can I collect petrified wood in Arizona?+
Outside Petrified Forest National Park, the Holbrook area has several private pay-to-dig ranches that produce gem-quality petrified wood. Limited surface collecting is allowed on surrounding BLM land subject to the 25 lb/day, 250 lb/year cap. Never collect inside the national park.
Can I dig peridot at San Carlos?+
Peridot Mesa is on San Carlos Apache tribal land and requires a tribal permit. Conditions, hours, and fees are set by the tribe — go through the San Carlos Apache Tribe's Recreation and Wildlife department.
Do I need a permit for State Trust Land in Arizona?+
Yes. Arizona State Trust Land requires an annual Recreational Permit from the Arizona State Land Department even for hiking and casual rockhounding. Mineral material removal beyond hand specimens usually requires a separate authorization.
What rocks and minerals can you find in Arizona?+
Common targets include fire agate, chalcedony, jasper, common opal, petrified wood (outside the park), Apache tears, malachite, azurite, chrysocolla, turquoise, and pyrope garnet (Arizona ruby).

Map every Arizona spot in the app

Open the RockHoundR app to see Arizona on a real map with public land overlays, weather, geology, and your saved finds.

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