Silver City: Corundum & Purple Garnet Rockhounding in Owyhee County, Idaho

Plan your visit

Generally open to casual rockhounding

County

Owyhee County

State

Idaho

Nearest road

Jordan Street

Coordinates

43.01444, -116.73014

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 Silver City

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Best months: April to October. Typical highs run 82°F in midsummer and 36°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 21°F.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, SILVER CITY 5 W station (5 mi away).

Geology at Silver City

This spot sits on Silver City rhyolite, undifferentiated, mapped as rhyolite that formed roughly 23 to 5 million years ago. Volcanic ground like this weathers into rocky slopes and float, and fresh exposures in cuts and drainages are usually the most productive places to look.

Mapped unit

Silver City rhyolite, undifferentiated

Age

23–5 Ma (Miocene)

Rock types

rhyolite

Elevation

6,210 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