This is one of the best places for rockhounding! Go to www.millardcounty.com for more info.
If you want a sure bet, visit U-Dig Fossils at 350 East 300 South.
Showing posts with label rockhounding. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rockhounding. Show all posts
Monday, May 9, 2016
Friday, April 29, 2016
Rockhounding near Nephi
1. From I-15 exit 225 in Nephi, take Hwy 132 esat for 4.8 miles to the Nebo Loop Road turnoff. Follow the NEbo Loop Rd for about 3.5 miles where a fork to the left goes to the Ponderosa Campground. STAY on the Loop Rd. for about 0.2 miles to a parking area on the left. Keep a sharp eye out for it. It is just a little flat down in the trees and seldom used. If you miss it, it is quite a ways to a turnaround. When you are in the parking area, you can see a faint trail/old road heading up the hill on the other side of the little creek. Follow this trail (about a 15 minute hike) to the site, where you will find Calcite Onyx. If you do this in the fall, the Nebo Loop Road is a beautiful drive. (Spring-fall)
Rockhounding near Cedar City/Cedar Breaks
1. From Cedar City, drive north on I-15 for about 12 miles to exit 71. (Summit) At the foot of the off-ramp, turn south on the frontage road and go 1.8 miles. At this point an unmarked dirt road goes east toward the mountains. Take this road for 0.5 mile to a fork. Park at the fork and walk up the right branch (looking for agate as you walk). (Spring-Fall)
2. From Cedar City, drive west on Hwy 56 for 20 miles. Huge tailings piles can be seen on the right. Several dirt roads lead to the tailings. You can find minerals here: pyrite, hematite, barite, cinnabar, amethyst... (Spring-fall)
3. (this one is pretty far west of civilization) From Cedar City, drive west on Hwy 56 for 51 miles. Modena is off to the left. Do NOT turn into town, but instead continue across the bridge over the railroad tracks. Just past the end of the bridge, Modena Canyon Road goes right. Follow it for 5.5 miles and park off the road. You can find obsidian here. Heading back to the hwy, stop 2.3 miles from the obsidian site. There are the remains of a road her and if you search the hillside to the south of the road you can find some pieces of botryoidal chalcedony. (Spring, fall)
4. (guidebook says you need a high clearance vehicle) From the visitor center at Cedar Breaks, drive north for 7 miles to the junction with Sugarloaf Mountain Road. Follow this road for 0.1 mile to a fork. Keep right at the fork. At the second fork, keep right again. At 1.2 miles there is a third fork. Keep left. At 2.5 miles there is another fork. Keep left again. At 3.4 miles from the highway, you will see a dirt road going left. This is the road to the Twisted Forest Trailhead. Drive in and park on the loop. There is a large white patch on the east side of the parking loop where you can find some really nice colorful pieces of agate. Look on the flats, in the road, and at the road berms. While there, you should also hike out to see the bristlecone pines. (Spring-fall)
5. From the visitor center at Cedar Breaks, go north (on Hwy 143?) for 5.7 miles. Take the dirt road to the right marked "To Brian Head Peak". At approximately 0.5 mile the road crosses a bridge over a little creek. Park off the road and hunt to the left along the banks and in the creek. You should find some pretty agate here. (Spring-fall)
6. From the visitor center at Cedar Breaks, go north (on Hwy 143?) for 6.6 miles. Here there is a large road cut on the right and a wide parking area on the left. Park and hunt in and above the cut. There is more agate here. (Summer)
7. From the visitor center at Cedar Breaks, drive 4.3 miles to the intersection of Hwy 143 and Hwy 148. Go east toward Panguitch for 4.6 miles. At this point you will see a gravel turnout on the right side of the road. Park and hunt on the meadow that runs down to the creek. Look for bare spots to start your search for more agate. (Spring-fall)
8. (guidebook says you need a high clearance vehicle) From the intersection of Hwy 89 and Hwy 14, drive south for about 3 miles to the Alton turnoff. Go east 4 miles to Alton. You will enter town from the north on Main Street. Continue to 100 South and turn left. Drive a few blocks to the end of the pavement and turn right. Check your odometer at this point and drive1.4 miles to an unmarked dirt road to the right. Follow this road for 4.1 miles and park off the road. You will be on a hill and between two gates. The hillsides on both sides of the road are littered with broken pieces of Septarian Nodules. (Spring-fall)
9. From the intersection of Hwy 89 and Hwy 12, drive north on Hwy 89 for 2.5 miles. At this point an unmarked dirt road goes east. Cross the river on a concrete bridge and follow the dirt road for 3.3 miles. Park at the foot of the hill to your right. There is agate here. (Spring-fall)
