Wolf Creek Pass: Amethyst & Mordenite Rockhounding in Mineral County, Colorado
- Minerals reported
- 5
- Elevation
- 8,850 ft
Wolf Creek Pass cuts through Conejos Formation basalts whose gas cavities are lined with zeolites, including mordenite reported among the finest in North America, alongside amethyst-bearing geodes. Heulandite, chabazite, and calcite occur in the same amygdules. The collecting exposures along US 160 sit on San Juan and Rio Grande National Forest land outside designated wilderness. Reported finds include amethyst, mordenite, heulandite, chabazite, calcite. Below: coordinates, access notes, nearby spots, and trip-planning links.
Plan your visit
Generally open to casual rockhounding
- County
- Mineral County
- State
- Colorado
- Nearest road
- US 160
- Coordinates
- 37.45140, -106.88947
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: Look along roadcuts and float on US Highway 160 over the pass, with documented exposures about three-quarters of a mile north of Treasure Falls on the west side. Both forests require a free-use permit, so stay on non-wilderness ground and off any marked claims.
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.
Geology at Wolf Creek Pass
This spot sits on Modern alluvium, mapped as unconsolidated alluvium that formed within roughly the last 3 million years. Loose deposits like these are float-collecting ground: erosion keeps moving durable rocks and minerals into gravel bars, cutbanks, and washes.
- Mapped unit
- Modern alluvium
- Age
- 3 Ma to present (Quaternary)
- Rock types
- unconsolidated alluvium
- Elevation
- 8,850 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
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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.
- BLM Colorado rockhounding rules
- Colorado Geological Survey
- Pike and San Isabel National Forests
- Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules
Found at Wolf Creek Pass
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 Wolf Creek Pass.
- Wolf Creek Stream BedMineral County, Colorado · 5 mi awayAmethyst Geode, Agate, Chalcedony
- Willow Creek West Fork stream bedMineral County, Colorado · 29 mi awayTurquoise
- Willow Creek (permission required)Mineral County, Colorado · 29 mi awayAmethyst, Chalcedony, Sphalerite
- Last Chance MineMineral County, Colorado · 30 mi awayAmethyst, Agate, Chalcedony
- Del Norte Thunder Egg BedsSaguache County, Colorado · 32 mi awayPlume Agate, Moss Agate, Chalcedony
- Crystal HillSaguache County, Colorado · 43 mi awayAmethyst, Quartz, Smoky Quartz
- Gunnison Gold Belt MinesGunnison County, Colorado · 60 mi awayGold, Copper
- Quartz Creek (Brown Derby)Gunnison County, Colorado · 75 mi awayBeryl, Tourmaline, Lepidolite
Across the state line from Wolf Creek Pass
Wolf Creek Pass is close enough to the Colorado border that the next-closest rockhounding spots are in a neighboring state. Worth knowing if you are already on the road.
- Las TablasRio Arriba County, New Mexico · 79 mi awayTourmaline
Wolf Creek Pass FAQ
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More rockhounding in Colorado
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