Fire Agate- Black Hills

Black Hills rockhound area is located on the north side of Arizona route 191, between Safford and Clifton, about 18 miles north of Safford. This page is provided to recreationists interested in rockhounding to use as a guide in preparing for your adventure. You will find information to help identify local materials and tips to keep your visit safe, productive and enjoyable.

General information and tips

The road beyond the registry station is not regularly maintained, and use by passenger car or travel trailer is not recommended.  Water is not available!  Livestock and wildlife water has been developed at several locations, but human consumption is not advisable.

Rockhounds, both as individuals and collectively as members of clubs, pride themselves on their good manners in the field. They know that maintaining their good reputation is important in order to keep the welcome mat out at many popular “digs.”  Demonstrate individual and club pride by complying with the rules and practicing  good rockhound ethics.

Fire Agate

Agate, probably the most common and valuable gemstone, is a variety of silica formed by volcanic activity.  A multitude of shapes and colors are caused by mineral impurities in the silica.  It is these impurities which make the fire agate distinctive.  fire agate is considered a gemstone because of the play of the colors beneath its surface that is formed much as a pearl is formed in an oyster.  Volcanic water seeps into cracks and crevices below the earth’s surface. The impact of the water drops separate some minerals from the water; the mineral stays and the agate grows. Fire agates are said to offer all the fiery color of gem opals, are less costly, are superior in hardness, and will not fade.

Be careful with fire!

Although lighting causes many fires on public land, often the most disastrous and damaging fires to resources and property are those caused by careless persons.  Rangelands can be destroyed by thoughtlessness or indifference on the part of anyone - hunter, camper, local resident or traveler.  It’s up to all of us to protect our lands from fire. So, please crush out your smokes and drown your campfires.

Hazards

Rockhounding, like most other outdoor activities, is not without certain hazards.

Rattlesnakes may be found in certain areas during the warm months. Watch out for them in rock slides and around damp areas, under old buildings and ledges. Prompt medical attention is always advisable if bitten.

Rockhounds may unknowingly create hazards through careless digging. Deep or steep sided pits or trenches should be filled in upon completion of digging, as they pose a hazard to both man and beast.

Safford Rockhound Map

REVIEWS:

If you’re looking for jewelry-grade fire agate, you’ll probably find very little. However, the agate in the area is beautiful. If you don’t have a rock tumbler, this would be the time to invest in one because the agate is very striking when tumbled.
I see rock-hounders who dig for agate, but there is so much on the surface that you won’t need to do that. As far as I can tell, you don’t find much more with the digging.
If you take the time to go to Black Hills, I strongly recommend also making a trip to Round Mountain, which is east of Duncan (about an hour from the Black Hills area). This place has these great little egg-shaped agates which tumble up beautifully, and often are hollow with crystals inside.
Take PLENTY of water, decent shoes and long pants.

Great Fire Agates found here. Be careful of the rapid changing weather.

Since I travel a lot I and I find myself seeking this kind of knowledge, I thought I would make a new category for rockhounding vacations / travel.  As well if you have a special place you like to stay and rockhound please email me and I will post rockhoundblog@yahoo.com.  Pictures are appreciated as well.

Rockhound Travel

Rockhound State Park and Spring Canyon Recreation Area
Established in 1966, Rockhound State Park consists of the main park and the Spring Canyon Recreation Area. The main park includes a 30-site campground, hiking trails and a visitor center on the west slopes of the Little Florida Mountains. The Spring Canyon Recreation Area is a day-use area located across the valley in the foothills of the Florida Mountains and includes picnic sites and hiking trails.

Take a Hike
The park’s Thunderegg Trail (1.1 miles) and the Jasper Trail (.5 miles) provide access to spectacular wildflower displays in spring, mild autumn weather, and scenic views year-round.  Scattered along the trails and throughout the park are assorted volcanic rocks and silica minerals including quartz, chalcedony, agate, and common opal.

Desert Alive!
Every April, Rockhound State Park hosts Desert Alive!, a springtime celebration of the Chihuahuan Desert and the rocks, plants and animals found here. Join nature walks, take in displays and exhibits and learn all about natural and cultural history of this special place.

Getting There
To get to Rockhound State Park from Deming, take N.M. 11 south for five miles, and then go east on N.M. 141 for about nine miles.

Rockhound State Park lies in the Little Florida Mountains southeast of Deming, New Mexico (Fig. 1). It was established in 1966 as the first park in the United States that allowed collecting of rocks and minerals for personal use. Each visitor is allowed to collect as much as 15 lb of rocks and minerals from the 1,100-acre park; mineral dealers are not allowed to collect for sale. Rockhound State Park actually consists of two separate units, the main park and Spring Canyon Recreation Area (Fig. 1). Spring Canyon lies in the northern Florida Mountains, south of the main park, and is open for day use only from Easter through November.

The main park provides excellent views of the surrounding mountain desert. Basin and Range topography is easily seen in the distance. On a clear day the smokestacks of the Hurley smelter can be seen to the northwest. The Cobre Mountains form the far northern horizon behind the smokestacks. The Burro Mountains lie to the west-northwest; the Victorio Mountains lie to the west-southwest. The Florida Mountains lie directly to the south of the main state park; Florida Gap separates the two ranges. The Cedar Mountains lie to the south-southwest. The dark mountain north of Deming is called Black Mountain. Spring Canyon in the Florida Mountains is a sheltered canyon and offers solitude common to many canyons throughout the desert Southwest.

The Florida and Little Florida Mountains are typical of the mountain desert throughout southern New Mexico and Arizona. Elevations range from 4,400 ft along the foothills, where the state park is located, to 7,448 ft at Florida Peak in the Florida Mountains. Water is scarce and limited to wells and hidden springs, but be careful of thunderstorms and flash floods during the summer months! Despite the dry, seemingly inhospitable environment, life abounds. The area is home to many lizards and snakes, deer, antelope, coyotes, and small mammals such as prairie dogs, rabbits, badgers, and many birds. Mountain lion and desert bighorn sheep may be seen at the higher elevations of the Florida Mountains. A variety of plants thrive in this environment, including yucca, prickly pear cactus, barrel cactus, ocotillo, creosote bush, mesquite, and hackberry; juniper and scrub oak are common in the canyons.

Geology

Paleozoic through lower Tertiary sedimentary rocks overlie a Cambrian granitic to syenitic pluton in the northern Florida Mountains (Clemons and

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