Leech Lake Area: Pectolite & Nephrite Rockhounding in Mendocino County, California
- Minerals reported
- 4
- Elevation
- 6,140 ft
- Best months
- March to October
Leech Lake Area is a mapped rockhounding spot in Mendocino County, California. Reported finds include pectolite, nephrite, calcite, jadeite. Below: coordinates, access notes, nearby spots, and trip-planning links.
Plan your visit
Permission required before collecting
- County
- Mendocino County
- State
- California
- Nearest road
- Leech Lake Road
- Coordinates
- 39.91771, -123.08683
Coordinates are approximate. Confirm the exact ground in the RockHoundR app, where land overlays show which agency manages the area.
Land & collecting status
Permission required before collecting
Requires landowner or agency permission before any collecting. Do not enter without explicit authorization.
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 Leech Lake Area
Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)
Best months: March to October. Typical highs run 77°F in midsummer and 37°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 18°F.
Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, COVELO station (11 mi away), adjusted for elevation.
Geology at Leech Lake Area
This spot sits on Franciscan Complex, unit 1 (Coast Ranges), mapped as sandstone and mudstone that formed roughly 200 to 66 million years ago. Sedimentary rock like this erodes unevenly, so the most productive collecting is typically along fresh cuts, badland slopes, and active drainages.
- Mapped unit
- Franciscan Complex, unit 1 (Coast Ranges)
- Age
- 200–66 Ma (Jurassic to Cretaceous)
- Rock types
- sandstone and mudstone
- Elevation
- 6,140 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
Is today a good day to go?
The app shows live weather, recent rain, and a daily rockhounding score for Leech Lake Area.
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 California, Recreational mineral collecting
- California Geological Survey
- CDFW, Suction Dredge Mining Permit Program
- Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules
Found at Leech Lake Area
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 Leech Lake Area.
- North Fork of Eel RiverMendocino County, California · 14 mi awayNephrite Jade, Crocidolite, Jadeite
- Eel River GravelsMendocino County, California · 20 mi awayJadeite, Nephrite
- Impassable RockMendocino County, California · 26 mi awayRhodochrosite, Inesite, Bementite
- Woods MineHumboldt County, California · 38 mi awayBementite, Neotocite, Rhodochrosite
- Trinity RiverTrinity County, California · 55 mi awayChalcedony, Gold, Jasper
- Trinity River GravelsTrinity County, California · 56 mi awayDiamond, Platinum Nugget
- Area Stream Beds (Rhodonite nodules)Trinity County, California · 65 mi awayRhodonite Nodule
- Indian Creek gravelsTrinity County, California · 66 mi awayRhodonite
Leech Lake Area FAQ
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