Rockhounding near Albuquerque, NM

65 mapped rockhounding spots within 150 miles of Albuquerque — most are inside a 2 to 3 hour drive. Below: a map, the closest spots, what they produce, and full coordinates with access notes.

Covering parts of New Mexico.

Closest rockhounding spots to Albuquerque

The 6 nearest mapped spots, with straight-line distance and an approximate drive time.

Pajarito MesaBernalillo County, New Mexico9 mi · 11 min driveAgatized Wood, Agate, Jasper
Isleta PuebloBernalillo County, New Mexico12 mi · 15 min driveOpal, Opalized Wood, Agatized Wood
Tijeras CanyonBernalillo County, New Mexico14 mi · 18 min driveFluorite
AlbuquerqueSandoval County, New Mexico15 mi · 19 min driveAgatized Wood
Rio Puerco ValleyBernalillo County, New Mexico17 mi · 21 min driveAgate, Chalcedony, Jasper
Belen to Los LunasValencia County, New Mexico26 mi · 33 min driveAgate

Most-reported finds near Albuquerque

Counts reflect how many spots in this radius mention each material.

Every spot within 150 miles of Albuquerque

Sorted by distance from Albuquerque. Tap a row to open the spot detail page with full directions, access status, and nearby trips.

Spot	County	Minerals	Coordinates	Access
Pajarito MesaOld Pajarito Road	Bernalillo County	Agatized Wood Agate Jasper	34.9948, -106.7656	Public
Isleta PuebloTribal Road 12	Bernalillo County	Opal Opalized Wood Agatized Wood	34.9075, -106.6744	Public
Tijeras CanyonMountain Ridge	Bernalillo County	Fluorite	35.0717, -106.3978	Public
Albuquerque	Sandoval County	Agatized Wood	35.2121, -106.8623	Public
Rio Puerco Valley	Bernalillo County	Agate Chalcedony Jasper Opalized Wood Agatized Wood	35.0755, -106.9489	Public
Belen to Los LunasSedillo Road	Valencia County	Agate	34.7147, -106.7467	Public
Los Lunas	Valencia County	Red Agate Banded Agate Apache Tears Agatized Wood Obsidian	34.7575, -106.8935	Public
San Pedro MountainsCounty Road 7B	Santa Fe County	Chalcopyrite Chalcocite	35.2555, -106.1880	Public
Mount ChalchihuitlGravel Pit Road	Santa Fe County	Agate Chalcedony Petrified Wood Turquoise	35.4701, -106.1126	Public
LagunaNM 124	Cibola County	Agate Jasper	35.0488, -107.4057	Public
Turquoise Hill and surrounding areaBonanza Creek Road	Santa Fe County	Agate Chalcedony Chert Jasper	35.5135, -106.0956	Public
Estancia Dry Lake	Torrance County	Epsomite Glauberite	34.7312, -105.9992	Public
Santa Fe National Forest	Santa Fe County	Agate Apache Tears Jasper Obsidian	35.6998, -106.2160	Public
Jemez National Recreation AreaEast Fork Trail (137)	Sandoval County	Obsidian Opalized Wood	35.8283, -106.6416	Public
Red Rock Spring	Socorro County	Agatized Picture Wood Petrified Cycad Petrified Palm	34.3506, -107.2989	Public
CubaEureka Mesa Road	Sandoval County	Copper Chrysocolla	35.9972, -106.9001	Public
Nacimiento MountainsEureka Mesa Road	Sandoval County	Agate Azurite Chalcedony Chrysocolla Malachite	35.9988, -106.8941	Public
GrantsSan Mateo Road	McKinley County	Radioactive Minerals	35.3426, -107.7590	Public
Strawberry Peak	Socorro County	Satin Spar	34.1056, -107.0043	Public
PecosDavis Willow T.S. Road	San Miguel County	Actinolite Garnet Lepidolite Mica Bornite Pyrite Tourmaline	35.7572, -105.6660	Public
CoyoteNM 96	Rio Arriba County	Azurite Malachite	36.1657, -106.6162	Public
Silver Hill	Socorro County	Garnet	34.1253, -107.3037	Public
YoungsvilleEncino Road	Rio Arriba County	Agate	36.1841, -106.5584	Public
Kelly Ghost TownForest 190C Road	Socorro County	Smithsonite Zinc Fossils	34.0690, -107.1951	Public
Pedernal Park	Rio Arriba County	Agate Chalcedony Chert Jasper	36.1920, -106.4898	Public

Albuquerque rockhounding FAQ

Where can I go rockhounding near Albuquerque?+

There are 65 mapped rockhounding spots within about 150 miles of Albuquerque, New Mexico. The closest is Pajarito Mesa in Bernalillo County, roughly 9 miles away. The full list is on this page with coordinates and drive times.

What rocks and minerals can you find near Albuquerque?+

Spots within driving distance of Albuquerque most commonly produce agate, jasper, chalcedony, agatized wood, quartz, chert.

Is rockhounding legal near Albuquerque?+

Casual hand collecting of common rocks and minerals is allowed on most BLM and U.S. Forest Service land, with limits set by the local field office. National parks, most state parks, and tribal land are off-limits. Each spot page on this site lists access status; always confirm current rules with the managing agency before a trip.

How far do most rockhounders drive from Albuquerque?+

Most weekend trips from Albuquerque fall inside a 2 to 3 hour drive, which is roughly the 150-mile radius shown on this page. Closer spots are good for half-day outings; the outer ones are better as overnight trips.

More state coverage

The spots above span 1 state. Open the state page for the full county-by-county view.

All New Mexico spots →

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