2. From Cedar City, drive west on Hwy 56 for 20 miles. Huge tailings piles can be seen on the right. Several dirt roads lead to the tailings. You can find minerals here: pyrite, hematite, barite, cinnabar, amethyst... (Spring-fall)
3. (this one is pretty far west of civilization) From Cedar City, drive west on Hwy 56 for 51 miles. Modena is off to the left. Do NOT turn into town, but instead continue across the bridge over the railroad tracks. Just past the end of the bridge, Modena Canyon Road goes right. Follow it for 5.5 miles and park off the road. You can find obsidian here. Heading back to the hwy, stop 2.3 miles from the obsidian site. There are the remains of a road her and if you search the hillside to the south of the road you can find some pieces of botryoidal chalcedony. (Spring, fall)
4. (guidebook says you need a high clearance vehicle) From the visitor center at Cedar Breaks, drive north for 7 miles to the junction with Sugarloaf Mountain Road. Follow this road for 0.1 mile to a fork. Keep right at the fork. At the second fork, keep right again. At 1.2 miles there is a third fork. Keep left. At 2.5 miles there is another fork. Keep left again. At 3.4 miles from the highway, you will see a dirt road going left. This is the road to the Twisted Forest Trailhead. Drive in and park on the loop. There is a large white patch on the east side of the parking loop where you can find some really nice colorful pieces of agate. Look on the flats, in the road, and at the road berms. While there, you should also hike out to see the bristlecone pines. (Spring-fall)
5. From the visitor center at Cedar Breaks, go north (on Hwy 143?) for 5.7 miles. Take the dirt road to the right marked "To Brian Head Peak". At approximately 0.5 mile the road crosses a bridge over a little creek. Park off the road and hunt to the left along the banks and in the creek. You should find some pretty agate here. (Spring-fall)
6. From the visitor center at Cedar Breaks, go north (on Hwy 143?) for 6.6 miles. Here there is a large road cut on the right and a wide parking area on the left. Park and hunt in and above the cut. There is more agate here. (Summer)
7. From the visitor center at Cedar Breaks, drive 4.3 miles to the intersection of Hwy 143 and Hwy 148. Go east toward Panguitch for 4.6 miles. At this point you will see a gravel turnout on the right side of the road. Park and hunt on the meadow that runs down to the creek. Look for bare spots to start your search for more agate. (Spring-fall)
8. (guidebook says you need a high clearance vehicle) From the intersection of Hwy 89 and Hwy 14, drive south for about 3 miles to the Alton turnoff. Go east 4 miles to Alton. You will enter town from the north on Main Street. Continue to 100 South and turn left. Drive a few blocks to the end of the pavement and turn right. Check your odometer at this point and drive1.4 miles to an unmarked dirt road to the right. Follow this road for 4.1 miles and park off the road. You will be on a hill and between two gates. The hillsides on both sides of the road are littered with broken pieces of Septarian Nodules. (Spring-fall)
9. From the intersection of Hwy 89 and Hwy 12, drive north on Hwy 89 for 2.5 miles. At this point an unmarked dirt road goes east. Cross the river on a concrete bridge and follow the dirt road for 3.3 miles. Park at the foot of the hill to your right. There is agate here. (Spring-fall)
Rockhounding near St. George
1. From the intersection of St. George Blvd and Utah Hwy 18, drive NW for 25.7 miles to the Pine Valley Recreation Area turnoff. (This is the town of Central.) At the intersection, turn left onto a gravel road and go west for just under one mile. Just before you reach a dead end at the Central power substation, you will see a dirt road to your right. Take this road for 0.3 mile. Park anywhere and start hunting along both sides of the road. There is quite a bit of agate and jasper. (Spring-Fall)
2. Begin in Virgin (on Hwy 9 between Hurricane and Zion). Take Kolob Road north for 18.5 miles to a huge road cut on the right. There is a wide parking area at the base of the cut. You will find Pelecypod fossils in gray limestone. For fun, you could continue on the road to Kolob Reservoir. (Late spring-early fall)
2. Begin in Virgin (on Hwy 9 between Hurricane and Zion). Take Kolob Road north for 18.5 miles to a huge road cut on the right. There is a wide parking area at the base of the cut. You will find Pelecypod fossils in gray limestone. For fun, you could continue on the road to Kolob Reservoir. (Late spring-early fall)
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