Where to Find Petrified Wood near Bishop, CA
7 of the mapped rockhounding spots within 150 miles of Bishop report petrified wood. The closest is Veterans Memorial Highway, about 57 miles out (1 hr 11 min drive).
Petrified wood is ancient wood replaced cell by cell with silica. It concentrates where volcanic ash buried forests, and weathered pieces collect as float on desert slopes and in washes.
Every petrified wood spot within 150 miles of Bishop
Veterans Memorial HighwayEsmeralda County, Nevada · 57 mi awayPublic access · Agate, Petrified Wood, Chalcedony
Montezuma PeakEsmeralda County, Nevada · 60 mi awayCheck locally · Chalcedony, Chert, Jasper +3
Best spotSan Antonio MountainsNye County, Nevada · 90 mi awayPublic access · Jade, Petrified Wood, Wonderstone- Walker LakeMineral County, Nevada · 100 mi awayPermission required · Agate, Chalcedony, Fossil +2
- Best spotEl Paso MountainsKern County, California · 137 mi awayPublic access · Agate, Opal, Jasper +2
- Best spotJacolitos CanyonFresno County, California · 138 mi awayPublic access · Jasper, Petrified Wood, Fossilized Coral
- Lahontan ReservoirChurchill County, Nevada · 148 mi awayPermission required · Agate, Chalcedony, Jasper +1
Types of petrified wood reported near Bishop
Counts reflect how many spots in this radius mention each variety.
Petrified Wood near Bishop FAQ
Where can I find petrified wood near Bishop?+
7 mapped spots within about 150 miles of Bishop report petrified wood. The closest is Veterans Memorial Highway in Esmeralda County, roughly 57 miles away (1 hr 11 min drive). The full list with coordinates is on this page.
Can I collect petrified wood on public land near Bishop?+
4 of the 7 spots here sit on land mapped as publicly accessible. Casual hand collecting of common rocks and minerals is allowed on most BLM and Forest Service land with limits set by the local field office; national parks and most state parks are closed to collecting. Confirm current rules with the managing agency before a trip.
How can I tell petrified wood from plain rock?+
Look for wood structure: parallel grain lines, growth rings on cut ends, and bark texture on the outside. Petrified palm shows a distinctive rod-and-dot pattern instead of rings. Plain jasper and chert show none of these, even when the color looks woody.
How far from Bishop do I need to drive?+
The nearest petrified wood spot is about 57 miles out, and the farthest on this list is 148 miles. Most fall inside a normal weekend day-trip radius.
Keep exploring from Bishop
Where to Find Petrified Wood near other cities
Hunt petrified wood around Bishop with the map in your pocket
RockHoundR shows these spots on an offline map with public land overlays, geology layers, weather, and a log for your finds.
