Where to Find Chalcedony in New Mexico

New Mexico chalcedony occurs across the southwestern volcanic country. The Apache Creek area in Catron County yields white, blue, and pink chalcedony rosettes in welded tuff, and the Luna County BLM ground near Deming produces small chalcedony nodules in rhyolite. The Bingham fluorite district in Socorro County carries violet-banded chalcedony as a gangue mineral with the fluorite and barite. Pinos Altos and the Burro Mountains add chalcedony with copper staining on old mining-district roadcuts. Most New Mexico chalcedony is dense and translucent; surface specimens are often coated in caliche that flakes off easily with mild acid.

Spot list checked against source data on April 1, 2026.

Standout chalcedony spots in New Mexico

Hand-picked from the full list below, with the reason each one earns a trip.

Best counties for chalcedony in New Mexico

Ranked by the number of mapped chalcedony spots. County links open the full rockhounding page for that county.

Every chalcedony spot we track in New Mexico

Sorted by county. Coordinates open in Google Maps.

Spot	County	Minerals	Coordinates	Access
Rio Puerco Valley	Bernalillo County	Agate Chalcedony Jasper Opalized Wood Agatized Wood	35.0755, -106.9489	Public
Luna (agate area)Bill Knight Gap Road	Catron County	Agate Chalcedony Jasper Quartz	33.8189, -108.9548	Public
MogollonBursum Road	Catron County	Agate Chalcedony Jasper Fluorite	33.3899, -108.8022	Public
QuemadoUS 60	Catron County	Agate Chalcedony Jasper Agatized Wood	34.3416, -108.4927	Permission
Zuni MountainsCounty Road 149	Cibola County	Agate Chalcedony Jasper Petrified Wood	35.1422, -108.3258	Public
Hatch	Doña Ana County	Agate Chalcedony Jasper Quartz	32.7108, -107.1072	Public
Pyramid Mountains	Hidalgo County	Agate Chalcedony Jasper	32.1946, -108.7222	Public
Cookes Peak areaCookes Peak Trail	Luna County	Agate Carnelian Chalcedony Jasper Fluorite	32.5260, -107.7014	Public
General Area (Luna County)	Luna County	Agate Chalcedony Chert Jasper	32.3316, -107.7059	Public
Pedernal Park	Rio Arriba County	Agate Chalcedony Chert Jasper	36.1920, -106.4898	Public
Blanco Trading PostState Highway 57	San Juan County	Chalcedony	36.3467, -107.8253	Public
Nacimiento MountainsEureka Mesa Road	Sandoval County	Agate Azurite Chalcedony Chrysocolla Malachite	35.9988, -106.8941	Public
Mount ChalchihuitlGravel Pit Road	Santa Fe County	Agate Chalcedony Petrified Wood Turquoise	35.4701, -106.1126	Public
Turquoise Hill and surrounding areaBonanza Creek Road	Santa Fe County	Agate Chalcedony Chert Jasper	35.5135, -106.0956	Public
Elephant ButteNM 51	Sierra County	Agate Chert Chalcedony Jasper	33.1729, -107.0448	Permission
Jornada ValleyUpham Road	Sierra County	Agate Chalcedony Elixirite Jasper Petrified Wood	33.1363, -107.0245	Public
Mimbres MountainsTrail #135	Sierra County	Agate Chalcedony Chert Chrysocolla Jasper Fluorite	32.8441, -107.7360	Public

Before you go

Read the chalcedony identification guide so you know what a keeper looks like in the field: Chalcedony in the encyclopedia.

Chalcedony in New Mexico FAQ

Where can you find chalcedony in New Mexico?+

The mapped spots concentrate in Catron County, Sierra County, and Luna County. Known collecting areas include Apache Creek (Catron County), Rockhound State Park BLM ground (Luna County), and Bingham fluorite district (Socorro County). Every spot on this page appears on the map above with coordinates and access notes.

How many chalcedony spots are mapped in New Mexico?+

17 spots across 11 counties. The RockHoundR app keeps the same spots on an offline map with public land overlays, geology layers, and your saved finds.

Is it legal to collect chalcedony in New Mexico?+

Hand collecting of common rocks and minerals in small amounts for personal use is generally allowed on BLM and U.S. Forest Service land, with limits set by the local field office. National parks, most state parks, and tribal land are closed to collecting. 15 of the 17 mapped spots here sit on land marked public. Always confirm current rules with the managing agency before you dig.

Where else to find chalcedony

More minerals to hunt in New Mexico

Hunt chalcedony in New Mexico 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.