Rockhounding near Phoenix, AZ

34 mapped rockhounding spots within 150 miles of Phoenix — 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.

Closest rockhounding spots to Phoenix

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

Skunk CreekMaricopa County, Arizona18 mi · 23 min drivePink Chalcedony
Agua Fria River GravelsMaricopa County, Arizona19 mi · 24 min driveAgate, Chalcedony, Jasper
~4 mi. SW of Cave Creek townMaricopa County, Arizona23 mi · 29 min driveAgate, Gold, Jasper
Hill to W of Cave CreekMaricopa County, Arizona26 mi · 32 min driveRed Jasper
Area around Go John MineMaricopa County, Arizona26 mi · 33 min driveGold, Silver, Copper
Road along Agua Fria RiverMaricopa County, Arizona27 mi · 34 min driveQuartz

Most-reported finds near Phoenix

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

Hunting something specific near Phoenix?

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

Every spot within 150 miles of Phoenix

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

Spot	County	Minerals	Coordinates	Access
Skunk CreekWest Happy Valley Road	Maricopa County	Pink Chalcedony	33.7112, -112.1271	Public
Agua Fria River GravelsNorth Coyote Lakes Parkway	Maricopa County	Agate Chalcedony Jasper	33.6437, -112.3159	Public
~4 mi. SW of Cave Creek townBrawling Badger Trail	Maricopa County	Agate Gold Jasper Quartz	33.7824, -111.9979	Public
Hill to W of Cave CreekFlume Trail	Maricopa County	Red Jasper	33.8178, -111.9885	Public
Area around Go John MineSlate Trail	Maricopa County	Gold Silver Copper Red Jasper Blue Quartz	33.8257, -111.9930	Public
Road along Agua Fria RiverWadell Canal Cap	Maricopa County	Quartz	33.8098, -112.2699	Public
New River Area StreamsWest New River Road	Maricopa County	Agate Chalcedony Jasper	33.9194, -112.1047	Public
2 mi. S of road on way to Bartlett Reservoir	Maricopa County	Fluorite	33.8367, -111.7521	Public
Quartz outcrop off of jeep road[FR 1058] 4WD	Maricopa County	Nodules Thundereggs	33.9063, -111.7696	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
Red Rover mineWalnut Spring Canyon Road	Maricopa County	Chalcocite Tetrahedrite	34.0110, -111.8452	Public
Area S of Horseshoe DamHorseshoe Dam Road	Maricopa County	Agate	33.9652, -111.7176	Public
Rock Springs Digging AreaPhoenix–Cordes Junction Highway	Yavapai County	Copper	34.0484, -112.1434	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
San Domingo WashPhoenix–Wickenburg Highway	Maricopa County	Gold	33.8870, -112.6623	Public
Second Peak in Four Peaks	Maricopa County	Amethyst	33.6710, -111.3224	Permission
Seven Springs-Bloody Basin RoadWillow Springs Trail #223	Yavapai County	Agate Jasper	34.0773, -111.7073	Public
Area of old Octave mining campOctave Road	Yavapai County	Gold	34.1417, -112.6901	Public
Along North Creek TrailNorth Peak Trail #24	Gila County	Agate Jasper Septarian Nodules	34.1775, -111.4476	Public
On surface around Rich Hill	Yavapai County	Gold Nugget	34.1728, -112.7104	Public
Area of old Stanton mining campStanton Road	Yavapai County	Fluorite Garnet Gold Pyrite	34.1569, -112.7362	Public
On top of steep hillStanton Road	Yavapai County	Fluorite Garnet Pyrite	34.1537, -112.7637	Public
Oxbow & Silver Butte MinesOld Payson Road	Gila County	Copper Epidote Fluorite Dioptase	34.1684, -111.3540	Public
Congress MineGhost Town Road	Yavapai County	Gold Pyrite	34.1992, -112.8535	Public

Phoenix rockhounding FAQ

Where can I go rockhounding near Phoenix?+

There are 34 mapped rockhounding spots within about 150 miles of Phoenix, Arizona. The closest is Skunk Creek in Maricopa County, roughly 18 miles away. The full list is on this page with coordinates and drive times.

What rocks and minerals can you find near Phoenix?+

Spots within driving distance of Phoenix most commonly produce agate, jasper, gold, copper, fluorite, quartz.

Is rockhounding legal near Phoenix?+

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 Phoenix?+

Most weekend trips from Phoenix 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 1 state. Open the state page for the full county-by-county view.

All Arizona spots →

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