Calumet Iron Mine: Amphibole & Chalcopyrite Rockhounding in Chaffee County, Colorado

Plan your visit

Generally open to casual rockhounding

County

Chaffee County

State

Colorado

Nearest road

Austin Trail

Coordinates

38.63334, -106.00026

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.

Access note: BLM records active mining claims in this area. Collecting from inside an active claim needs the claim holder's permission.

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 Calumet Iron Mine

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Best months: March to November. Typical highs run 80°F in midsummer and 37°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 5°F. At about 8,890 ft, snow can block access from late fall well into spring, so check conditions outside of summer.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, SALIDA station (7 mi away), adjusted for elevation.

Geology at Calumet Iron Mine

This spot sits on ground mapped as Aluminous gneiss and schist, calc-silicate gneiss, and quartzite that formed roughly 2500 to 1600 million years ago. Metamorphic rock like this weathers into resistant float, and minerals that survive transport typically concentrate in nearby drainages.

Mapped unit

Aluminous gneiss and schist, calc-silicate gneiss, and quartzite

Age

2500–1600 Ma (Paleoproterozoic)

Elevation

8,890 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.

• BLM Colorado rockhounding rules
• Colorado Geological Survey
• Pike and San Isabel National Forests
• Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules