Elk River: Quartz & Agate Rockhounding in Curry County, Oregon
- Minerals reported
- 4
- Elevation
- 660 ft
- Best months
- Year-round
Elk River is a mapped rockhounding spot in Curry County, Oregon. Reported finds include quartz, agate, jasper, petrified wood. Below: coordinates, access notes, nearby spots, and trip-planning links.
Plan your visit
Confirm rules before collecting
- County
- Curry County
- State
- Oregon
- Nearest road
- Forest Road 5201
- Coordinates
- 42.72585, -124.27090
Coordinates are approximate. Confirm the exact ground in the RockHoundR app, where land overlays show which agency manages the area.
Land & collecting status
Confirm rules before collecting
Land status here is not confirmed. Verify with the managing agency before collecting, federal, state, and tribal rules differ.
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.
Best time to visit Elk River
Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)
Conditions here are workable year-round, with typical highs from 52°F in winter to 65°F in summer.
Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, PORT ORFORD #2 station (12 mi away), adjusted for elevation.
Geology at Elk River
This spot sits on Western Klamath Terrane; Elk Subterrane, mapped as sandstone, dark gray; fossils: few, poorly preserved, broad shelled buchia fossils, and mudstone that formed roughly 200 to 66 million years ago. Sedimentary beds like these are the typical host for petrified and silicified wood, which weathers out as durable float on slopes and in washes.
- Mapped unit
- Western Klamath Terrane; Elk Subterrane
- Age
- 200–66 Ma (Jurassic to Cretaceous)
- Rock types
- sandstone, dark gray; fossils: few, poorly preserved, broad shelled buchia fossils, and mudstone
- Elevation
- 660 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.
Today's weather
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The app shows live weather, recent rain, and a daily rockhounding score for Elk River.
Get the appSources & 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.
State guidance last verified:
- BLM Oregon/Washington, Rockhounding & mineral material
- Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI)
- Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, beach collecting rules
- Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules
Found at Elk River
Each name 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 Elk River.
- Elk River - Gravel BarsCurry County, Oregon · 3 mi away
- Sixes River Recreation AreaCurry County, Oregon · 6 mi awayGold, Agate, Jasper
- Sugarloaf Mt.Curry County, Oregon · 8 mi awayNephrite, Serpentine
- Port OrfordCurry County, Oregon · 11 mi awayPlatinum
- Agate BeachCurry County, Oregon · 12 mi awayAgate, Jasper
- Lobster BarCurry County, Oregon · 15 mi awayQuartz, Agate, Jasper
- Cape Blanco State ParkCurry County, Oregon · 16 mi awayAgate, Jasper
- Agness BarCurry County, Oregon · 16 mi awayQuartz, Chalcedony, Agate
Across the state line from Elk River
Elk River is close enough to the Oregon border that the next-closest rockhounding spots are in a neighboring state. Worth knowing if you are already on the road.
- Keystone MineDel Norte County, California · 53 mi awayCopper Nugget
- Diamond CreekDel Norte County, California · 56 mi awayNative Copper
- Smith River GravelsDel Norte County, California · 57 mi awayDiamond
- Shelly Creek & Monkey Creek MinesDel Norte County, California · 58 mi awayGold, Arsenopyrite
- Crescent City BeachesDel Norte County, California · 66 mi awayAgate, Chalcedony, Jasper
- Happy Camp Jade MinesSiskiyou County, California · 72 mi awayJade, Gold, Serpentine
Elk River FAQ
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More rockhounding in Oregon
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