Mount Antero: Aquamarine & Beryl Rockhounding in Chaffee County, Colorado

Plan your visit

Generally open to casual rockhounding

County

Chaffee County

State

Colorado

Nearest road

Mount Antero Trail

Postcode

81236

Coordinates

38.67382, -106.24667

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: Reach the high gem zone by a rough four-wheel-drive road off County Road 162 southwest of Buena Vista; the area is snowbound much of the year. The mountain is heavily staked with mining claims, so collect only on verified open ground and never on an active claim.

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 Mount Antero

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Best months: May to October. Typical highs run 68°F in midsummer and 26°F in midwinter, with winter lows near -4°F. At about 14,180 ft, snow can block access from late fall well into spring, so check conditions outside of summer.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, BUENA VISTA 2S station (12 mi away), adjusted for elevation.

Geology at Mount Antero

This spot sits on ground mapped as Leucogranite of the California Mine that formed roughly 34 to 28 million years ago. Granitic ground like this typically carries quartz veins and pockets, and weathered crystals tend to collect in the soils and drainages below.

Mapped unit

Leucogranite of the California Mine

Age

34–28 Ma (Early Oligocene)

Elevation

14,180 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.

• BLM Colorado rockhounding rules
• Colorado Geological Survey
• Pike and San Isabel National Forests
• Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules