In fact, some of them have no chalcedony core at all, and they are actually quite boring and uninteresting to collectors. Others are simply spectacular and are highly prized. The thundereggs can be found in a number of places. Digging is usually required, but not necessarily.
Succor Creek has long been known as a top rockhounding site in Oregon. It is a fairly remote area near the border with Idaho. The collecting area here is big. This area has been hunted hard over the years, yet people still come back and find more. In addition to thundereggs, there are good picture jaspers and petrified wood here that you should keep an eye out for.
Take the beautiful drive through Leslie Gulch to reach the upper end of the Owyhee Reservoir. This site is basically like Succor Creek; there is so much ground to cover and an abundance of good material. There are thundereggs as well as petrified wood, agates, jaspers, and some fossil specimens. When the reservoir levels are low in the late summer it exposes even more gravels.
This popular access is located between Prineville and Mitchell off of Highway There are some nice picnic areas and campgrounds, and good agate beds that you can dig. There are dig pits all over this area and there is decent signage to help you find where to look. You can also walk around and explore tailings of the old pits and find some decent material to bring home and cut. White Rock Campground is just up the road and there are additional pits there as well.
There are abundant collecting sites here. The thundereggs here run smaller than what you will find at the pay-to-dig sites near Prineville, but they have nice agate material and are good prizes. If you really want to get away from the crowds, take a trip out to the Alvord Desert in Southern Oregon and look for nice thundereggs at Pike Creek. You can search the creek bed, or explore the vast desert and other dry washes around this area.
There is good material all over. In addition to decent thundereggs hunting, you can also find decent agate and jasper material too. Head down to the Lakeview area for an experience away from the crowds. This site is south of Lakeview and just north of the California border.
However, nice pieces of moss agate can still be found by rockhounds willing to take the time and effort to dig. Slabs of Maury Mountain moss agate. The moss-like inclusions found at Maury Mountains come in colors of red, yellow, brown, and green. Visitors to the Maury Mountains rockhounding site during the spring months may observe the blooms of a variety of wildflowers.
Colorful agate and jasper can be collected on the ground surface below the cliffs overlooking the site. Many specimens have cavities filled with drusy quartz. The agate and jasper is often attached to boulders of lava rock, so a rock hammer and some chipping tools are useful for removing the desired material.
Rockhounds can expect to find relatively large samples of multi-colored jasper at this site. This sample is about 10 inches wide. Site Description: Although this site has been worked by rockhounds for many years, quality thundereggs can still be found by determined rockhounds.
Digging through the tough rhyolite matrix can be difficult so be sure to bring hand tools adequate for breaking rock.
Look for chips and pieces of agate where other rockhounds have been digging for potential leads. Site Description: This site offers thundereggs that are filled with colorful jasper. Shades of red, yellow, and tan are available as well as a creamy white color. The thundereggs can be difficult to remove from the hard rhyolite matrix, so bring hand tools adequate for breaking rock. Look for chips and pieces of jasper where other rockhounds have been digging for potential leads.
View All Forest Alerts. Skip to main content. Site Map. Public Rockhounding Sites Privately owned rockhounding sites are also available in and around central Oregon. Agency: Bureau of Land Management Visitors to the Bear Creek rockhounding site during the spring months may observe blooms of bitterroot and other high desert wildflowers.
Contact BLM. Agency: Bureau of Land Management Eagle Rock is an erosional remnant of a welded tuff hardened volcanic ash deposit along Hwy near the Eagle Rock rockhounding site. Rockhounds collecting at the Eagle Rock agate beds. TIP: Did you know quartz is often used in watches or radios, and microprocessors? Or what is the most expensive mineral? Check out these cool and interesting facts about rocks and minerals in the article below:.
Sedimentary rocks are pretty common everywhere, and this also stands true in the case of Oregon. Some specimens are more beautiful than others, however, here is a couple of them and where you can find them. If you visit these locations in Oregon to find sedimentary rocks, look out for other things as well, as you never know what you might find!
Oregon has its volcanoes , and its igneous rocks well mapped and researched. Down below you can see in the table what kind of igneous rocks are in Oregon, and where you can find them.
Though Oregon is famous for its gemstones, minerals, and rocks when it comes to crystals, things take a different turn. The most famous crystal found in Oregon appears to be jade. Jade can be found in Oregon predominantly in its middle zone.
Check out the article below and find out where to go:. There is even a mineral named after the state, oregonite. Now that this is out of the way, here are some of the best gems and minerals you can find in Oregon! The best place to find opal in Oregon is in the area known as Opal Butte, which is located in Morrow County. In the mines of the Oregon Cascades — specifically the eastern side, opal is quite abundant, or in the eastern side of the Owyhee Mountains near the border with Idaho.
The Juniper Ridge Opal Mine is also famous for its many-colored opals. It is located in southern Oregon. Many types of opal are present in Oregon, but the two most abundant variants of opal are the common opal and the fire opal. Some thundereggs have opals in them, however, the Owyhee blue opal is the rarest , and would make for a great addition to any rockhounds collection! Sunstone is a beautiful gemstone of the feldspar family, and it can be found in the central, southern, and southeastern parts of Oregon where it meets the borders with California.
These two locations are also legal for rockhounds to collect. It is important to note that sunstones come in almost all colors, and it is the official gemstone of Oregon since The color of sunstones usually determines their value, with red being among the most valued due to its high concentration of copper. The green sunstones come in second place, while yellow is the cheapest. Jasper is predominantly found in the eastern parts of Oregon, such as the Sherman County, Deschutes River, Malheur County, or the Willamette Valley, specifically the local river.
The most popular type of jasper in Oregon is Biggs Jasper, which you can find in Biggs village. Deschutes jasper or the Owyhee jasper is also pretty sought after. Jasper is commonly found near rivers since they are carried by the water from volcanic origins.
Though this district is famous for its gold mining, amethyst is abundant as well. Though amethyst is rare, it is most likely that you will find it in Central Oregon, perhaps in places such as Crook County, which is also known as the capital of rockhounds. The amethyst specimens found in Oregon are noted to be paler in comparison to the standard amethyst.
For this reason, they are highly valued and sought after. The Alvord Desert in Oregon is noted for its small and big specimens of turquoise.
In general, the southern parts of Oregon are where you can find this beautiful mineral. Places such as the Ferruginous Bauxite Deposits in western or northwestern Oregon are also popular places where turquoise is found. The swamps near the Columbia River are also highly likely to contain turquoise. In Central Oregon, the White River which is a tributary of the Deschutes River is also known for this mineral and many other better ones.
If you want to find a carnelian in Oregon, you should head to Columbia County. Here head towards the Nehalem River and the Clear Creek. Another great place to find a carnelian is in the county of Linn. Other specimens such as petrified wood, agates, geodes, or jasper are also present here. As you explore the river head towards the Willamette National Forest.
On the gravel bars or hillsides, you can find carnelian, plum agates, and even jasper. Oregon has some cool rocks and precious stones just waiting to be picked up by curious rockhounds! These specimens include emeralds, rubies, amber, aquamarine, moonstone, and even diamond. Rubies, emeralds, and moonstones are quite rare, but they might be found encased in other metamorphic or igneous rocks. Aquamarine, on the other hand, is typically found on high elevations, perhaps on Mount Hood in Oregon, but this is unconfirmed.
In the Smith River drainage, both gold and diamonds were found. Typically near the Oregon-California border. Most accounts point out the fact that California is where diamonds are the most abundant, being found even on beaches on several occasions. TIP: Actually, what are cool rocks? Just random but beautiful rocks?
Find out more about cool rocks in the article below:.
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