Rockhounding near San Francisco, CA

24 mapped rockhounding spots within 150 miles of San Francisco — 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.

Closest rockhounding spots to San Francisco

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

Coyote PointSan Mateo County, California14 mi · 17 min driveChert, Jasper
Crystal Springs ReservoirSan Mateo County, California16 mi · 20 min driveChromite
Alum Rock ParkSanta Clara County, California43 mi · 53 min driveAlbandite, Hausmannite, Tephroite
Guadeloupe CreekSanta Clara County, California48 mi · 1 hr driveDendritic Agate
New Almaden Area MinesSanta Clara County, California53 mi · 1 hr 6 min driveChert, Cinnabar, Apophyllite
Coyote CreekSanta Clara County, California63 mi · 1 hr 19 min driveSiderite

Most-reported finds near San Francisco

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

Serpentine4
Chromite3
Rhodonite3
Chert2
Jade2
Nephrite2
Nephrite Jade2
Rhodochrosite2
Actinolite Prisms1
Albandite1
Apophyllite1
Argentite1

Every spot within 150 miles of San Francisco

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

Spot	County	Minerals	Coordinates	Access
Coyote Point	San Mateo County	Chert Jasper	37.5915, -122.3204	Public
Crystal Springs ReservoirSawyer Camp Trail	San Mateo County	Chromite	37.5474, -122.3874	Public
Alum Rock ParkPenitencia Creek Trail	Santa Clara County	Albandite Hausmannite Tephroite	37.3958, -121.8019	Public
Guadeloupe CreekHicks Road	Santa Clara County	Dendritic Agate	37.2081, -121.9013	Public
New Almaden Area MinesBertram Road	Santa Clara County	Chert Cinnabar Apophyllite Gyrolite	37.1760, -121.8208	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
Unnamed Location (Actinolite prisms)Redwood Highway	Mendocino County	Actinolite Prisms	38.9526, -123.0973	Public
Alabama MineAlabama Mine Road	Placer County	Argentite Gold Quartz Galena	38.8446, -121.1575	Public
Unnamed Location (Chromite/Uvarovite)Safari Trail	El Dorado County	Chromite Uvarovite	38.8053, -121.0393	Public
Wolf CreekLinhall Road	Nevada County	Pyrolusite Rhodonite	39.0748, -121.0979	Public
Unnamed Location (Mariposite)CA 132	Mariposa County	Mariposite	37.7132, -120.2122	Public
Purcell-Griffin Mine	Mariposa County	Chromite	37.6622, -120.1956	Public
Unnamed Location (Jade)	Mariposa County	Jade	37.6463, -120.1177	Public
Impassable Rock	Mendocino County	Rhodochrosite Inesite Bementite Neotocite	39.5363, -123.1216	Public
Surprise Claim	Mariposa County	Rhodochrosite Rhodonite Spessartine Garnet	37.6583, -120.0544	Public
Limekiln Creek Beaches AreaCabrillo Highway	Monterey County	Rhodonite Axinite Nephrite Jade	36.0087, -121.5196	Public
Shady Run Gravels	Placer County	Garnet Serpentine	39.2069, -120.7425	Public
Aurora Mine (permission required)Mexican Lake Road	San Benito County	Serpentine	36.3949, -120.6741	Permission
Willow Creek areaCabrillo Highway	Monterey County	Nephrite Jade Serpentine	35.8922, -121.4613	Public
Big Sur areaLos Burros Road	Monterey County	Jade Nephrite Serpentine	35.8938, -121.4523	Public
Benitoite Gem MineSawmill Creek Road	San Benito County		36.3368, -120.6064	Paid / fee
Eel River GravelsDos Rios Road	Mendocino County	Jadeite Nephrite	39.7140, -123.3526	Public
Benitoite Mining CompanyLos Gatos Road	Fresno County		36.2424, -120.5973	Paid / fee

San Francisco rockhounding FAQ

Where can I go rockhounding near San Francisco?+

There are 24 mapped rockhounding spots within about 150 miles of San Francisco, California. The closest is Coyote Point in San Mateo County, roughly 14 miles away. The full list is on this page with coordinates and drive times.

What rocks and minerals can you find near San Francisco?+

Spots within driving distance of San Francisco most commonly produce serpentine, chromite, rhodonite, chert, jade, nephrite.

Is rockhounding legal near San Francisco?+

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 San Francisco?+

Most weekend trips from San Francisco 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 California spots →

Pack San Francisco's rockhounding map in your pocket

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