Big Sur area: Jade & Nephrite Rockhounding in Monterey County, California

Quick details

Access

Permission required

County

Monterey County

State

California

Nearest road

Los Burros Road

Coordinates

35.89376, -121.45233

Geology at Big Sur area

This spot sits on ground mapped as Landslide deposits that formed within roughly the last 3 million years. Fresh exposures, cuts, and drainages are typically the most productive places to look on ground like this.

Mapped unit

Landslide deposits

Age

3 Ma to present (Quaternary)

Elevation

200 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.

Best time to visit Big Sur area

Conditions here are workable year-round, with typical highs from 65°F in winter to 80°F in summer.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, HEARST CASTLE station (22 mi away), adjusted for elevation.

Land & collecting status

Permission required before collecting

Requires landowner or agency permission before any collecting. Do not enter without explicit authorization.

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: April 1, 2026

• BLM California, Recreational mineral collecting
• California Geological Survey
• CDFW, Suction Dredge Mining Permit Program
• Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules

Found at Big Sur area

Each chip opens all spots that produce that material; the encyclopedia link opens the full ID and field guide.

• JadeEncyclopedia →
• Nephrite
• SerpentineEncyclopedia →