Fort Sumner — Rockhounding in De Baca County, New Mexico
Fort Sumner represents the Pecos diamond belt, where the collectible material is doubly terminated authigenic quartz rather than true diamond. New Mexico Bureau of Geology publications tie these quartz and occasional dolomite crystals to Seven Rivers Formation and related Artesia Group outcrops, and Mindat records the De Baca County occurrence as a named Pecos diamond locality. Reported finds include quartz, pecos diamonds. Below: coordinates, access notes, nearby spots, and trip-planning links.
Fort Sumner photos
Public image records connected to this spot or its reported material, with source and license attribution.
Map showing Fort Sumner in De Baca County, New Mexico
Quick details
- Access
- Public area
- County
- De Baca County
- State
- New Mexico
- Nearest road
- South 9th Street
- Postcode
- 88119
- Coordinates
- 34.45906, -104.23960
Land & collecting status
Generally open to casual rockhounding
Most public-tagged spots sit on BLM, U.S. Forest Service, or other federal land where reasonable hand collecting of common rocks and minerals is allowed. Confirm posted rules and active mining claims before you dig.
Public-land rules vary by agency, season, and field office. The RockHoundR app pulls live BLM, USFS, NPS, and tribal overlays so you can see exactly which agency manages the ground at this spot.
Sources & verification
Spot details combine the public RockHoundR location dataset, normalized mineral labels, agency land-status checks in the app, and community submissions. Coordinates are approximate until verified in the field.
State guidance last verified:
- Rockhound State Park — Collection rules
- BLM New Mexico
- New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources
- Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules
Found at Fort Sumner
Each chip opens all spots that produce that material; the encyclopedia link opens the full ID and field guide.
- QuartzEncyclopedia →
- Pecos DiamondsEncyclopedia →
Nearby rockhounding spots
Other rockhounding spots within driving distance of Fort Sumner.
- Fort Sumner (Pecos diamonds)De Baca County, New Mexico · 28 mi awayQuartz, Pecos Diamonds
- RoswellChaves County, New Mexico · 74 mi awayQuartz
- AnchoLincoln County, New Mexico · 93 mi awayJasper
- White OaksLincoln County, New Mexico · 100 mi awayGold, Huebnerite, Onyx
- Las VegasSan Miguel County, New Mexico · 100 mi awayPetrified Wood
- Estancia Dry LakeTorrance County, New Mexico · 102 mi awayEpsomite, Glauberite
- Lake ArthurChaves County, New Mexico · 103 mi awayAragonite
- ArtesiaEddy County, New Mexico · 113 mi awayQuartz, Pecos Diamonds
Fort Sumner FAQ
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More rockhounding in New Mexico
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