Kelly Ghost Town — Rockhounding in Socorro County, New Mexico
Kelly is a benchmark locality for blue smithsonite from the Magdalena mining district, with Mindat rating the species occurrence as world-class or very significant. USGS Professional Paper 200 anchors the district geology, while New Mexico Tourism documents the surviving ghost-town and headframe setting that makes the mineral locality recognizable on the ground. Reported finds include smithsonite, zinc, fossils. Below: coordinates, access notes, nearby spots, and trip-planning links.
Kelly Ghost Town photos
Public image records connected to this spot or its reported material, with source and license attribution.
Map showing Kelly Ghost Town in Socorro County, New Mexico
Quick details
- Access
- Public area
- County
- Socorro County
- State
- New Mexico
- Nearest road
- Forest 190C Road
- Coordinates
- 34.06897, -107.19511
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 Kelly Ghost Town
Each chip opens all spots that produce that material; the encyclopedia link opens the full ID and field guide.
Nearby rockhounding spots
Other rockhounding spots within driving distance of Kelly Ghost Town.
- Silver HillSocorro County, New Mexico · 7 mi awayGarnet
- Strawberry PeakSocorro County, New Mexico · 11 mi awaySatin Spar
- Red Rock SpringSocorro County, New Mexico · 20 mi awayAgatized Picture Wood, Petrified Cycad, Petrified Palm
- Fra Cristobal RangeSierra County, New Mexico · 46 mi awayAgate, Jasper
- Oscura MountainsSocorro County, New Mexico · 50 mi awayChrysocolla, Chalcocite, Atacamite
- Los LunasValencia County, New Mexico · 51 mi awayRed Agate, Banded Agate, Apache Tears
- Belen to Los LunasValencia County, New Mexico · 51 mi awayAgate
- Mockingbird GapSocorro County, New Mexico · 56 mi awayJasper
Kelly Ghost Town FAQ
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