Area around Go John Mine: Gold Prospecting in Maricopa County, Arizona

Plan your visit

Generally open to casual rockhounding

County

Maricopa County

State

Arizona

Nearest road

Slate Trail

Postcode

85331

Coordinates

33.82568, -111.99300

Coordinates are approximate. Confirm the exact ground in the RockHoundR app, where land overlays show which agency manages the area.

Land & collecting status

Generally open to casual rockhounding

Most public-tagged spots sit on BLM, U.S. Forest Service, or other federal land where reasonable hand collecting of common rocks and minerals is allowed. Confirm posted rules and active mining claims before you dig.

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 Area around Go John Mine

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Best months: October to April. Typical highs run 104°F in midsummer and 65°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 42°F. Monsoon storms peak in July and August and can flood washes fast.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, CAREFREE station (5 mi away).

Geology at Area around Go John Mine

This spot sits on metavolcanic rocks, mapped as metavolcanic that formed roughly 1800 to 1600 million years ago. Gold in volcanic terrain like this is usually tied to old vein systems and the gravels that drain them, so nearby washes tend to carry the color.

Mapped unit

metavolcanic rocks

Age

1800–1600 Ma (Paleoproterozoic)

Rock types

metavolcanic

Elevation

2,450 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.

Sources & 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: April 1, 2026

• BLM Arizona, Recreational Mineral Collecting
• Arizona Geological Survey
• Arizona State Land Department recreation permits
• Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules