Where to Find Fire Opal in the United States
17 mapped fire opal spots across 5 U.S. states. Fire opal is opal with strong orange to red body color. The Virgin Valley and Royal Peacock mines in Nevada, plus several Oregon and Mexican-border localities, are classic U.S. fire opal sources.
Map showing where to find fire opal across the United States, with 17 mapped spots
Top states for fire opal
States ranked by number of fire opal spots in our database. States in bold link to a focused fire opal-in-state list.
Every fire opal spot we track
Sorted by state and county. Coordinates open in Google Maps.
Fire Opal rockhounding FAQ
Where is the best place to find fire opal in the U.S.?+
New Jersey, Nevada, Idaho have the highest concentrations of fire opal in this list. Each state's quality and access varies — open the linked state pages for a detailed view.
How many fire opal rockhounding spots does RockHoundR track?+
17 mapped spots across 5 states. The app keeps these on a map alongside your private finds.
Can I legally collect fire opal on public land?+
Casual hand collecting of common rocks and minerals like fire opal is allowed on most BLM and U.S. Forest Service land, with daily and annual limits set by the local field office. National parks, most state parks, and tribal land are off-limits. Always check with the managing agency before a trip.
How do I identify fire opal in the field?+
Field identification of fire opal comes down to color, hardness, fracture, and luster. The RockHoundR app links to geology details for each spot to help narrow down what you might be picking up.
Hunt fire opal on the map
Open RockHoundR to see these spots on a real map with public land overlays and trip-planning details.
