Where to Find Petrified Wood in Nebraska

Nebraska has 10 mapped collecting spots that report petrified wood, spread across 8 counties. The largest share sits in Jefferson County with 2 spots. 8 of the spots are on land mapped as publicly accessible.

Standout petrified wood spots in Nebraska

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

Platte River
Buffalo County
The braided Platte at Kearney concentrates agate, chalcedony, jasper, and petrified wood in its gravel bars, all tumbled east from the Rockies and the western Nebraska gravels.
Bayard
Morrill County
Bayard sits in the North Platte valley under Chimney Rock and the Wildcat Hills, where terrace and river gravels yield agate, chalcedony, and petrified wood eroded from the Tertiary beds of the western Panhandle.
Little Nemaha River
Nemaha County
In far southeast Nemaha County the Little Nemaha River and the surrounding glacial drift carry moss agate, chalcedony, jasper, and petrified wood, giving the corn-country side of Nebraska its own honest rockhounding, far from the Panhandle.

Best counties for petrified wood in Nebraska

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

Jefferson County2 spots
Sheridan County2 spots
Buffalo County1 spot
Dawes County1 spot
Morrill County1 spot
Nance County1 spot
Nemaha County1 spot
Saunders County1 spot

Every petrified wood spot we track in Nebraska

Sorted by county. Coordinates open in Google Maps.

Spot	County	Minerals	Coordinates	Access
Platte RiverHuron Drive	Buffalo County	Agate Chalcedony Jasper Petrified Wood	40.6611, -99.0708	Public
Crawford (jasper area)Annin Street	Dawes County	Fairburn Agate Jasper Petrified Wood	42.6831, -103.4114	Public
FairburyLittle Blue River Trail	Jefferson County	Agate Chalcedony Jasper Petrified Wood	40.1320, -97.1844	Public
Steel CityRomeo Road	Jefferson County	Agate Chalcedony Jasper Petrified Wood	40.0404, -97.0348	Public
BayardUS 26	Morrill County	Agate Petrified Wood	41.7324, -103.3187	Public
Fullerton	Nance County	Agate Petrified Wood	41.3529, -97.9514	Public
Little Nemaha River	Nemaha County	Agate Moss Agate Chalcedony Jasper Petrified Wood	40.4043, -95.8280	Public
AshlandWillow Point Drive	Saunders County	Agate Petrified Wood	41.0542, -96.3258	Public
Pine RidgeElder Drive	Sheridan County	Quartz Concretions Agate Petrified Wood Fossils	42.9939, -102.5627	Permission
WhiteclayElder Drive	Sheridan County	Agate Chalcedony Jasper Petrified Wood	42.9938, -102.5628	Permission

Before you go

Read the petrified wood identification guide so you know what a keeper looks like in the field: Petrified Wood in the encyclopedia.

Petrified Wood in Nebraska FAQ

Where can you find petrified wood in Nebraska?+

The mapped spots concentrate in Jefferson County, Sheridan County, and Buffalo County. Every spot on this page appears on the map above with coordinates and access notes.

How many petrified wood spots are mapped in Nebraska?+

10 spots across 8 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 petrified wood in Nebraska?+

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. 8 of the 10 mapped spots here sit on land marked public. Always confirm current rules with the managing agency before you dig.

Where else to find petrified wood

More minerals to hunt in Nebraska

Hunt petrified wood in Nebraska 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.