Where to Find Jade in California

California has 6 mapped collecting spots that report jade, spread across 5 counties. The largest share sits in Trinity County County with 2 spots. 6 of the spots are on land mapped as publicly accessible.

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

Standout jade spots in California

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

Big Sur area
Monterey County County
Big Sur is California's clearest public jade locality because sanctuary rules specifically allow loose nephrite collection in the Jade Cove authorized area below mean high tide. Mindat records jade and nephrite at Big Sur, and Los Padres National Forest planning documents note historic jade collecting around Plaskett Creek, Jade Cove, Willow Creek, and offshore.
Happy Camp Jade Mines
Siskiyou County County
Happy Camp gives the top-10 list a Klamath Mountains jade and gold locality rather than another Mojave silica field. Mindat records ferro-actinolite-tremolite series material at the Chan Jade Mine and placer native gold from the Happy Camp region, which fits the area's serpentinite and historic placer-mining setting.
Trinity River
Trinity County County
The Trinity River is a north-state benchmark because it combines historic placer-gold country with Klamath Mountains metamorphic and ultramafic source rocks. USGS mapping documents the basin's complex bedrock setting, while the RockHoundR candidate minerals add chalcedony, jasper, jade, and petrified wood to the river's placer-gold identity.

Best counties for jade in California

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

Every jade spot we track in California

Sorted by county. Coordinates open in Google Maps.

Spot	County	Minerals	Coordinates	Access
Unnamed Location (Jade)	Mariposa County	Jade	37.6463, -120.1177	Public
Big Sur areaLos Burros Road	Monterey County	Jade Nephrite Serpentine	35.8938, -121.4523	Public
Ocean beach area (Big Sur coast)Cabrillo Highway	San Luis Obispo County	Jade	35.5952, -121.1272	Public
Happy Camp Jade MinesSouth Indian Road	Siskiyou County	Jade Gold Serpentine Gold-laced Jade	41.8766, -123.4602	Public
Trinity RiverBrowns Mountain Road	Trinity County	Chalcedony Gold Jasper Jade Petrified Wood	40.6938, -122.8635	Public
Trinity River / Willow CreekHawkins Bar Road	Trinity County	Jade	40.8791, -123.5271	Public

Before you go

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

Jade in California FAQ

Where can you find jade in California?+

The mapped spots concentrate in Trinity County County, Mariposa County County, and Monterey County County. Every spot on this page appears on the map above with coordinates and access notes.

How many jade spots are mapped in California?+

6 spots across 5 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 jade in California?+

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. 6 of the 6 mapped spots here sit on land marked public. Always confirm current rules with the managing agency before you dig.

More minerals to hunt in California

Hunt jade in California 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.