Rockhounding Nevada: a guide to the state's best rockhounding sites

259 Pages·2011·82.195 MB·English

by  Kappele, William A

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NEVADA
A complete guide to finding and collecting the RR
state’s gems and minerals
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Rockhounding Nevada is a must-have book for anyone interested in collecting rocks, minerals,
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fossils, and gems in the Silver State. Fully up to date with GPS coordinates for more than 100 A Guide to the State’s Best Rockhounding Sites
collecting locales, it covers popular and widely known fee-dig operations as well as four-wheel- KK
drive adventures into the desert and long winding drives through the mountains. The result is a
complete and accurate guide to the state’s gem and mineral deposits. HH
The author—a veteran rockhounder in the West with more than forty years of experience—con-
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cisely describes the best places to locate agate, opal, jasper, fossils, fluorescent minerals, obsidian,
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s chalcedony, wonderstone, malachite, petrified wood, limb casts, and much more. UU
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• Maps and detailed site descriptions with directions II
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y William A. Kappele is an avid rockhound, fossil collector, and gem hunter and the author of Rock-

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hounding Colorado and Rockhounding Utah (both FalconGuides). He lives in Mission Viejo, California. N
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e Cover design by Bret Kerr A
: Front cover photo of manganese dendrites and

O back cover photos of fossil plate (left) and the
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falcon.com
t Printed in the United States of America
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Rockhounding Nevada
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Help Us Keep This Guide Up to Date
Every effort has been made by the author and editors to make this guide as ac-
curate and useful as possible. However, many things can change after a guide is
published—roads are detoured, phone numbers change, facilities come under new
management, etc.
We would love to hear from you concerning your experiences with this guide and
how you feel it could be improved and kept up to date. While we may not be
able to respond to all comments and suggestions, we’ll take them to heart and we’ll
also make certain to share them with the author. Please send your comments and
suggestions to the following address:
Globe Pequot Press
Reader Response/Editorial Department
P.O. Box 480
Guilford, CT 06437
Or you may e-mail us at:
editorial@GlobePequot .com
Thanks for your input, and happy rockhounding!
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Rockhounding Nevada
A Guide to the State’s
Best Rockhounding Sites
Second Edition
William A. Kappele
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FALCONGGUUIIDDEESS®®
Copyright © 1998, 2011 by Morris Book Publishing, LLC
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by
any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any infor-
mation storage and retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted in writing from the
publisher. Requests for permission should be addressed to Globe Pequot Press, Attn: Rights
and Permissions Department, P.O. Box 480, Guilford, Connecticut 06437.
FalconGuides is an imprint of Globe Pequot Press.
Falcon, FalconGuides, and Outfit Your Mind are registered trademarks of Morris Book Publish-
ing, LLC.
Photography by William A. Kappele
Layout: Sue Murray
Project editor: Gregory Hyman
Maps © Morris Book Publishing, LLC
TOPO! Explorer software and SuperQuad source maps courtesy of National Geographic
Maps. For information about TOPO! Explorer, TOPO!, and Nat Geo Maps products, to to
www .topo .com or www .natgeomaps .com.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Kappele, William A., 1931-
Rockhounding Nevada : a guide to the state’s best rockhounding sites / William A.
Kappele. — 2nd ed.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-0-7627-7142-4
1. Rocks—Collection and preservation—Nevada—Guidebooks. 2. Nevada—Guidebooks.
I. Title.
QE445.N3K36 2011
552.09793—dc23
2011026489
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
The author and Globe Pequot Press assume no liability for accidents happening to, or
injuries sustained by, readers who engage in the activities described in this book.
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In memory of Cora Gustavson Kappele
My world has grown cold without your smile to warm it
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Overview
29 27 26 23
28 25 24 22
48
36 32 31 30 21 56
49
37 35 50
34 53
33 51
38 39
Winnemucca 52
55
40
41
42 80 Battle
Mountain
43 17 15
44 16 54
14 20
13 19 57
12
18
1
Reno 65
2 58 59 63
3
62 66
5
4 6 8 61 67 47
7 60
9 64
10 75 71 70 46
11 74
73 69 68
72
85
84
76 86 89 45
82 83
77 87 88
78 80 81
90
79 91
98 92
97
96 93
95 94 15
99
100 101 104
102 Las 105
Vegas
103
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Contents
About This Book .....................................................................................xiii
