Davy Crockett National Forest (Ratcliff Lake): Petrified Wood & Agatized Wood Rockhounding in Houston County, Texas

Plan your visit

Generally open to casual rockhounding

County

Houston County

State

Texas

Coordinates

31.37286, -95.16580

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: Ratcliff Lake Recreation Area near Kennard is a developed Forest Service site and a public anchor for the surrounding forest. Collecting on Forest Service land is allowed for personal use with a free use permit from the Davy Crockett Ranger District, so stay on national forest ground and off adjacent private tracts.

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 Davy Crockett National Forest (Ratcliff Lake)

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Best months: October to May. Typical highs run 96°F in midsummer and 62°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 38°F. Summer heat here is intense, so carry more water than you think you need and work the early morning.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, GROVETON station (12 mi away).

Geology at Davy Crockett National Forest (Ratcliff Lake)

This spot sits on Yegua Formation, mapped as claystone and sandstone that formed roughly 56 to 34 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

Yegua Formation

Age

56–34 Ma (Eocene)

Rock types

claystone and sandstone

Elevation

340 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

• Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
• Bureau of Economic Geology, Texas geology
• Big Bend National Park, Rules
• Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules