Many beautiful groups were saved in this fashion and of the nal specimen total, about half were repaired. You will find the area rich in geodes and quartz. Top 5 Rockhounding Spots In Colorado Wolf Creek Pass: US 160, also known as Wolf Creek Pass, can be a challenging drive. (1) A stream valley is carved into the sedimentary rocks of the Pogonip Group. The specimens were. Many of the pieces consist of groups containing amazonite, quartz and (sometimes) white albite. Then, the dip changed to a near-horizontal position and the pegmatite began to widen into a lens. Much additional geological information was collected from eld observations made during the 1997 work. In fact, any deposit that makes up the Earths outer crust. The great thing about rockhounding is that it doesnt require much in the way of equipment or supplies. If youve already found a rock and youre not sure what it is, I would highly recommend checking out my Practical Rock Identification System. Story and Photos by Mark Leatherman. Thus, the Two Point Mine sits among some ne company within the amazonite district; its location being center stage to several historic discoveries. The amazonite color was incredible! Cherry Creek was one of the first places early prospectors found gold in Colorado. Most of the terminations took a beating inside the pocket from natural events; the collecting procedure did not damage them. The State Line Kimberlite District, Colorado & Wyoming, USA While small compared to the great diamond-bearing [], The Collector's Edge Minerals Inc. P.O. The intrusive lies on the western boundary of the Pikes Peak granite. Though many weekend prospectors have combed hillsides digging with hand tools, few have had the resources to mine these valuable specimens with mechanized equipment. Its claim to fame and reason for its name is due to its unusual summit block, which is apparently made out of solid quartz. Chaffee County is home to many old mining prospects, making it a prime destination for rockhounds. Agate and jasper, amazonite crystals, blue barite, feldspar, fluorite, garnet, geodes, opal, rhodochrosite, quartz crystal, topaz and tourmaline are just some of the specimens that rockhounds can add to their collections. Over 1 billion years ago, magma pushed up into the Front Range of Colorado. Length 12.1 miElevation gain 4,314 ftRoute type Loop. Colorado Rockhounding is a complete guide to the state's rich and varied mineral, gemstone, and fossil sources. Get to know this 12.1-mile loop trail near Breckenridge, Colorado. The pocket was packed with clay and contained only amazonite, no smoky quartz. Thousands of years of erosion have reduced the colorful sandstone formations to rolling grassy hills. 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. The best of Al Ordways pieces is on display at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Lake George intrusive center, after Wobus, 1976. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. The pocket lay only 2 meters below the surface next to a large tree. | Rockhounding Near Me 15,381 views Jun 29, 2020 #MiningAmazonite #PikesPeak #ThatCampingCouple We 480 Dislike Share That Camping Couple 65.7K. Is Iron out ok to use? Thelma Hurianek was instrumental in discovering the Museum Pocket that was reconstructed and is now on display at the Denver Museum of Natural History. At an elevation of 6,386 feet above sea level, an igneous deposit of rhyolite has been pushed up to the surface. Any remaining open space is filled with iron-stained clay. Website. The Two Points steep terrain and hard rock kept serious development from occurring until. The crystal groups exhibited great aesthetics but at this point one could not determine if the amazonite color was very good. Careful water ushing reveals the delicate crystal plates, which then may be removed. Sometimes it can be hard to remove limb casts from the ground by hand, even when theyre partially exposed. Petrified wood is actually a fossil. 5 Old Ghost Towns in New Hampshire Worth Exploring. The best rockhounding locations in Colorado are: Mt. The adventurous rock hound wanting to venture further in search of lovely stones and crystals should go to www.peaktopeak.com/colorado/index.php3, an excellent Web site where you can access locations and availability for any mineral. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. (2) A volcanic eruption fills the stream valley with ash, pumice, and Pogonip Group rock fragments as a rhyolitic ash-flow tuff where it lithifies into the Tunnel Spring Tuff. The specimens were discovered 2 meters beneath the surface, inside a collapsed pocket, eventually named the Tree Root Pocket. The pockets measured between 20 to 40 cm in diameter and 5 to 8 cm high. The microcline color varies from pink to light green to medium green to light blue green to dark blue green, the latter being the best and most desirable color. When it comes to Colorado pegmatite's, most people think of the vivid and prolific smoky quartz and 'Amazonite' feldspar combinations or perhaps fluorite or topaz crystals from the Pike's Peak batholith, which can be seen in collections all over the world. On the other hand, if youre willing to buckle down and learn whatever you need to then youll find that Mount Antero is an awesome adventure. Brilliant, gem-quality Rhodochrosite is one of Colorados most valuable minerals. Rockhounding Colorado: A Guide to the States Best Rockhounding Sites (Rockhounding Series). Golden, Colo. Photo by Ron Wolf. For the hardy adventurous soul in good physical condition, the are riches to be found high on the exposed slopes of Mt. Amethyst geodes, Agate, Chalcedony, Jasper, Moonstone, Quartz crystals. Rockhounding Colorado - Gary Warren 2023-04-01 Rockhounding Colorado takes you to 81 of the best rockhounding sites in the state. The repairs helped recreate the outstanding beauty of this pocket. Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing. Graphic by Bill Tanaka. Pegamite, a gem-bearing granitic formation, is what youll be looking for. Also, most pieces had only one repair. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. On the surface, a few small fragments of deep blue-green amazonite (called color by local diggers) were lying exposed on the dump of a small hole dug years earlier. Colorado is well known for its unique combination of amazonite and smoky quartz crystals. I'm Mike Rhea, and I'm a professional Geologist with a passion for rocks, minerals, and everything related to Geology. Although there's an available collection of minerals on the National Forest land. Also, a tree root grew downwards along the pegmatite and into the pocket; it was one of probably hundreds through the years that grew into the pocket and slowly broke it apart. If the pegmatite was very strong, i.e. While not the rarest gemstone around, its certainly a great specimen and some of the formations that come out of the mountains in Colorado are very impressive. The Two Point Mine is located on a small mining claim in Teller County, Colorado, approximately 65 km west of Colorado Springs, Colorado near Lake George. Human Services and Social Programs. A good place to start is your local state park or forest service office. And one of the best resources is membership in the Colorado Mineral Society (CMS). 4) Not really a good place for fossils or gemstones (there's not much to be found), but do check out Garden of the Gods. The Tree Root Pocket. Some of the more high profile include dinosaur fossils, petrified wood, amazonite, flourite, and even aquamarine. For many rockhounds, rhodochrosite is known for its deep red, pink, and white bands. You can also read through my free rock identification guide and mineral identification guide which are filled with useful information and tools. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Given the. Collectors Edge Minerals, Inc. had the opportunity in 1996-1997 to mine in Teller County, under a lease agreement, using mechanized equipment. RockSeeker.com is reader-supported. The following article provides some basic information on safety, rockhounding tools, collecting and our responsibilities towards the environment. If youre interested in getting started with rockhounding, all you need is a good pair of hiking boots, a backpack, and a few basic tools. Blog Introduction: Rockhounding is the hobby of collecting rocks and minerals. crystal peak colorado rockhounding. You will discover this rock paradise 10 miles south of Grand Junction. Amphibole, Chalcopyrite, Corundum, Epidote, Pyrite, Muscovite, Quartz crystals, Sagenitic Quartz, Sapphire, etc. There are actually four areas just for those within a few miles of the peak itself. Care should be taken to respect private property and the claims within the national forest. This updated and expanded comprehensive users guide to finding different rockhounding sites across the state includes pertinent information like driving directions, access specifics, seasons, regulations, and specific methods to help improve your rockhounding adventures at each site. About 2 kilometers to the west lie the Clarence Coil claims on and near Yucca Hill. on a small mining claim in Teller County, Colorado, approximately 65 km west of Colorado Springs, Colorado near Lake George. Colorado is well known for its unique combination of amazonite and smoky quartz crystals. If an exceptional piece was found, then additional cost was incurred to purchase it. Agate, Jasper, Galena, Copper, Turquoise, Rhodonite, Sowbelly agate. Unfortunately, not a single additional pocket was discovered at depth, a surprise to everyone. Geologic features including textural variations in the granite bedrock, fault systems, and pegmatite locations were plotted on a base map. Pit B was also revisited and it too was drilled and shot extensively. Photo by Jared Heiden . Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. The Black Rock Range geode mine is also a great place for rockhounding. Hiding within the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Crystal Mine can be found off of Long Valley Road and just before you reach Lookout Campground. This pegmatite did not open into a pocket. Located in the Colorado Rockies near the Crystal Peak area is a mining spot that is popular for its teal blue amazonite and smoky Quartz combination of crystals. U-Dig Fossils Trilobites. Rockhounding is a great hobby for people of all ages. The minerals are often encased in cavities and pegmatites in the granite, so a rock pick and a hammer should be in your pack. I will be visiting Colorado towards the end of next week. At the same time a ground-penetrating radar system was employed to scan for near-surface pockets, that is, those pockets within 7 meters of the surface. The color is best described as deep blue-green, one of the nest amazonite colors. Southeast of Salt Lake City, witin the diverse mineral laden lands of central Utah , the Dugway Geode Beds are a popular stop for rockhounds from all over the world. It was here, in Pit C, that the first correlation between north-south trending fault systems and their intersection with pegmatite dikes was observed. Rockhounding and Mineral Collecting . The opening only reached 20 cm high. In the late 1800s, prospectors first struck gold along Clear Creek near Central City. A few great crystal locations that are open to the public are Pike National Forest near Florissant and Lake George, up the mountain from Colorado Springs. During the process of mining the highwall, each pegmatite structure took turns widening into lenses and opening into pockets. Over 1 billion years ago, magma pushed up into the Front Range of Colorado. There are are many areas which are known to contain petrified dinosaur bones and gastroliths, as well as opalized wood and agate. It contains more hematite and the amazonite is of a lighter non-commercial color. Photo by Dave Roter. The blue-green color varied slightly from the edge of the pocket to its center. If the pocket had not collapsed, several hundred more beautiful specimens would have been recovered. found ever in North America. I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you. You may not dig one of those up, but theres a reason that Pikes Peak dominates the rockhounding landscape in Colorado! The following are just a few of the great areas to go for a mineral hunt in the state. These faults are near vertical. Search for amethyst and quartz at the Crystal Hill Mine, check out the view at Douglas Pass while looking for leaf imprints and insect fossils, or head to Saint Peters Dome to uncover green, white, and purple fluorite. The pegmatites form where the intrusive rock has cooled much slower than the surrounding granite, allowing larger crystal growth to occur. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Crystal Peak is the best area but most of it is under claim. Much of the potential prospect area in recent years has been placed under claim. For my next free day. A few individuals have resorted to more aggressive mining techniques using mechanized equipment, including bulldozers and backhoes. Dinosaur fossils discovered in Colorado represent a diversity of dinosaur groups from all three periods of the Mesozoic Era. Crystal Park Dillon, MT Phone: 406-683-3900 Additional Information: Activities Amenities Crystal Park is a unique recreation area at an elevation of 7,800 feet in the Pioneer Mountains in southwest Montana. The dinosaur sites now form the Garden Park Paleontological Resource Area overseen by the Bureau of Land Management. Colorado ranks among the most strongly mineralized areas in the world, and its especially noted for alabaster, amethyst, lapis lazuli (blue sapphire), topaz and turquoise. Its been a while since weve posted an update on the Detroit City Mine project at the Sweet Home deposit [], Collectors Edge Minerals Inc. recognizes and thanks Rocks & Minerals for permission to use portions or all of their original [], The 2020 Denver Gem and Mineral Show was a Success! While the color was medium blue-green, the association with the albite made them very desirable to collectors. Unfortunately, only a handful of pieces were completely damage-free. About 100 ne pieces were removed in addition to several hundred lesser pieces. The majority of these locations are my interpretation of Robert Bestes A Location Guide for Rock Hounds in the United States. Once youve found a good spot to start rockhounding, its time to start collecting! No kidding, this thing is around 3 feet long! Native Americans collected