Introduction: Welcome to Nevada ..............................................................1
Finding Your Way .............................................................................3
Have a Safe Trip................................................................................4
Rockhound Etiquette .....................................................................11
Fluorescence and the Rockhound ...................................................13
Sights along the Way .......................................................................15
Sixteen Trips for the Intrepid Explorer ............................................27
Map Legend .............................................................................................34
The Sites
1. Cold Springs Valley Road: Chrysocolla, Malachite ...........................35
2. Pipeline Road: Agate ......................................................................37
3. Hilltop: Agate .................................................................................39
4. Gas Line Road: Agate .....................................................................41
5. Chalcedony Hill: Chalcedony .........................................................43
6. Lahontan Reservoir: Agate ..............................................................46
7. Weeks: Selenite ...............................................................................48
8. Old Highway: Selenite ....................................................................50
9. Mason Pass Road A: Azurite ...........................................................52
10. Mason Pass Road B: Malachite .......................................................54
11. Mason Pass Road C: Epidote in Granite .........................................55
12. Trinity Mountains A: Opal ..............................................................56
13. Trinity Mountains B: Rhyolite, Opal, Agate ....................................58
14. Eagle Picher Mine Area A: Opalized Wood, Agate, Opalite ..............60
15. Eagle Picher Mine Area B: Opalite .................................................63
16. Eagle Picher Mine Area C: Opalite .................................................64
17. Eagle Picher Mine Area D: Opalite .................................................65
18. Coal Canyon Road A: Dendrites ....................................................67
19. Coal Canyon Road B: Dendrites, Mystery Material ........................69
20. Unionville: Fossils ...........................................................................71
21. Cordero (McDermitt) Mine: Opalite, Sulfur, Cinnabar ....................73
22. Agate Hill: Agate .............................................................................75
23. Agate Flat: Agate, Petrified Wood ....................................................77
24. Surprise Hill: Wood in Matrix, Mystery Stone ................................78
25. Cottonwood Spring: Opalized Wood ..............................................80
26. Opal Wood Hill: Opalized Wood .....................................................81
27. Gopher Holes: Agatized and Opalized Wood ...................................84
28. Red Tailings: Opalite.......................................................................85
29. Picture Stone Pit: Picture Stone ......................................................88
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30. Denio: White Quartz ......................................................................90
31. Denio Junction: Malachite, Azurite .................................................92
32. Virgin Valley Turnoff: Apache Tears, Obsidian, Chalcedony ..............95
33. Royal Peacock Mine: Precious Opal ...............................................97
34. Rainbow Ridge Opal Mine: Precious Opal ....................................99
35. Bonanza Opal Mines: Precious Opal .............................................100
36. Gooch Spring: Obsidian ...............................................................101
37. Vya: Obsidian ...............................................................................103
38. Nellie Spring A: Opalite ...............................................................105
39. Nellie Spring B: Opalite ...............................................................108
40. Route 34—Cattle Guard: Obsidian, Apache Tears .........................110
41. Route 34—Road Cut: Chalcedony, Agate, Obsidian .....................112
42. Route 34—Rhyolite Castle: Obsidian ...........................................113
43. Route 34—Obsidian Hill: Obsidian ..............................................115
44. Route 34—Lost Creek Road: Obsidian ........................................117
45. Pioche: Calcite Crystals .................................................................118
46. Major’s Place: Calcite ....................................................................120
47. Garnet Hill: Garnets .....................................................................122
48. Jackpot: Onyx ...............................................................................124
49. Bogwood: Opalized Wood ............................................................127
50. Texas Spring: Petrified Wood ........................................................129
