Rockhounding near Fresno, CA

45 mapped rockhounding spots within 150 miles of Fresno — 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 California, Nevada.

Closest rockhounding spots to Fresno

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

Clark ValleyFresno County, California23 mi · 28 min driveApatite, Andalusite
Clark Valley (North Side)Fresno County, California24 mi · 31 min driveEpidote
Unnamed Location (Grossular garnet)Fresno County, California26 mi · 32 min driveGrossular Garnet, Vesuvianite
Benitoite Gem MineSan Benito County, California53 mi · 1 hr 7 min drive
Jacolitos CanyonFresno County, California53 mi · 1 hr 7 min driveJasper, Petrified Wood, Fossilized Coral
Aurora Mine (permission required)San Benito County, California55 mi · 1 hr 8 min driveSerpentine

Most-reported finds near Fresno

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

Every spot within 150 miles of Fresno

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

Spot	County	Minerals	Coordinates	Access
Clark Valley	Fresno County	Apatite Andalusite	36.7510, -119.3764	Public
Clark Valley (North Side)	Fresno County	Epidote	36.7729, -119.3471	Public
Unnamed Location (Grossular garnet)	Fresno County	Grossular Garnet Vesuvianite	36.9091, -119.3757	Public
Benitoite Gem MineSawmill Creek Road	San Benito County		36.3368, -120.6064	Paid / fee
Jacolitos CanyonJacalitos Creek Road	Fresno County	Jasper Petrified Wood Fossilized Coral	36.0962, -120.3204	Public
Aurora Mine (permission required)Mexican Lake Road	San Benito County	Serpentine	36.3949, -120.6741	Permission
Benitoite Mining CompanyLos Gatos Road	Fresno County		36.2424, -120.5973	Paid / fee
Surprise Claim	Mariposa County	Rhodochrosite Rhodonite Spessartine Garnet	37.6583, -120.0544	Public
Unnamed Location (Jade)	Mariposa County	Jade	37.6463, -120.1177	Public
Purcell-Griffin Mine	Mariposa County	Chromite	37.6622, -120.1956	Public
Unnamed Location (Mariposite)CA 132	Mariposa County	Mariposite	37.7132, -120.2122	Public
Paso Robles AreaUnion Road	San Luis Obispo County	Jadeite	35.6379, -120.6274	Public
Little Acorn MineChaparral Court	Kern County	Epidote Quartz Smoky Quartz Scheelite	35.7167, -118.5000	Public
Coyote CreekDunne Avenue	Santa Clara County	Siderite	37.1500, -121.5783	Public
Morgan Hill CreeksWatsonville Road	Santa Clara County	Poppy Jasper	37.0551, -121.6636	Public
San Simeon BeachesCabrillo Highway	San Luis Obispo County	Moonstone	35.6421, -121.1833	Public
Ocean beach area (Big Sur coast)Cabrillo Highway	San Luis Obispo County	Jade	35.5952, -121.1272	Public
Limekiln Creek Beaches AreaCabrillo Highway	Monterey County	Rhodonite Axinite Nephrite Jade	36.0087, -121.5196	Public
Big Sur areaLos Burros Road	Monterey County	Jade Nephrite Serpentine	35.8938, -121.4523	Public
Willow Creek areaCabrillo Highway	Monterey County	Nephrite Jade Serpentine	35.8922, -121.4613	Public
Ocean Beaches (Central Coast)Atascadero Road	San Luis Obispo County	California Jade	35.3833, -120.8650	Public
New Almaden Area MinesBertram Road	Santa Clara County	Chert Cinnabar Apophyllite Gyrolite	37.1760, -121.8208	Public
Aurora Ghost TownAurora Road	Mineral County	Jasper Quartz	38.2883, -118.9017	Public
Fish Lake	Esmeralda County	Apache Tears	37.7418, -118.0542	Public
Aurora	Mineral County	Gold Silver	38.2896, -118.8891	Public

Fresno rockhounding FAQ

Where can I go rockhounding near Fresno?+

There are 45 mapped rockhounding spots within about 150 miles of Fresno, California. The closest is Clark Valley in Fresno County, roughly 23 miles away. The full list is on this page with coordinates and drive times.

What rocks and minerals can you find near Fresno?+

Spots within driving distance of Fresno most commonly produce gold, silver, jasper, lead, agate, copper.

Is rockhounding legal near Fresno?+

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 Fresno?+

Most weekend trips from Fresno 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 2 states. Open the state page for the full county-by-county view.

Pack Fresno's rockhounding map in your pocket

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