California is one of the best states in the U.S. for rockhounding due to its extraordinarily diverse geology and wide variety of minerals. The state contains many distinct geological provinces, each with its own complicated history and associated rocks and minerals. Even before the famed gold rush, California had become famous for its high-quality gem pegmatites – most notably the tourmalines of San Diego County.
The beaches all along the coast have long been favorite rockhounding destinations for their high quality specimens. California also has the significant benefit of fantastic weather nearly year-round in large portions of the state, which increases the window of opportunity for rockhounding.
The best places to rockhound in California include the areas around San Diego, Los Angeles, San Jose, San Francisco, Crescent City, and Eureka. The state contains thousands of rockhounding locations which include mines, quarries, ocean beaches, and stream beds.
| State Symbols | |
|---|---|
| State Mineral | Gold |
| State Rock | Serpentine |
| State Gemstone | Benitoite |
| State Fossil | Saber-toothed cat |
California contains a diverse array of rock and mineral specimens such as serpentine, benitoite, jade, agate, jasper, moonstone, quartz, epidote, and rhodonite. Famous for the gold rush, there remain many places in California where rockhounds can hope to find gold and native copper.
If you’ve already found a rock and you’re not sure what it is, I would highly recommend checking out my Practical Rock Identification System. This bundle of information includes a book, videos, and online tools. It is, simply put, the most comprehensive and easy-to-understand rock identification system you’ll find anywhere.
You can also read through my free rock identification guide and mineral identification guide which are filled with useful information and tools.
Through quite a bit of research and cross-referencing of available literature, I have compiled this list of some prospective locations in California which I would recommend to people looking to do some rockhounding. These are mostly comprised of old mining prospects, beaches, streams, and historically known rock and mineral collecting sites. For additional reading, I’d highly recommend these books you can find on Amazon:
If you’re planning on heading to the field, make sure you have all the gear you’ll need! To get started, you can check out my recommended gear page which contains my full reviews for every Geologist’s favorite rock hammer and the best hiking backpack I’ve ever owned.
Please remember that rock collecting locations are constantly changing. Specimens may become depleted from other collectors, the location may have been built on or altered, locality information in literature may be inaccurate, and property ownership may have changed hands. Though there are many locations listed here, this list is far from exhaustive. A location’s listing here is not a guarantee of accuracy. Be safe, never go underground, and make sure to get permission from the landowner to search for and collect specimens.
California Rockhounding Locations
Important Disclaimer: I have not been to these locations myself, and I do not know if they are currently open for collecting. Use this resource as a guide to get you started. Follow posted signage and always get permission from the landowner to collect.
Rockhounding Locations in Northern California
The best places to rockhound in Northern California include locations near the towns of Crescent City and Eureka, as well as Siskiyou, Trinity, Modoc, and Mendocino Counties. A wide variety of rocks and minerals can be found in local streams and rivers including agate, jasper, gold, and jade.
NOTE: All the locations listed in these tables are clickable, and will take you to the location on Google Maps.
Crescent City, CA
Crescent City and the surrounding area of Del Norte County is home to some very nice prospective rockhounding locations. Particularly of note are the beaches in Crescent City such as Pebble Beach which produce nice agates and jaspers. Old mines along nearby creeks are known to have produced copper and gold.
| Location | Rocks & Minerals |
|---|---|
| Multiple ocean beaches in Crescent City | Agate, Chalcedony, Jasper, Moonstone, Petrified wood |
| Prospects near Diamond Creek | Native copper |
| Keystone Mine in the Rockland district | Copper nuggets |
| Area mines near Shelly Creek & upper Monkey Creek | Gold, Arsenopyrite |
| Area gravels of the Smith River | Diamond (occasional) |
Eureka, CA
The town of Eureka and surrounding Humboldt County have many great rockhounding locations, particularly the beaches of Patrick’s Point State Park which are famous for their agates and jaspers. Mines and riverbeds in the area also produce specimens of many minerals including diamonds, platinum, and jade.
