Where to Find Smoky Quartz in Colorado
Colorado has 8 mapped collecting spots that report smoky quartz, spread across 6 counties. The largest share sits in El Paso County with 2 spots. 8 of the spots are on land mapped as publicly accessible.
Map of 8 smoky quartz collecting spots in Colorado
Standout smoky quartz spots in Colorado
Hand-picked from the full list below, with the reason each one earns a trip.
Mount Antero
Chaffee County
Mount Antero is the highest gem locality in the United States, with aquamarine and beryl occurring in granite cavities above timberline near its 14,269-foot summit.
Devils Head (Rampart Range)
Douglas County
Devils Head sits in the Pikes Peak granite of the Rampart Range, where weathered pegmatite pockets have produced large topaz and smoky quartz crystals along with amazonite and fluorite.
St. Peters Dome (Gold Camp Road)
El Paso County
St. Peters Dome is a Pikes Peak granite peak in Pike National Forest where the historic Cheyenne fluorspar district left dumps that still yield loose purple, green, and white fluorite within a short walk of the parking area.
Tarryall Mountains (Spruce Grove)
Park County
The Tarryall Mountains are one of the better topaz localities in the Pikes Peak region, with smoky quartz and pale amazonite in pegmatites of the Redskin Stock.
Crystal Hill
Saguache County
Crystal Hill near La Garita is documented by the USGS as a source of clear rock crystal and pale lavender amethyst in brecciated volcanic rock, a San Luis Valley collecting site worked since the 1880s.
Best counties for smoky quartz in Colorado
Ranked by the number of mapped smoky quartz spots. County links open the full rockhounding page for that county.
Every smoky quartz spot we track in Colorado
Sorted by county. Coordinates open in Google Maps.
| Spot | County | Minerals | Coordinates | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount AnteroMount Antero Trail | Chaffee County | 38.6738, -106.2467 | Public | |
| Devils Head (Rampart Range) | Douglas County | 39.2756, -105.1077 | Public | |
| Cook Mountain (southern side)Gold Camp Road | El Paso County | 38.7607, -104.9176 | Public | |
| St. Peters Dome (Gold Camp Road) | El Paso County | 38.7472, -104.9116 | Public | |
| Centennial ConeElk Range Trail | Jefferson County | 39.7554, -105.3607 | Public | |
| Wigwam CreekStoney Pass Road | Jefferson County | 39.2487, -105.3387 | Public | |
| Tarryall Mountains (Spruce Grove) | Park County | 39.1382, -105.4617 | Public | |
| Crystal Hill | Saguache County | 37.8433, -106.2848 | Public |
Before you go
Read the smoky quartz identification guide so you know what a keeper looks like in the field: Smoky Quartz in the encyclopedia.
Smoky Quartz in Colorado FAQ
Where can you find smoky quartz in Colorado?+
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Where else to find smoky quartz
More minerals to hunt in Colorado
Hunt smoky quartz in Colorado 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.