51. Contact: Malachite, Chrysocolla ....................................................130
52. Deeth: Jasper .................................................................................132
53. Tuscarora: Calcite Crystals .............................................................134
54. Ferdelford Canyon: Fossils .............................................................137
55. Black Shale Hill: Fossils .................................................................139
56. Copper Basin: Leaf Fossils .............................................................141
57. Daisy Creek: Petrified Wood .........................................................144
58. Yellow Mountain: Wonderstone ....................................................146
59. Wonderstone Mountain A: Wonderstone .......................................148
60. Wonderstone Mountain B: Wonderstone .......................................150
61. Wonderstone Mountain C: Wonderstone ......................................151
62. Wonderstone Mountain D: Wonderstone ......................................152
63. Wonderstone Mountain E: Wonderstone .......................................153
64. Green Mountain: Wonderstone, Green Rhyolite ............................154
65. Bench Creek: Plant Fossils, Opal ...................................................156
66. Buffalo Canyon A: Plant Fossils .....................................................159
67. Buffalo Canyon B: Common Opal, Opalite ..................................162
68. Kaiser Mine Road: Jasper, Agate ....................................................164
69. Kaiser Mine: Fluorite ....................................................................166
viii Contents
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70. North of Gabbs A: Jasper ..............................................................168
71. North of Gabbs B: Jasper, Petrified Wood ......................................169
72. Kernick Mine: Selenite .................................................................170
73. Luning A: Malachite, Azurite .........................................................172
74. Luning B: Malachite, Azurite .........................................................174
75. Luning C: Malachite, Azurite ........................................................175
76. Coaldale: White Quartz, Selenite ...................................................176
77. Basalt: Petrified Wood, Jasper .........................................................178
78. The Sump (Upper): Wood Casts ...................................................181
79. The Sump (Lower): Petrified Wood...............................................183
80. Fish Lake Valley: Apache Tears .......................................................185
81. Blair Junction: Petrified Wood .......................................................186
82. Badlands: Agate, Wood, Chalcedony ..............................................188
83. Crow Springs A: Apache Tears, Obsidian, Petrified Wood ...............189
84. Crow Springs B: Apache Tears, Perlite ...........................................191
85. Crow Springs C: Petrified Wood, Apache Tears ..............................192
86. Gabbs Pole Line Road: Plant Fossils ..............................................194
87. Tonopah A: Agate .........................................................................196
88. Tonopah B: Agate .........................................................................198
89. Tonopah C: Agate .........................................................................199
90. Lida Junction A: Chalcedony .........................................................200
91. Lida Junction B: Fluorescent Chalcedony, Opalite .........................202
92. Lida Junction C: Fluorescent Chalcedony .....................................203
93. Stonewall Pass A: Petrified Wood, Chalcedony ...............................205
94. Stonewall Pass B: Wood Casts, Agate, Chalcedony, Jasper ................208
95. Scotty’s Junction A: Apache Tears ..................................................209
96. Scotty’s Junction B: Apache Tears ..................................................211
97. Scotty’s Junction C: Chalcedony, Apache Tears, Pumice .................213
98. Scotty’s Junction D: Apache Tears ..................................................215
99. Beatty: Fluorescent Chalcedony ....................................................216
100. Carrara A: Blue-Gray Quartz ........................................................218
101. Carrara B: Phyllite, Blue-Gray Quartz ...........................................220
102. Carrara C: White Quartz, Marble, Blue-Gray Quartz ....................221
103. Carrara D: Marble .........................................................................222
104. Valley of Fire A: Wonderstone .......................................................224
105. Valley of Fire B: Chalcedony .........................................................227
Appendix A: Sources for Maps ...............................................................228
Appendix B: Glossary ............................................................................231
Index .....................................................................................................235
Contents ix
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