Rockhounding near Payson, AZ

43 mapped rockhounding spots within 150 miles of Payson — most are inside a 2 to 3 hour drive. Below: a map, the closest spots, what they produce, and full coordinates with access notes.

Covering parts of Arizona, New Mexico.

Closest rockhounding spots to Payson

The 6 nearest mapped spots, with straight-line distance and an approximate drive time.

Oxbow & Silver Butte MinesGila County, Arizona5 mi · 6 min driveCopper, Epidote, Fluorite
Along North Creek TrailGila County, Arizona8 mi · 10 min driveAgate, Jasper, Septarian Nodules
Area around Diamond Point LookoutGila County, Arizona8 mi · 11 min driveQuartz
Area around Ellison CreekGila County, Arizona9 mi · 11 min driveAgate, Jasper, Geode
Area of Natural BridgeGila County, Arizona10 mi · 12 min driveSerpentine
Seven Springs-Bloody Basin RoadYavapai County, Arizona24 mi · 30 min driveAgate, Jasper

Most-reported finds near Payson

Counts reflect how many spots in this radius mention each material.

Hunting something specific near Payson?

These materials have enough dedicated spots around Payson to earn their own page, with distances and a separate map.

Every spot within 150 miles of Payson

Sorted by distance from Payson. Tap a row to open the spot detail page with full directions, access status, and nearby trips.

Spot	County	Minerals	Coordinates	Access
Oxbow & Silver Butte MinesOld Payson Road	Gila County	Copper Epidote Fluorite Dioptase	34.1684, -111.3540	Public
Along North Creek TrailNorth Peak Trail #24	Gila County	Agate Jasper Septarian Nodules	34.1775, -111.4476	Public
Area around Diamond Point LookoutForest Road 65	Gila County	Quartz	34.2864, -111.1935	Public
Area around Ellison Creek	Gila County	Agate Jasper Geode	34.3473, -111.2735	Public
Area of Natural BridgeForest Service Road 583A	Gila County	Serpentine	34.3207, -111.4572	Public
Seven Springs-Bloody Basin RoadWillow Springs Trail #223	Yavapai County	Agate Jasper	34.0773, -111.7073	Public
Area S of Horseshoe DamHorseshoe Dam Road	Maricopa County	Agate	33.9652, -111.7176	Public
Red Rover mineWalnut Spring Canyon Road	Maricopa County	Chalcocite Tetrahedrite	34.0110, -111.8452	Public
Quartz outcrop off of jeep road[FR 1058] 4WD	Maricopa County	Nodules Thundereggs	33.9063, -111.7696	Public
2 mi. S of road on way to Bartlett Reservoir	Maricopa County	Fluorite	33.8367, -111.7521	Public
Second Peak in Four Peaks	Maricopa County	Amethyst	33.6710, -111.3224	Permission
Area around Go John MineSlate Trail	Maricopa County	Gold Silver Copper Red Jasper Blue Quartz	33.8257, -111.9930	Public
Hill to W of Cave CreekFlume Trail	Maricopa County	Red Jasper	33.8178, -111.9885	Public
Rock Springs Digging AreaPhoenix–Cordes Junction Highway	Yavapai County	Copper	34.0484, -112.1434	Public
~4 mi. SW of Cave Creek townBrawling Badger Trail	Maricopa County	Agate Gold Jasper Quartz	33.7824, -111.9979	Public
New River Area StreamsWest New River Road	Maricopa County	Agate Chalcedony Jasper	33.9194, -112.1047	Public
Skunk CreekWest Happy Valley Road	Maricopa County	Pink Chalcedony	33.7112, -112.1271	Public
Road along Agua Fria RiverWadell Canal Cap	Maricopa County	Quartz	33.8098, -112.2699	Public
Area around hotelCastle Hot Springs Road	Yavapai County	Jasper Agate Quartz	33.9815, -112.3624	Public
In pegmatite outcrops on area roadsidesCastle Hot Springs Road	Yavapai County	Mica Garnet Hornblende Feldspar Black Tourmaline	33.9842, -112.3644	Public
All along both sides of road from Morristown to Castle Hot SpringsCastle Hot Springs Road	Yavapai County	Agate Chalcedony Chert Jasper Schorl	33.9533, -112.4910	Public
Agua Fria River GravelsNorth Coyote Lakes Parkway	Maricopa County	Agate Chalcedony Jasper	33.6437, -112.3159	Public
Area of old Octave mining campOctave Road	Yavapai County	Gold	34.1417, -112.6901	Public
On surface around Rich Hill	Yavapai County	Gold Nugget	34.1728, -112.7104	Public
San Domingo WashPhoenix–Wickenburg Highway	Maricopa County	Gold	33.8870, -112.6623	Public

Payson rockhounding FAQ

Where can I go rockhounding near Payson?+

There are 43 mapped rockhounding spots within about 150 miles of Payson, Arizona. The closest is Oxbow & Silver Butte Mines in Gila County, roughly 5 miles away. The full list is on this page with coordinates and drive times.

What rocks and minerals can you find near Payson?+

Spots within driving distance of Payson most commonly produce agate, jasper, gold, quartz, chalcedony, fluorite.

Is rockhounding legal near Payson?+

Casual hand collecting of common rocks and minerals is allowed on most BLM and U.S. Forest Service land, with limits set by the local field office. National parks, most state parks, and tribal land are off-limits. Each spot page on this site lists access status; always confirm current rules with the managing agency before a trip.

How far do most rockhounders drive from Payson?+

Most weekend trips from Payson fall inside a 2 to 3 hour drive, which is roughly the 150-mile radius shown on this page. Closer spots are good for half-day outings; the outer ones are better as overnight trips.

More state coverage

The spots above span 2 states. Open the state page for the full county-by-county view.

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