crystals from the site for millennia before the first recorded visit to the area by pioneer wagon trains in 1845. It was . The Willow Creek district north of Creede is particularly famous for its prolific amethyst, but the area is largely privately owned and picked over by now. The quartz crystals were gemmy and sometimes awless. Houselog Creek: Houselog Creek is located in Saguache County at a distance of 12 miles from Saguache. I wouldlove to collect some rocks/crystal/fossils while I'm there. For the adventurous, hiking the mountains of Colorado with a gold pan can incite a nostalgia of the old days and maybe turn up some specimens. crystal peak colorado rockhounding Unfortunately for rockhounds, the law prohibits them from publishing their names or contact information online. There is a huge variety of rare minerals and gems in Colorado. Learn more at the Lake George Gem and Mineral Club, or simply trek out your cabin door in search of a unique rock or quartz. Unfortunately, mining claims and thousands of people picking at the easy stuff over the years make it a bit harder to mine above the treeline than it should be. Hahns Peak is a summit in Routt County, Colorado, in the United States. There have also been sightings of the gemstone in El Paso County, Colorado. The blue-green microcline feldspar and rich black smoky quartz crystals create an unparalleled contrast making these specimens highly prized among collectors. They also offer knowledgeable guided tours of the Round Mountain BLM Rockhound Area. The color could only be determined later at the laboratory where the specimens would be cleaned. The joints are almost undetectable and care must be taken that the working face does not peel away when one is near. [3] With an elevation of 10,774 feet (3,284 m), Hahns Peak is the 1855th highest summit in the state of Colorado. The county road access to the gulch is the same as that used for the 14er, Quandary Peak, so weekend use in this area can be quite heavy, but those seeking the high 13ers will find much more solitude . Of course, with the mountainous terrain comes the complications of weather and accessibility. Just to the southeast of the Two Point Mine are the excavations of Rock Currier and Bob Bartsch. . Rockin . When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. ROCKHOUNDING 101. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". It can be a daring adventure, but its one you should undertake with both caution and the knowledge that you may not find what youre looking for at all. The limited success of Pit C however, provided enough incentive to continue operations into 1997. Beryl, Bismutite, Fluorapatite, Muscovite, Autunite, Bertrandite, Beryl, Chrysoberyl, Garnet, Graphic Granite, Amazonite, Fluorite (green), Goethite, Hematite, Quartz crystals, Agate, Chalcedony, Jasper, Opal, Petrified wood, Dinosaur bones, Amethyst crystals, Chalcedony, Sphalerite, Silver minerals. Care should be taken to respect private property and the claims within the national forest. The Tree Root Pockets overall quality, quantity and beauty have not been surpassed in over 100 years of digging in the region. Sure, Colorado is known for rock climbing, hiking and skiing. If the pegmatite was very strong, i.e. The pegmatites generally lie horizontally. . Vernon Hills Wonderstone. Photo by C. Baldwin. Most of the Colorado material formed in the Pike's Peak granite batholith at various well-crystallized places. The downside is that considerable quantity of the land was developed into cabin and home areas some years ago. . crystal peak colorado rockhounding. The pockets were laying horizontally. Once youve collected some rocks and minerals, its time to clean them up. The replacement occurs by percolating groundwater that replaces the organic materials with silica. Allanite, Astrophyllite, Epidote, Garnets, Hyalite Opal, Hornblende, Magnetite, Sphene, etc. The mine area is crisscrossed with faults, joints and pegmatites. Consequently many crystals have detached from their matrix. Much damage was caused by this collapse. 1997 turned out to be the year of discovery at the Two Point Mine. Smoky Quartz even occurs right alongside Amazonite in some places, leading to dramatic specimens that bear the full colors of both. The pegmatites are not continuous structures. Another view inside the Tree Root Pocket. The pegmatite plunged into the hill at a dip of 25 degrees to a depth of 2 meters below surface. The areas at, or near, the hilltops usually contain the best hunting ground for amazonite. During the week of June 1, 1997, new equipment was moved onto the property. at least 30 cm thick, it did not bend into a vertical orientation, instead, it intersected the fault and opened into a pocket, lying in a near horizontal orientation. Add in the short summer season where you can reach the gem fields