Where to Find Agate in Nevada
Nevada has 11 mapped collecting spots that report agate, spread across 7 counties. The largest share sits in Esmeralda County County with 2 spots. 11 of the spots are on land mapped as publicly accessible.
Spot list checked against source data on April 1, 2026.
Map of 11 agate collecting spots in Nevada
Standout agate spots in Nevada
Hand-picked from the full list below, with the reason each one earns a trip.
Coaldale
Esmeralda County County
Coaldale is a useful Esmeralda County silica locality because the candidate data points to agate, chert, hyalite opal, jasper, and turquoise in a compact desert area. Mindat and NBMG district records help anchor the site in a named mining district, making it a better researched pick than a vague countywide agate listing.
Virgin Valley
Humboldt County County
Virgin Valley is the United States' classic black-opal district, with USGS and Mindat both placing the opal field near the Oregon line in the Sheldon refuge country. Its strongest geologic feature is opal replacing mid-Miocene wood, including petrified wood and rare plant material, although most precious-opal ground is claimed and any collecting has to respect mining and refuge restrictions.
Fernley Hills
Lyon County County
Fernley Hills is a practical western Nevada silica stop, with Mindat records documenting agate, chalcedony, opal, quartz, and zeolite minerals in the Fernley area. It earns a place because the material is tied to a named locality close to Reno-Sparks access, while still requiring parcel and claim checks before collecting.
Black Rock Desert
Pershing County County
Black Rock Desert belongs on the list because the collecting context is an enormous BLM-managed volcanic and basin landscape rather than a single small pit. Local rockhounding guidance for Black Rock-High Rock country highlights minerals, common fossils, and petrified wood rules, while BLM documents the area's national conservation status and broad public-land recreation framework.
Best counties for agate in Nevada
Ranked by the number of mapped agate spots. County links open the full rockhounding page for that county.
Every agate spot we track in Nevada
Sorted by county. Coordinates open in Google Maps.
| Spot | County | Minerals | Coordinates | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lahontan ReservoirKaren Road | Churchill County | 39.4476, -119.0493 | Public | |
| CoaldaleVeterans Memorial Highway | Esmeralda County | 38.0299, -117.8794 | Public | |
| Veterans Memorial HighwayVeterans Memorial Highway | Esmeralda County | 38.0251, -117.7848 | Public | |
| Agate Point | Humboldt County | 41.7504, -118.3357 | Public | |
| Virgin Valley | Humboldt County |
| 41.8302, -119.0002 | Public |
| FernleyUS 50 ALT;US 95 ALT | Lyon County | 39.5315, -119.2342 | Public | |
| Fernley Hills | Lyon County | 39.5336, -119.1566 | Public | |
| Walker Lake | Mineral County | 38.7849, -118.7425 | Public | |
| Black Rock Desert | Pershing County | 40.8859, -119.0567 | Public | |
| GerlachOld State Route 34 | Washoe County | 40.6650, -119.3701 | Public | |
| Sparks | Washoe County | 39.5483, -119.6706 | Public |
Before you go
Read the agate identification guide so you know what a keeper looks like in the field: Agate in the encyclopedia.
Agate in Nevada FAQ
Where can you find agate in Nevada?+
How many agate spots are mapped in Nevada?+
Is it legal to collect agate in Nevada?+
Where else to find agate
More minerals to hunt in Nevada
Hunt agate in Nevada with the map in your pocket
RockHoundR puts these spots on an offline map with BLM and Forest Service overlays, geology layers, and a log for your finds.