| Location | Rocks & Minerals |
|---|---|
| Gravels all along the Trinity River | Diamond, Platinum nuggets |
| Woods Mine, 12 mi. N of Blocksburg | Bementite, Neotocite, Rhodochrosite |
| Area exposures on Horse Mt | Chromite |
| W side of Horse Mt in schists | Large prisms of Epidote (with Calcite) |
| Beaches in Patrick’s Point State Park (Agate Beach) | Agate, Jasper, Brecciated Jasper, Pyrite |
| Gravels in the Trinity River near Willow Creek | Jade |
Siskiyou County
Siskiyou County has long been famous for its gold rush history. The thousands of old mines and the surrounding creek beds of the area produce a wide variety of minerals including gold, agate, jasper, and petrified wood. These are just a few of Siskiyou County’s many potential rockhounding destinations.
| Location | Rocks & Minerals |
|---|---|
| Agate Flat area | Agate, Bloodstone, Jasper, Petrified wood |
| Area Jade mines N of Happy Camp | Jade, Gold, Serpentine, Gold-laced jade |
| Along Jenny Creek | Agate, Carnelian, Petrified wood, Fossils |
| Jones Beach, Fort Jones | Olivine crystals on diabase boulders |
| Area gravels of Hungry Creek | Cassiterite crystals, Native copper in slate |
Trinity County
The best place to rockhound in Trinity county is in the gravels of the Trinity River, which contain spectacular specimens of chalcedony, jasper, jade, petrified wood, and even gold and platinum. The area is also well known for its rhodonite which can be found in select stream beds.
| Location | Rocks & Minerals |
|---|---|
| Gravels all along the Trinity River | Chalcedony, Gold, Jasper, Jade, Petrified Wood, Platinum nuggets, Serpentine |
| Golden Jubilee Mine, NW of Carrville | Limonite, Quartz, Pyrite |
| Coffee Creek area 1 mi. N of Carrville | Anthophyllite, in veins in serpentine |
| Area stream beds near Dedrick | Rhodonite nodules |
| Indian Creek gravels, N of Helena | Rhodonite |
Modoc County
Modoc County, particularly the area around Goose Lake, is one of the best places in Northern California to collect agate and jasper. The area surrounding Glass Mountain in the eastern part of the county is also well known for its obsidian which comes in an assortment of colors.
| Location | Rocks & Minerals |
|---|---|
| 12 mi S of Adin, 4 mi. E of Hwy 139 | Wonderstone rhyolite |
| Deep Creek area SW of Cedarville | Agate, Opalized wood |
| Fandango Pass between Fort Bidwell and Pine Creek | Agate, Chalcedony, Jasper, Quartzite |
| Area around Goose Lake | Agate, Chalcedony, Jasper |
| Glass Mountain | Obsidian (many colors) |
Mendocino County
Mendocino county contains quite a few prospective rockhounding locations. The Eel river and its tributaries are known to contain several variations of jade, jadeite, and nephrite. Leech Lake and the surrounding area has historically produced specimens of nephrite, calcite, and jadeite.
| Location | Rocks & Minerals |
|---|---|
| Gravels along the Eel River | Jadeite, Nephrite |
| Area around Leech Lake | Pectolite, Nephrite, Calcite, Jadeite |
| Impassable Rock | Rhodochrosite, Inesite, Bemetite, Neotocite |
| Boulders in N Fork Eel River | Nephrite jade, Crocidolite, Jadeite |
| Road Cut 3 mi. NW of Pieta | Actinolite prisms |
Rockhounding Locations in Central California & the Bay Area
The best places to rockhound in Central California and the Bay Area include locations in Fresno, San Francisco, Mariposa, Placer, San Jose, and Monterey Counties. Local streams, mines, and beaches contain many varieties of rocks and minerals including jade, nephrite, serpentine, jasper, and agate.
San Francisco, CA
San Francisco isn’t commonly thought of as a rockhounding destination, but if you live in the area you don’t have to go far to find some decent rocks and minerals. In the areas surrounding San Francisco and even in the heart of the city you can find specimens of chert, jasper, and chromite.
| Location | Rocks & Minerals |
|---|---|
| Coyote Point, N of yacht harbor | Chert, Jasper |
| Outcrop 1 mi. NE of Cliff House | Spherulitic Chert |
| Area around Fort Point, in veins in Serpentine | Diabase, Datolite, Basalt, Apophyllite, Aragonite, Barite, Calcite |
| US Mint on Duboce Ave, as veins in Serpentine | Chalcedony, Curtisite |
| Western Slope of Crystal Springs Reservoir | Chromite, as scattered masses |
Fresno County
The best place to go rockhounding in Fresno County is the Clark Valley area, where large crystals of apatite, andalusite, and epidote have historically been found. In creek beds in the western portion of the county, you can find specimens of jasper, petrified wood, and even fossilized coral.
| Location | Rocks & Minerals |
|---|---|
| Jacolitos Canyon, in creek bed | Jasper, Petrified Wood, Fossilized Coral |
| Aurora Mine | Serpentine (high quality, get permission from store in Idria) |
| Clark Valley in area pegmatites | Apatite and Andalusite crystals |
| N end of Clark Valley | Epidote (large crystals) |
| 1.5 mi. S of Hawkins School, Watts Valley | Grossular garnet, Vesuvianite |
Mariposa County
There are several good places to rockhound in Mariposa County, most of them at old mines or historical claims. The area around Coulterville is a particularly good area to look for rocks and minerals. You can find a variety of specimens including jade, chromite, mariposite, and spessartine.
| Location | Rocks & Minerals |
|---|---|
| 2.5 mi. NE of Bagby | Jade |
| Purcell-Griffin Mine | Chromite |
| N side of road, 1 mi. W of Coulterville | Mariposite |
| Surprise Claim, N of Mariposa | Rhodochrosite, Rhodonite, Spessartine garnet |
Placer County
The best places to rockhound in Placer County are the gravels of stream beds where you can find specimens of garnet, rock crystal, serpentine, rhodonite, and more. The area also contains several old mines that have historically produced many minerals including asbestos and galena.
| Location | Rocks & Minerals |
|---|---|
| Gravels of Shady Run | Garnet, Rock Crystal (with Chlorite), Serpentine |
| Wolf Creek, 12 mi. N of Auburn | Pyrolusite, Rhodonite |
| 7 mi. SE of Newcastle | Chromite coated in Uvarovite |
| Alabama Mine | Argentite, Gold quartz, Galena |
San Jose, CA
San Jose and Santa Clara County contain several fantastic rockhounding locations. Particularly of note is the Morgan Hill area which is famous for its beautiful ‘poppy jasper’. Other minerals to be found in the area include siderite, chert, cinnabar, and agate.
| Location | Rocks & Minerals |
|---|---|
| Coyote Creek, E of Madrone | Siderite |
| Alum Rock Park, in boulders | Albandite, Hausmannite, Tephoroite |
| Creeks NW of Morgan Hill | Poppy Jasper, known as Morgan Hill Chert |
| Area mines near New Almaden | Chert, Cinnabar, Apophyllite, Gyrolite |
| Guadeloupe Creek, Guadeloupe Mine | Dendritic Agate |
Monterey County
The best places to rockhound in Monterey County are in the beach gravels near the mouths of area streams. This area is home to some of the best rockhounding in all of California. Dedicated rockhounds can hope to find quality specimens of minerals including Jade, Nephrite, Serpentine, and Rhodonite.
| Location | Rocks & Minerals |
|---|---|
| Big Sur area, in stream gravels | Jade, Nephrite, Serpentine |
| Ocean beach gravels near San Simeon Creek | Jade |
| Just S of mouth of Willow Creek | Gem quality Nephrite Jade, Serpentine |
| Beaches near mouth of Limekiln Creek | Rhodonite boulders, Axinite crystals (with Epidote and Quartz), Nephrite Jade |
Rockhounding Locations in Southern California
The best places to rockhound in Southern California include locations in San Diego, Los Angeles, Riverside County, San Bernardina County, and Kern County. Local streams, mines, and beaches contain many varieties of rocks and minerals including tourmaline, quartz crystals, agate, jasper, and chalcedony.
NOTE: All the GPS coordinates listed in these tables are clickable, and will take you to the location on Google Maps.
San Diego, CA
The area surrounding San Diego is world-famous for its excellent rockhounding, particularly for its tourmaline and other pegmatite minerals. The best places to rockhound near San Diego are established mines, most of which are privately owned. As always, make sure to get permission before collecting.
| Location | Rocks & Minerals |
|---|---|
| Mine dumps W of Lake Henshaw near Hwy | Aquamarine, Beryl, Lepidolite, Quartz crystals, Smoky Quartz, Tourmaline |
| On hill 2 mi. NW of Pala | Allanite, as black masses in quartz veins |
| Many area mines NE of Pala, Tourmaline Queen Mt. | Apatite, Aquamarine, Beryl, Quartz crystals, Rose Quartz, Tourmaline, and more |
| Stewart Mine | Bismuth, sometimes capping Tourmaline |
| Ware Mine | Beryl, Lepidolite, Quartz crystals, Schorl, Topaz, Tourmaline |
| Victor Mine | Cookeite, Albite, Bismuth, Lepidolite, Orthoclase |
Los Angeles, CA
The Los Angeles area is home to many fantastic rockhounding destinations, particularly some local ocean beaches and streambeds. Among others, high quality specimens of agate, bloodstone, moonstone, and even amethyst geodes can be found. Catalina island is home to two locations for albite specimens.
| Location | Rocks & Minerals |
|---|---|
| SW of Acton, area streams & hillsides | Agate, Chalcedony, Jasper, Quartz |
| In Escondido Canyon, W of Acton | Amethyst Geodes, Agate (banded, green moss, etc), Bloodstone, Jasper |
| Area deposits near Portal Ridge | Rhodonite (massive, deep pink) |
| Area near Malibu Lake | Analcite, in basalt seams |
| N of Redondo Beach, low-tide gravels | Gem-quality Moonstone |
| Howlands Landing, in nearby pegmatite outcrop. Also W tip of island | Albite crystals (clear, up to 1″) |
| Tick Canyon, on area hillsides | Chalcedony, Banded Agate, Bloodstone |
Riverside County
The best places to rockhound in Riverside County are pegmatite outcrops, old quarries, hillsides, and streambeds. Joshua Tree National Park contains many great rocks and minerals but is off-limits for collecting. Minerals found in Riverside County include fire agate, chalcedony, and rose quartz.
| Location | Rocks & Minerals |
|---|---|
| Rouse Hill pegmatite outcrops | Amazonite, Idocrase, Rose Quartz, Tourmaline |
| Area, Mule Mountains W of Ripley | Chalcedony, Fire Agate |
| Just W of Jensen Quarry | Hornblende (dark green crystals) |
| Old quarry in North Hill | Axinite (large purple crystals) |
San Bernardino County
San Bernardino has some of the best places for rockhounding in the entire state of California. The area around Amboy is especially notable. The canyons and dry lakes of the area contain myriad rocks and minerals including agate, opal, thundereggs, and calcite.
