Rockhounding in Gunnison County, Colorado
4 mapped rockhounding spots in Gunnison County. Most commonly produces albite, diopside, ankerite, beryl.
Gunnison County rockhounding photos
Representative spot and material photos from this county, shown where verified public image records are available.
Map showing 4 rockhounding spots in Gunnison County, Colorado
Standouts in Gunnison County
Hand-picked spots in Gunnison County, chosen for unusual mineralogy or documented public access. Each card opens the full coordinates and access notes.
Top pickItalian Mountain
PublicGunnison County
Italian Mountain holds one of the few genuine lapis lazuli localities in the United States, a contact-metamorphic deposit in marble that has produced some of the largest North American lapis specimens. Grossular garnet, diopside, pyrite, and calcite occur in the same skarn. The site sits on open Gunnison National Forest land outside designated wilderness.
Lapis Lazuli, Grossular Garnet, Diopside, Pyrite
Top pickQuartz Creek (Brown Derby)
PublicGunnison County
The Quartz Creek, or Brown Derby, district is Colorado's most fractionated lithium-cesium-tantalum pegmatite field, mapped by the USGS as more than 1,800 pegmatite bodies. They carry beryl, lepidolite, pink and green tourmaline, and rare columbite-tantalite. The dikes sit on Gunnison National Forest land where personal hobby collecting with hand tools is allowed.
Beryl, Tourmaline, Lepidolite, Albite
Spots in Gunnison County
| Spot | Minerals | Coordinates | Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cement Creek Rd.Cement Creek Road 740 | 38.9312, -106.7699 | Public | |
| Gunnison Gold Belt MinesOld Huntsman Mesa Road | 38.3078, -107.0925 | Public | |
| Italian Mountain | 38.9442, -106.7624 | Public | |
| Quartz Creek (Brown Derby)CR 44 | 38.5174, -106.6679 | Public |
Neighboring counties in Colorado
Adjacent rockhounding counties, ranked by how close their centroids sit to Gunnison County. A natural extension if Gunnison County is already on your trip plan.
- Chaffee County~38 mi5 spotsTop: Beryl, Actinolite, Almandine
- Saguache County~65 mi2 spotsTop: Quartz, Amethyst, Chalcedony
- Mineral County~70 mi4 spotsTop: Agate, Amethyst, Chalcedony
- Park County~80 mi1 spotTop: Amazonite, Smoky Quartz, Topaz
- Douglas County~101 mi1 spotTop: Amazonite, Fluorite, Smoky Quartz
- Jefferson County~103 mi4 spotsTop: Fluorite, Smoky Quartz, Amazonite
Gunnison County FAQ
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