Rockhounding, which means searching for mineral specimens in the great outdoors, can be a really fun hobby, especially if you live in the Queen Creek area. In and around Queen Creek, you’ll find several spots where you can get your hands dirty searching for glittering minerals and ancient fossils that you’ll be glad to have in your personal collection. Here are a few of the top rockhounding spots in Arizona near Queen Creek that you can visit to find interesting specimens.
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Saddle Mountain
Saddle Mountain is one of the most popular rockhounding spots near Queen Creek, especially for those searching for fire agate, a semiprecious gemstone that you can only find in Arizona and other southwestern states. The fire agate that you can find in Saddle Mountains features rare quality and will fit perfectly into your mineral collection.
If you’re interested in rockhounding in Saddle Mountain, there are a few things that you should keep in mind. First, Saddle Mountain is home to several private mining claims, so you’ll need to be careful that you’re digging in a public area and not trespassing on anyone’s property. Second, because so many rockhounds have visited Saddle Mountain over the years, you’ll have to be persistent if you want to find fire agate. In general, the best time to look for this gemstone is right after a rainstorm.
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Black Hills Rockhound Area
The Black Hills Rockhound Area is another great spot to visit if you want to expand your mineral collection. Like many of the best rockhounding spots near Queen Creek, fire agate is the main draw of the Black Hills Rockhound area, although this isn’t the only mineral you may find while digging in the soil.
You can find this rockhounding area off of Route 191, and it is open to the public without the need to pay a fee or acquire a permit. If you have an extended rockhounding excursion in mind, you can camp in the area for up to two weeks. Keep in mind that there are certain limits on what you can collect. For example, you aren’t allowed to collect vertebrate fossils or Native American artifacts, but you are allowed to collect invertebrate fossils and certain amounts of petrified wood.
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Round Mountain Rockhound Area
The Round Mountain Rockhound Area is a great spot to visit if you want to get outdoors and do a little rock collecting. When you visit this rockhounding spot, you can easily find chalcedony specimens, including agate, as well as several different types of minerals.
With a little effort, you may be able to dig a geode out of the rocky soil. After you’ve had your fill of rockhounding, you can hike on one of the many trails that wind through the area, or you can set up camp so that you can get back to digging early in the morning.
If you’ve always been fascinated by the minerals you can find in the soil in Queen Creek, rockhounding is the perfect hobby for you. Take a trip to any of these excellent rockhounding spots and you can easily start or add to your mineral collection.
Image via Flickr by Different Seasons Jewelry/Under use by CC BY 2.0
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