Bellevue: Galena & Dufrenoysite Rockhounding in Blaine County, Idaho

Plan your visit

Generally open to casual rockhounding

County

Blaine County

State

Idaho

Nearest road

Poison Creek Road

Coordinates

43.41543, -114.45534

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 Bellevue

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Best months: March to October. Typical highs run 85°F in midsummer and 32°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 13°F.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, BELLEVUE station (11 mi away), adjusted for elevation.

Geology at Bellevue

This spot sits on Hornblende-biotite granodiorite, mapped as granodiorite;monzogranite that formed roughly 145 to 66 million years ago. Plutonic rock like this weathers slowly into grus and boulders, and the most productive collecting is typically in weathered zones and drainages.

Mapped unit

Hornblende-biotite granodiorite

Age

145–66 Ma (Cretaceous)

Rock types

granodiorite;monzogranite

Elevation

5,960 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.

State guidance last verified: April 1, 2026

• Idaho Panhandle National Forests, Emerald Creek
• Idaho Geological Survey
• Spencer Opal Mines (fee-dig operator)
• Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules