Wisdom Ranch: Beryl & Chrysoberyl Rockhounding in Larimer County, Colorado

Plan your visit

Generally open to casual rockhounding

County

Larimer County

State

Colorado

Nearest road

Paradise Park Road

Coordinates

40.59778, -105.36444

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 Wisdom Ranch

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Best months: March to November. Typical highs run 78°F in midsummer and 40°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 20°F. At about 7,630 ft, snow can block access from late fall well into spring, so check conditions outside of summer.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, BUCKHORN MTN 1E station (4 mi away), adjusted for elevation.

Geology at Wisdom Ranch

This spot sits on Quartzofeldspathic mica schist, mapped as schist that formed roughly 2500 to 1600 million years ago. Metamorphic belts like this often host pegmatite dikes, the coarse-crystal bodies that typically carry beryl, tourmaline, and sheet mica.

Mapped unit

Quartzofeldspathic mica schist

Age

2500–1600 Ma (Paleoproterozoic)

Rock types

schist

Elevation

7,630 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