Smoky Hill River (chalk): Chalk Rockhounding in Ellis County, Kansas

Quick details

Access

Public area

County

Ellis County

State

Kansas

Nearest road

210th Avenue

Coordinates

38.72549, -99.39508

Geology at Smoky Hill River (chalk)

This spot sits on Alluvium, mapped as sand, silt, and clay 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

Alluvium

Age

3 Ma to present (Pleistocene to Holocene)

Rock types

sand, silt, and clay

Elevation

1,960 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.

Best time to visit Smoky Hill River (chalk)

Best months: February to June. Typical highs run 93°F in midsummer and 43°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 17°F.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, HAYS 1 S station (10 mi away).

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.

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.

Sources: RockHoundR public spot dataset, app land overlays, and local agency review before each trip.

Found at Smoky Hill River (chalk)

Each chip opens all spots that produce that material; the encyclopedia link opens the full ID and field guide.

• Chalk