Rockhounding near Salt Lake City, UT

147 mapped rockhounding spots within 150 miles of Salt Lake City — most are inside a 2 to 3 hour drive. Below: a map, the closest spots, what they produce, and full coordinates with access notes.

Covering parts of Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Nevada.

Closest rockhounding spots to Salt Lake City

The 6 nearest mapped spots, with straight-line distance and an approximate drive time.

Arthur's ForkMorgan County, Utah14 mi · 18 min driveBiotite, Monazite, Molybdenite
Carbonate Gem MinesSalt Lake County, Utah15 mi · 19 min driveAnglesite, Barite, Cerussite
Farmington mining districtDavis County, Utah16 mi · 19 min driveAzurite, Chalcopyrite, Gold
Big Cottonwood CanyonSalt Lake County, Utah16 mi · 20 min driveAzurite, Malachite
Great Salt LakeSalt Lake County, Utah16 mi · 20 min driveAragonite, Bloedite, Gypsum
Little CottonwoodSalt Lake County, Utah16 mi · 20 min driveApatite, Alunite, Biotite

Most-reported finds near Salt Lake City

Counts reflect how many spots in this radius mention each material.

Every spot within 150 miles of Salt Lake City

Sorted by distance from Salt Lake City. Tap a row to open the spot detail page with full directions, access status, and nearby trips.

Spot	County	Minerals	Coordinates	Access
Arthur's Fork	Morgan County	Biotite Monazite Molybdenite Uraninite Xenotime	40.9347, -111.7509	Public
Carbonate Gem MinesRelsek Trail	Salt Lake County	Anglesite Barite Cerussite Galena Jarosite Limonite Pyrite Smithsonite	40.6227, -111.6671	Public
Farmington mining districtPatsy's Mine Trail	Davis County	Azurite Chalcopyrite Gold Malachite Pyrite	40.9850, -111.8725	Public
Big Cottonwood CanyonMiddle Loop	Salt Lake County	Azurite Malachite	40.6405, -111.6329	Public
Great Salt LakeSaltair Drive	Salt Lake County	Aragonite Bloedite Gypsum Halite Glauberite Thenardite	40.7467, -112.1950	Public
Little CottonwoodLittle Cottonwood Road	Salt Lake County	Apatite Alunite Biotite Hornblende Magnetite Microcline Feldspar Pyrite +5 more	40.5702, -111.7135	Public
Big Cottonwood mining districtCardiff Fork Trail	Salt Lake County	Actinolite Barite Orthoclase Bornite Chalcopyrite Galena Magnetite Malachite +5 more	40.6077, -111.6515	Public
Great Salt Lake	Davis County	Aragonite Bloedite Glauberite Halite Thenardite	40.8554, -112.1990	Public
AltaFlagstaff Mountain Trail	Salt Lake County	Apatite Biotite Barite Cerussite Limonite Rhodochrosite Galena Magnetite +9 more	40.5966, -111.6374	Public
Bair CanyonBair Canyon Trail	Davis County	Tremolite	41.0322, -111.8929	Public
Bingham CanyonKennecott Access Road	Salt Lake County	Actinolite Barite Bismuth Calcite Chalcopyrite Galena Garnet Magnetite +3 more	40.5575, -112.1319	Public
Santaquin & Silver Lake mining districtsYankee Mine Road	Utah County	Actinolite Andradite Argentite Cordierite Galena Garnet Gold Prehnite +4 more	40.5431, -111.6320	Public
Park City mining districtComstock Mine Trail	Summit County	Barite Calcite Chlorite Epidote Galena Garnet Magnetite Sphalerite +7 more	40.6230, -111.5425	Public
Beaver Canyon	Morgan County	Psilomelane Pyrolusite	40.9654, -111.6028	Public
Clayton PeakLackwaxen Lake Trail	Wasatch County	Spinel Vesuvianite Chabazite	40.5898, -111.5499	Public
Antelope IslandMountain View Trail	Davis County	Garnet Azurite Biotite Chlorite Chrysocolla Epidote Limonite Magnetite +4 more	40.9831, -112.1977	Public
Bonanza FlatFireweed Way	Wasatch County	Grossularite Garnet	40.5947, -111.5163	Public
Bear GulchLeft Hand Fork Road	Salt Lake County	Gold	40.4779, -112.1573	Public
Snake Creek near Heber CitySnake Creek Canyon Road	Wasatch County	Gold	40.5501, -111.5144	Public
Strawberry Mine5400 North Street	Morgan County	Gold Silver Copper	41.1336, -111.8331	Public
Coalville	Summit County	Manganite Psilomelane Pyrolusite Sulfur	40.9189, -111.4217	Public
Strongs CanyonStrong Canyon Trail	Weber County	Garnet	41.1971, -111.9269	Public
OphirOphir Canyon Road	Tooele County	Galena Gold Pyrite Silver Sphalerite Quartz	40.3739, -112.2641	Public
Sams Canyon	Wasatch County	Lode Gold	40.3891, -111.4634	Public
Pelican Point	Utah County	Onyx	40.2675, -111.8495	Public

Salt Lake City rockhounding FAQ

Where can I go rockhounding near Salt Lake City?+

There are 147 mapped rockhounding spots within about 150 miles of Salt Lake City, Utah. The closest is Arthur's Fork in Morgan County, roughly 14 miles away. The full list is on this page with coordinates and drive times.

What rocks and minerals can you find near Salt Lake City?+

Spots within driving distance of Salt Lake City most commonly produce galena, pyrite, malachite, azurite, cerussite, quartz.

Is rockhounding legal near Salt Lake City?+

Casual hand collecting of common rocks and minerals is allowed on most BLM and U.S. Forest Service land, with limits set by the local field office. National parks, most state parks, and tribal land are off-limits. Each spot page on this site lists access status; always confirm current rules with the managing agency before a trip.

How far do most rockhounders drive from Salt Lake City?+

Most weekend trips from Salt Lake City fall inside a 2 to 3 hour drive, which is roughly the 150-mile radius shown on this page. Closer spots are good for half-day outings; the outer ones are better as overnight trips.

More state coverage

The spots above span 4 states. Open the state page for the full county-by-county view.

Pack Salt Lake City's rockhounding map in your pocket

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