Red Cloud Mine: Wulfenite & Vanadinite Rockhounding in La Paz County, Arizona
- Minerals reported
- 5
- Elevation
- 650 ft
- Best months
- October to April
Red Cloud Mine is a mapped rockhounding spot in La Paz County, Arizona. Reported finds include wulfenite, vanadinite, fluorescent calcite, willemite, fluorite. Below: coordinates, access notes, nearby spots, and trip-planning links.
Plan your visit
Pay-to-dig site
- County
- La Paz County
- State
- Arizona
- Nearest road
- Red Cloud Mine Road
- Postcode
- 85328
- Coordinates
- 33.09987, -114.59945
Coordinates are approximate. Confirm the exact ground in the RockHoundR app, where land overlays show which agency manages the area.
Land & collecting status
Pay-to-dig site
This is a fee-dig location. Hours, prices, and what you can keep vary by operator. Call ahead before driving out.
Public-land rules vary by agency, season, and field office. The RockHoundR app pulls live BLM, USFS, NPS, and tribal overlays so you can see exactly which agency manages the ground at this spot.
Best time to visit Red Cloud Mine
Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)
Best months: October to April. Typical highs run 106°F in midsummer and 68°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 44°F. Summer heat here is intense, so carry more water than you think you need and work the early morning.
Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, YUMA PROVING GROUND station (22 mi away), adjusted for elevation.
Geology at Red Cloud Mine
This spot sits on volcanic rocks, mapped as basalt, andesite, and dacite that formed roughly 41 to 7 million years ago. Volcanic ground like this weathers into rocky slopes and float, and fresh exposures in cuts and drainages are usually the most productive places to look.
- Mapped unit
- volcanic rocks
- Age
- 41–7 Ma (Late Eocene to Late Miocene)
- Rock types
- basalt, andesite, and dacite
- Elevation
- 650 ft
Geologic mapping via Macrostrat and the underlying state geological survey maps (CC BY 4.0). Bedrock at the surface can vary within a mapped unit.
Today's weather
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The app shows live weather, recent rain, and a daily rockhounding score for Red Cloud Mine.
Get the appSources & verification
Spot details combine the public RockHoundR location dataset, normalized mineral labels, agency land-status checks in the app, and community submissions. Coordinates are approximate until verified in the field.
State guidance last verified:
- BLM Arizona, Recreational Mineral Collecting
- Arizona Geological Survey
- Arizona State Land Department recreation permits
- Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules
Found at Red Cloud Mine
Each name opens all spots that produce that material; the encyclopedia link opens the full ID and field guide.
Nearby rockhounding spots
Other rockhounding spots within driving distance of Red Cloud Mine.
- South Geronimo MineLa Paz County, Arizona · 1 mi awayWulfenite, Vanadinite, Mimetite
- Crystal Hill Area, Kofa National Wildlife RefugeLa Paz County, Arizona · 41 mi awayQuartz
- Rowley MineMaricopa County, Arizona · 91 mi awayWulfenite, Vanadinite, Chrysocolla
- Saddle MountainMaricopa County, Arizona · 93 mi awayChalcedony, Fire Agate, Copper
- Date Creek areaYavapai County, Arizona · 118 mi awayAgate, Garnet, Jasper
- Under Burro Creek BridgeMohave County, Arizona · 120 mi awayPink Agate
Across the state line from Red Cloud Mine
Red Cloud Mine is close enough to the Arizona border that the next-closest rockhounding spots are in a neighboring state. Worth knowing if you are already on the road.
- Hauser Geode BedsImperial County, California · 30 mi awayThunderegg
- Unnamed Location (Fire Agate)Riverside County, California · 31 mi awayChalcedony, Fire Agate
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More rockhounding in Arizona
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