Ouachita River: Agate & Petrified Wood Rockhounding in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana
Updated July 2026
The Ouachita River carries agate, petrified wood, and opalized wood south out of the Arkansas uplands, dropping them on gravel bars around Monroe in north Louisiana. It gives the northern half of the state a genuine collecting river far from the palmwood country and the Florida Parishes. Because the Ouachita is a navigable stream, its bars offer legal public-access hunting below the low-water mark. Reported finds include agate, petrified wood, opalized wood. Below: coordinates, access notes, nearby spots, and trip-planning links.
Ouachita River photos
Public image records connected to this spot or its reported material.
Map showing Ouachita River in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana
Quick details
- Access
- Public area
- County
- Ouachita Parish
- State
- Louisiana
- Nearest road
- River Road
- Coordinates
- 32.30278, -92.10277
Geology at Ouachita River
This spot sits on Natural Levees, mapped as silt and clay that formed within roughly the last 12,000 years. Petrified wood typically travels as tough float, and worked gravels like these are exactly where weathered pieces tend to collect.
- Mapped unit
- Natural Levees
- Age
- < 1 Ma (Holocene)
- Rock types
- silt and clay
- Elevation
- 70 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 Ouachita River
Best months: September to June. Typical highs run 93°F in midsummer and 57°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 37°F.
Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, COLUMBIA LOCK station (9 mi away).
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 Ouachita River
Each chip opens all spots that produce that material; the encyclopedia link opens the full ID and field guide.
Nearby rockhounding spots
Other rockhounding spots within driving distance of Ouachita River.
- PollockTop pick in LouisianaGrant Parish, Louisiana · 56 mi awayAgate, Petrified Wood
- Rapides ParishTop pick in LouisianaGrant Parish, Louisiana · 69 mi awaySilicified Palm Wood
- Vernon ParishTop pick in LouisianaVernon Parish, Louisiana · 95 mi awaySilicified Palm Wood
- LeesvilleVernon Parish, Louisiana · 104 mi awayPetrified Wood
- Leesville (opal area)Top pick in LouisianaVernon Parish, Louisiana · 105 mi awayLouisiana Opal
- Toledo BendTop pick in LouisianaSabine Parish, Louisiana · 109 mi awayPetrified Palm Wood
Across the state line from Ouachita River
Ouachita River is close enough to the Louisiana border that the next-closest rockhounding spots are in a neighboring state. Worth knowing if you are already on the road.
Ouachita River FAQ
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More rockhounding in Louisiana
See all 17 Louisiana spots →Open Ouachita River on the map
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