Wilson River: Agate & Carnelian Rockhounding in Tillamook County, Oregon

Plan your visit

Generally open to casual rockhounding

County

Tillamook County

State

Oregon

Nearest road

Wilson River Highway

Coordinates

45.58940, -123.55880

Coordinates are approximate. Confirm the exact ground in the RockHoundR app, where land overlays show which agency manages the area.

Land & collecting status

Generally open to casual rockhounding

Most public-tagged spots sit on BLM, U.S. Forest Service, or other federal land where reasonable hand collecting of common rocks and minerals is allowed. Confirm posted rules and active mining claims before you dig.

Access note: Gravel bars along the Wilson River through Tillamook State Forest. The pin marks Jones Creek Day Use Area between mileposts 22 and 23 on Highway 6, a free public access point; productive bars line the highway corridor for several miles in both directions.

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 Wilson River

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Conditions here are workable year-round, with typical highs from 47°F in winter to 66°F in summer.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, TILLAMOOK 6SE station (15 mi away), adjusted for elevation.

Geology at Wilson River

This spot sits on surficial deposits; Alluvial deposits, mapped as mixed fluvial sediment that formed within roughly the last 3 million years. Tough silica like agate, jasper, and chert typically weathers out of beds like these and collects as float in drainages and on deflation surfaces.

Mapped unit

surficial deposits; Alluvial deposits

Age

3 Ma to present (Quaternary)

Rock types

mixed fluvial sediment

Elevation

610 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.

Sources & 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: April 1, 2026

• 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