Rockhounding near Boise, ID

80 mapped rockhounding spots within 150 miles of Boise — 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 Idaho, Oregon, Nevada.

Closest rockhounding spots to Boise

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

Most-reported finds near Boise

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

Every spot within 150 miles of Boise

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

Spot	County	Minerals	Coordinates	Access
Shafer CreekShafer Creek Road	Boise County	Feldspar	43.8309, -116.1734	Public
Ada CountySouth Pleasant Valley Road	Ada County	Agate Chalcedony Jasper Petrified Wood Opalized Wood	43.3845, -116.2326	Public
EmmettPayette Riverwalk Trail	Gem County	Blue Agate Opal	43.8775, -116.5183	Public
Idaho CityElk Creek Road	Boise County	Quartz Garnet	43.8368, -115.8296	Public
SweetLiberty Road	Gem County	Agate	44.0335, -116.3102	Public
Garden ValleyBanks Lowman Road	Boise County	Aquamarine	44.0916, -115.9540	Public
Little Squaw Creek	Owyhee County	Fire Opal	43.3917, -116.8485	Public
Succor CreekEast Selway Drive	Owyhee County	Red Agate Green Agate	43.6251, -116.9486	Public
Homedale	Owyhee County	Agate Plume Agate	43.5532, -117.0249	Public
Dismal SwampTrinity Ridge Road	Elmore County	Smoky Quartz Topaz	43.7290, -115.3664	Public
Banner Silver MinesUsfs 384J	Boise County	Gold Silver Pyrargyrite	44.0189, -115.5327	Public
Boise River	Elmore County	Gold	43.5000, -115.3105	Public
McBride Creek	Owyhee County	Petrified Wood	43.2754, -116.9772	Public
Homedale (area)Texas Basin Road	Owyhee County	Agate Petrified Wood	43.2587, -117.0090	Public
Succor Creek General Area	Malheur County	Agate Chalcedony Chert Jasper Opalized Wood	43.3600, -117.1093	Public
Silver CityJordan Street	Owyhee County	Corundum Purple Garnet Red Garnet	43.0144, -116.7301	Public
Mountain Home3rd Street	Owyhee County	Cinnabar Gold	43.0147, -116.7339	Public
Iron MountainIron Mountain Trail	Camas County	Yellow Garnet Green Garnet	43.5417, -115.0425	Public
CascadeOne Eleven Way	Valley County	Agate Petrified Wood	44.4714, -115.9928	Public
Bruneau Canyon	Owyhee County	Bruneau Canyon Jasper	42.7768, -115.7173	Public
Hog Creek	Washington County	Thundereggs Amethyst	44.3094, -117.0885	Public
MesaApple Lane	Adams County	Opalized Wood	44.6303, -116.4591	Public
Grouse Creek	Washington County	Banded Agate Iris Agate Chalcedony	44.3758, -117.1738	Public
Bear ValleyBear Valley Trail	Valley County	Monazite Uranium	44.4276, -115.2747	Public
FairfieldSage Avenue	Camas County	Moonstone	43.3522, -114.7856	Public

Boise rockhounding FAQ

Where can I go rockhounding near Boise?+

There are 80 mapped rockhounding spots within about 150 miles of Boise, Idaho. The closest is Shafer Creek in Boise County, roughly 15 miles away. The full list is on this page with coordinates and drive times.

What rocks and minerals can you find near Boise?+

Spots within driving distance of Boise most commonly produce agate, gold, chalcedony, jasper, petrified wood, quartz.

Is rockhounding legal near Boise?+

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 Boise?+

Most weekend trips from Boise 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 3 states. Open the state page for the full county-by-county view.

Pack Boise's rockhounding map in your pocket

Open RockHoundR for live land overlays, weather, geology, directions, and saved finds — wherever the drive takes you.