Italian Mountain — Rockhounding in Gunnison County, Colorado
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. Reported finds include lapis lazuli, grossular garnet, diopside, pyrite, calcite. Below: coordinates, access notes, nearby spots, and trip-planning links.
Italian Mountain photos
Public image records connected to this spot or its reported material.
Map showing Italian Mountain in Gunnison County, Colorado
Quick details
- Access
- Public area
- County
- Gunnison County
- State
- Colorado
- Coordinates
- 38.94425, -106.76242
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.
Sources: RockHoundR public spot dataset, app land overlays, and local agency review before each trip.
Found at Italian Mountain
Each chip opens all spots that produce that material; the encyclopedia link opens the full ID and field guide.
- Lapis LazuliEncyclopedia →
- Grossular GarnetEncyclopedia →
- DiopsideEncyclopedia →
- PyriteEncyclopedia →
- CalciteEncyclopedia →
Nearby rockhounding spots
Other rockhounding spots within driving distance of Italian Mountain.
- Cement Creek Rd.Gunnison County, Colorado · 1 mi awayAlbite, Ankerite, Chlorite
- Unnamed Area (Yule Marble)Pitkin County, Colorado · 30 mi awayColorado Yule Marble
- Quartz Creek (Brown Derby)Top pick in ColoradoGunnison County, Colorado · 30 mi awayBeryl, Tourmaline, Lepidolite
- Chalk Creek gravelsChaffee County, Colorado · 33 mi awaySapphire
- Mount AnteroTop pick in ColoradoChaffee County, Colorado · 33 mi awayAquamarine, Beryl, Phenakite
- Sugarloaf & Ruby MountainsChaffee County, Colorado · 39 mi awayRhyolite, Perlite, Apache Tears
- Sedalia Copper MineChaffee County, Colorado · 46 mi awayActinolite, Almandine, Azurite
- Calumet Iron MineChaffee County, Colorado · 46 mi awayAmphibole, Chalcopyrite, Corundum
Italian Mountain FAQ
Why is Italian Mountain one of the best rockhounding spots in Colorado?+
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More rockhounding in Colorado
See all 33 Colorado spots →Open Italian Mountain on the map
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