El Paso Mountains: Agate & Opal Rockhounding in Kern County, California
Updated June 2026
The El Paso Mountains stand out because BLM identifies the area as a place where rock hounds find material among dark volcanic mesas, red buttes, and fossil-bearing badlands. Mindat ties the range and its Last Chance Canyon localities to agate-jasper, opal, gold, and petrified wood, a compact record of Mojave volcanic and sedimentary collecting. Reported finds include agate, opal, jasper, gold, petrified wood. Below: coordinates, access notes, nearby spots, and trip-planning links.
El Paso Mountains photos
Public image records connected to this spot or its reported material.
Map showing El Paso Mountains in Kern County, California
Quick details
- Access
- Public area
- County
- Kern County
- State
- California
- Nearest road
- EP170
- Coordinates
- 35.43759, -117.81594
Geology at El Paso Mountains
This spot sits on marine rocks, undivided, unit 2 (Northern Mojave Desert and Southeastern Sierra Nevada), mapped as argillite, chert, and phyllite that formed roughly 540 to 145 million years ago. Gold in metamorphic belts like this is typically tied to quartz veins and shear zones, with placer color in the creeks that cut them.
- Mapped unit
- marine rocks, undivided, unit 2 (Northern Mojave Desert and Southeastern Sierra Nevada)
- Age
- 540–145 Ma (Cambrian to Jurassic)
- Rock types
- argillite, chert, and phyllite
- Elevation
- 4,880 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.
Best time to visit El Paso Mountains
Best months: September to June. Typical highs run 96°F in midsummer and 53°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 30°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, RANDSBURG station (10 mi away), adjusted for elevation.
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.
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:
- BLM California — Recreational mineral collecting
- California Geological Survey
- CDFW — Suction Dredge Mining Permit Program
- Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules
Found at El Paso Mountains
Each chip 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 El Paso Mountains.
- Pine Tree CanyonKern County, California · 21 mi awayBarite
- Castle Butte FoothillsKern County, California · 27 mi awayAgate, Chalcedony, Chert
- Horse Canyon Agate BedsKern County, California · 32 mi awayAgate, Fossilized Horse Bones
- Searles LakeSan Bernardino County, California · 34 mi awayBorax, Aphthitalite, Halite
- Lead Pipe Spring AreaSan Bernardino County, California · 37 mi awayBlue Agate, Chalcedony, Jasper
- Gem HillTop pick in CaliforniaKern County, California · 42 mi awayAgate, Chalcedony, Jasper
- Eagle CragsSan Bernardino County, California · 43 mi awayBlue Agate, Bentonite, Calcite
- Little Acorn MineKern County, California · 43 mi awayEpidote, Quartz, Smoky Quartz
El Paso Mountains FAQ
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More rockhounding in California
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