Sixes River Recreation Area: Gold Prospecting in Curry County, Oregon
- Minerals reported
- 3
- Elevation
- 270 ft
- Best months
- Year-round
Sixes River Recreation Area is a mapped rockhounding spot in Curry County, Oregon. Reported finds include gold, agate, jasper. Below: coordinates, access notes, nearby spots, and trip-planning links.
Plan your visit
Confirm rules before collecting
- County
- Curry County
- State
- Oregon
- Nearest road
- Sixes River Road
- Coordinates
- 42.80447, -124.30767
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 Sixes River Recreation Area
Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)
Conditions here are workable year-round, with typical highs from 54°F in winter to 67°F in summer.
Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, PORT ORFORD #2 station (11 mi away), adjusted for elevation.
Geology at Sixes River Recreation Area
This spot sits on Sixes River Terrane, mapped as sandstone, dark gray, and brown that formed roughly 200 to 66 million years ago. In sedimentary country like this, any placer gold is typically recycled from older gravels, concentrating again in modern stream beds.
- Mapped unit
- Sixes River Terrane
- Age
- 200–66 Ma (Jurassic to Cretaceous)
- Rock types
- sandstone, dark gray, and brown
- Elevation
- 270 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
Is today a good day to go?
The app shows live weather, recent rain, and a daily rockhounding score for Sixes River Recreation Area.
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 Sixes River Recreation Area
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 Sixes River Recreation Area.
- Sugarloaf Mt.Curry County, Oregon · 4 mi awayNephrite, Serpentine
- Elk RiverCurry County, Oregon · 6 mi awayQuartz, Agate, Jasper
- Elk River - Gravel BarsCurry County, Oregon · 7 mi away
- Port OrfordCurry County, Oregon · 10 mi awayPlatinum
- Agate BeachCurry County, Oregon · 11 mi awayAgate, Jasper
- Cape Blanco State ParkCurry County, Oregon · 12 mi awayAgate, Jasper
- Lobster BarCurry County, Oregon · 21 mi awayQuartz, Agate, Jasper
- Agness BarCurry County, Oregon · 21 mi awayQuartz, Chalcedony, Agate
Across the state line from Sixes River Recreation Area
Sixes River Recreation Area 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 · 59 mi awayCopper Nugget
- Diamond CreekDel Norte County, California · 62 mi awayNative Copper
- Smith River GravelsDel Norte County, California · 63 mi awayDiamond
- Shelly Creek & Monkey Creek MinesDel Norte County, California · 64 mi awayGold, Arsenopyrite
- Crescent City BeachesDel Norte County, California · 72 mi awayAgate, Chalcedony, Jasper
- Happy Camp Jade MinesSiskiyou County, California · 77 mi awayJade, Gold, Serpentine
Sixes River Recreation Area FAQ
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