it may not be worth it for the average rockhound. The area has produced some of the finest smoky quartz and amazonite specimens in the world. [5] Through quite a bit of research and cross-referencing of available literature, I have compiled this list of some prospective locations in Colorado which I would recommend to people looking to do some rockhounding. Rocks are the history books of ancient geologic times. The ownership and status of land can and does change frequently, making it impossible to document accurate information on this page. The region around the mine consists of gently rolling hills covered with pine trees and wild grasses. Early mining focused on the gem potential of topaz and quartz. Later on, trees were reintroduced to complete the reclamation task. Thus, the Two Point Mine sits among some ne company within the amazonite district; its location being center stage to several historic discoveries. In three different areas on the mine property, it was observed that when pegmatites intersect the north-south faults they commonly thicken into lenses, and often produce pockets. The plates containing albite balls, amazonite and quartz created a beautiful array of color. This is a full-blown adventure, which is great but it also means a lot of planning on your end. Its found primarily in a few mountain ranges in central Colorado. Posts: 5 Joined: 21-March 14 Member No. The state gem is aquamarine, found on the lofty reaches of Mount Antero (Chaffee County). While there seems to be a correlation of pockets being discovered at the intersections of north south fault structures and pegmatites, not all intersections yield pockets. Equipment was mobilized and three test pits were dug along favorable structures. A mine program was put together to drill and blast 30 feet below the pocket. The Pikes Peak batholith consists of Pikes Peak granite and hosts all of the important Colorado Front Range pegmatites. The area is mountainous with rugged terrain of forest and rock. It took two months to find all of the fits. Line drawing of a microcline crystal. Rockhounding In Colorado Starting with the rich gold and silver deposits which were the starting point of so many Colorado towns, the Centennial State. Tip: Check out my Complete Rock Tumbling Guide to make your rocks and gemstones really shine! With the influx of miners and prospectors into the state, it wasnt long before the rich deposits of the San Juan Mountains were discovered, leading to the creation of towns such as Breckenridge, Creed, Telluride, Ouray, and Cripple Creek. Crystal Peak area. Before repair work, photographs were taken of each group. Gems, then, are the flowers of the minerals that have ornamental value because of their beauty, durability and, occasionally, some degree of rarity. James says: June 10, 2014 at 2:11 pm. But, even when putting the pieces side by side, it was very difcult to tell the difference between one which formed near the pockets edge and one formed near its center. Following cleaning and repair, each group was again photographed and then cataloged. The valleys contain small streams, several of which run year-round. Always be alert of your speed. Jasper Walking around with your nose to the ground reopens that childhood part of us that thinks finding a pretty stone is a wondrous event. After six weeks of careful, mind-numbing effort, the pieces worthy of repair from the Tree Root Pocket were nally complete. The pocket also produced 100s of single amazonite crystals and small amazonite groups. The Tree Root Pocket. If youre interested in getting started with rockhounding, this blog post is for you. Usually, the pegmatites are difficult to notice until their thickness reaches at least 10 cm; then they are easy to spot because they contain a course graphic granite texture which is visually distinctive from the more ne-grained granite host-rock. Where To Go Rockhounding In Utah Dugway Geode Beds. 0. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Crystal Peak Located on the Wah Wah Mountain Range, Crystal Peak is a result of a volcanic eruption from a nearby caldera around 35 million years ago. Albite, Beryl, Lepidolite, Mica, Tourmaline, Monazite. Gunnison and the surrounding area have long been noted for their rock and mineral specimens. The Pikes Peak granite is a 1.03 billion year old Precambrian granite which extends for over 120 km along the front range of Colorado near Colorado Springs. In some areas, the faults are no more than thin planer features cutting through the surrounding granite. Though most weekend prospectors did not stake claims on the public land on which they found specimens, some did stake and file claims to prevent others from encroaching on their property. The thin black dotted lines highlight the pegmatite structures. The opening uncovered the previous day was originally created when the graphic granite roof plates separated from their ner-grained granite host-rock. This is a huge area. The collecting crew work the face of Pit C. From left: David Roter, George Robertson, Bryan Lees, and Robert Lorda (red hard hat). With over 770 types of minerals to be found, its second only to California in the number of different gems and minerals statewide. In Colorado, its distribution is far-flung for the most part. After a simple spray wash, the true color of the amazonite begins to unfold. This season, it was decided to try a larger machine which would provide much more digging power than was previously used. amzn_assoc_asins = "B01IEX2TEO,B0002YWWVE,B08N41884X,B01CV1XW5K"; Important Disclaimer: I have not been to these locations myself, and I do not know if they are currently open for collecting. This area was filled and reclaimed. Pit A yielded one pocket of good quality amazonite single crystals without associated quartz. The pocket was mostly collapsed, the roof having fallen in, perhaps, millions of years earlier. Bill Kazel operates a Caterpillar 977 crawler/loader to remove overburden and expose the pegmatites. Close-up of material initially taken from the Tree Root pocket. Mining Amazonite for FREE in Colorado! The thicker the lens, the larger the pocket opening. This is the most common microcline form found at the Two Point Mine. Collecting activity began in the Lake George region during the 1870s. Some of the groups and families that own these allow rockhound clubs onto the property, but there are no guarantees. The luster is also good, but not perfect. Just finding out where you can legally grab some stones can be a headache for the budding rockhound. Amazonite, Fluorite (purple), Quartz crystals (clear, smoky), Fluorite, Gold, Silver, Chalcocite, Sphalerite, Willemite, Apophyllite, Aragonite, Calcite, Halloysite, Zeolite crystals, Stilbite, Zeolites, Aquamarine, Bertrandite, Beryl, Smoky Quartz crystals. A popular activity in these areas, where the possibility of finding a geological treasure is real. The Fort Collins area has some very interesting rockhounding locations, particularly the areas of the aptly named Specimen and Crystal mountains. Box 1169 Golden, CO 80402, Phone: 303-278-9724 Fax: 303-278-9763 Send us an email, In June, 1997, a beautiful pocket of blue-green microcline (v. amazonite) specimens was discovered in the classic Lake George, Colorado amazonite mining area. Crystal Peak is a USGS named summit in middle of the northern Sierra Nevada Diamond Mountains, on the border of Lassen and Plumas Counties, roughly between Reno and Susanville as the crow flies. Youll be seeing topaz, amazonite, and smoky quartz in the majority of hunting spots in the area. One was discovered by Al Ordway and the other by Bob Bartsch. Market acceptability of nely-repaired specimens will give the eld collector the incentive to save and repair important pieces. Circa 1980. One of the most common questions rockhounds have is whether or not they are allowed to collect at a certain location. They are generally lighter brown in colored mounts that line the hillside. The blue-green microcline feldspar and rich black smoky quartz crystals create an unparalleled contrast making these specimens highly prized among collectors. The disease strikes when least expected. The pegmatite bending made following pegmatites a difficult job and care had to be taken not to dig too fast for risk of injuring a good pocket. On Crystal Peak's summit above 9,600 feet, scholars sat and sketched the valley's first geologic map, according to history compiled by the Florissant museum. During the 1970s, several signicant nds were made there including one pocket that contained single amazonite crystals and small groups with the best deep blue-green color recorded up to that time. Here, groups are compared to photographs of their original uncleaned condition. November 10, 2018. NOTE: All the locations listed in these tables are clickable, and will take you to the location on Google Maps. At least until you noticed the abnormal weight. At least two major north-south trending fault systems run the length of the Two Point Mine. Nearly 1,000 feet of the Tunnel Spring Tuff is visible many miles away as its startling white color varies from that of the surrounding landscape. Back at the Collectors Edge cleaning lab in Golden, Colorado, Bryan Lees reviews the contents of the Tree Root Pocket. After the pit was filled, the surface was seeded and trees planted. Access to the claim and Mine is via a 4-wheel drive road trail that is accessed from Lake George, Colorado by driving north on public roads through private property onto National Forest land. amzn_assoc_linkid = "449ea551b1326ba1099098f322f2d915"; They can provide you with maps of the area as well as tips on where to find interesting specimens.