| Location | Rocks & Minerals |
|---|---|
| Wingate Pass area | Sagenite Agate |
| Amboy Crater | Boltwoodite (fluorescent), Jasper, Obsidian |
| Bristol Dry Lake | Celestite concretions |
| Afton Canyon | Opalite, Jasper |
| Area of Eagle Crags | Blue Agate, Bentonite, Calcite, Chalcedony, Jasper, Opal, Siderite, Wonderstone |
| N side of hill near Lead Pipe Spring | Blue Agate, Chalcedony, Jasper, Opal, Thundereggs |
| Mesas and gullies around Midway | Lavic Jasper (gem-quality) |
| Searles Lake | Borax, Aphthitalite, Halite, Hanksite, and more |
Kern County
Kern County is a very popular rockhounding destination. The hills and canyons in the eastern portion of the county are especially notable, with many locations that produce specimens of agate, jasper, opal, and quartz. The Gem Hill location and the El Paso mountains look particularly prospective.
| Location | Rocks & Minerals |
|---|---|
| SE foothills of Castle Butte | Agate, Chalcedony, Chert, Jasper, Petrified Wood |
| Little Acorn Mine (also Huckabay Mine) | Epidote, Quartz crystals, Smoky Quartz, Scheelite |
| Pine Tree Canyon | Barite crystals |
| Horse Canyon Agate Beds | Agate (‘Horse Canyon agate’), Fossilized horse bones |
| El Paso Mts, surrounding area | Agate, Opal, Jasper, Gold, Petrified wood. Surface float or minor digging |
| Gem Hill | Agate, Chalcedony, Jasper, Uraninite, Obsidian |
San Luis Obispo County
The best places to rockhound in San Luis Obispo County are ocean beaches and their associated gravels. Dedicated searchers can hope to find specimens of several minerals including jadeite, moonstone, and agate. The farm fields in the county are also known to turn up agate and jasper when plowed.
| Location | Rocks & Minerals |
|---|---|
| Fields E of Nipomo | Agate (moss, sagenite), Jasper, Petrified wood, Stibnite |
| Paso Robles area creek gravels | Jadeite |
| Ocean beaches, in gravels | ‘California’ Jade |
| San Simeon beaches above high tide mark | Moonstone |
Fee-to-Dig Sites
California is home to many fee-to-dig rockhounding sites where enthusiasts can go and hope to find almost any mineral they can think of. Here is a brief list of some of the more popular fee-to-dig sites in California and where you can find more information about them.
| Site Name | Town | Best Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Himalaya Mine | San Ysabel | Website |
| Oceanview & Pala Chief Mines | Pala | Website |
| Beniitoite Mining Company | Coalinga | Website |
| Modoc National Forest | Ambrose | Website |
| Roaring Camp Mining Company | Pine Grove | Website |
Tip: Check out my Complete Rock Tumbling Guide to make your rocks and gemstones really shine!
California Rockhounding Laws & Regulations
One of the most common questions rockhounds have is whether or not they are allowed to collect at a certain location. It is the responsibility of each rockhound to obtain permission from a landowner to search and/or collect on a piece of property.
The ownership and status of land can and does change frequently, making it impossible to document accurate information on this page. However, I have compiled a list of resources here so that you may investigate and obtain permission for any locations (found here or elsewhere) for yourself.
Public Land Resources
I have written entire articles which cover the rockhounding laws and regulations for nearly every type of public land you can think of. I encourage you to check them out if you are curious about the legalities of rock and mineral collecting.
- Rockhounding on Public Land: Laws and Regulations
- Can You Collect Rocks in State Parks? All 50 States Answered
To determine what type of public land a particular location is on, I would recommend the California State Geoportal which keeps accurate maps of every kind of public land in the state.
Private Land Resources
As with most states, each county in California will have records of who owns each piece of property. Unfortunately for rockhounds, the law prohibits them from publishing their names or contact information online. You can get the landowner’s name and address by visiting the county records office. This site contains a detailed process for accessing as much information as possible through these means.
Sources & Further Reading
The locations and information contained in this article are primarily derived from academic papers, online resources, and other outside sources. If you would like to read some of the source material for yourself I have listed them below. The majority of these locations are my interpretation of Robert Beste’s A Location Guide for Rock Hounds in the United States. Other sources include: