Crystal Hill Area, Kofa National Wildlife Refuge: Quartz Rockhounding in La Paz County, Arizona

Plan your visit

Generally open to casual rockhounding

County

La Paz County

State

Arizona

Nearest road

Crystal Hill Road

Coordinates

33.52693, -114.11652

Coordinates are approximate. Confirm the exact ground in the RockHoundR app, where land overlays show which agency manages the area.

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.

Access note: USFWS regulations, verbatim: collecting is restricted to the 1.5 sq mi Crystal Hill Area north and east of Junction #77; possession is limited to 10 specimens or 10 pounds (whichever occurs first) in any 12 month period; collection is limited to material exposed and collectable without the use of tools, and metal detectors are considered tools; digging, including with simple hand tools, is prohibited. Note this is a per-12-month limit, not the per-day figure commonly repeated online. No permit or fee. Camping limited to 14 days in any 12-month period; vehicles must stay on designated roads and may park only up to 100 feet from them. Collecting is prohibited everywhere else on the refuge, and 547,719 acres is designated wilderness (foot or horseback only). Access is roughly 10 miles south of Quartzsite via US-95, then east on unpaved road; best season November through March.

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.

Best time to visit Crystal Hill Area, Kofa National Wildlife Refuge

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Best months: October to April. Typical highs run 106°F in midsummer and 64°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 37°F. Summer heat here is intense, so carry more water than you think you need and work the early morning.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, QUARTZSITE station (12 mi away), adjusted for elevation.

Geology at Crystal Hill Area, Kofa National Wildlife Refuge

This spot sits on sedimentary rocks with minor volcanic rocks, mapped as arenite and conglomerate that formed roughly 160 to 72 million years ago. Sedimentary rock like this erodes unevenly, so the most productive collecting is typically along fresh cuts, badland slopes, and active drainages.

Mapped unit

sedimentary rocks with minor volcanic rocks

Age

160–72 Ma (Late Jurassic to Late Cretaceous)

Rock types

arenite and conglomerate

Elevation

1,680 ft

Geologic mapping via Macrostrat and the underlying state geological survey maps (CC BY 4.0). Bedrock at the surface can vary within a mapped unit.

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: April 1, 2026

• BLM Arizona, Recreational Mineral Collecting
• Arizona Geological Survey
• Arizona State Land Department recreation permits
• Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules