Ouachita River: Agate & Petrified Wood Rockhounding in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana
- Minerals reported
- 3
- Elevation
- 70 ft
- Best months
- September to June
The Ouachita River carries agate, petrified wood, and opalized wood south out of the Arkansas uplands, dropping them on gravel bars around Monroe in north Louisiana. It gives the northern half of the state a genuine collecting river far from the palmwood country and the Florida Parishes. Because the Ouachita is a navigable stream, its bars offer legal public-access hunting below the low-water mark. Reported finds include agate, petrified wood, opalized wood. Below: coordinates, access notes, nearby spots, and trip-planning links.
Plan your visit
Generally open to casual rockhounding
- County
- Ouachita Parish
- State
- Louisiana
- Nearest road
- River Road
- Coordinates
- 32.30278, -92.10277
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: Collect from exposed gravel bars in the bed of the navigable Ouachita River, reached from public river accesses and boat launches around Monroe, staying below the ordinary low-water line. The banks are largely private, so do not dig into them or cross posted land. Water levels on this managed navigation river vary, so time visits to low water.
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 Ouachita River
Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)
Best months: September to June. Typical highs run 93°F in midsummer and 57°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 37°F.
Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, COLUMBIA LOCK station (9 mi away).
Geology at Ouachita River
This spot sits on Natural Levees, mapped as silt and clay that formed within roughly the last 12,000 years. Petrified wood typically travels as tough float, and worked gravels like these are exactly where weathered pieces tend to collect.
- Mapped unit
- Natural Levees
- Age
- < 1 Ma (Holocene)
- Rock types
- silt and clay
- Elevation
- 70 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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The app shows live weather, recent rain, and a daily rockhounding score for Ouachita River.
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.
- Louisiana Geological Survey
- Kisatchie National Forest
- Louisiana State Parks rules
- Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules
Found at Ouachita River
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 Ouachita River.
- PollockGrant Parish, Louisiana · 56 mi awayAgate, Petrified Wood
- Rapides ParishGrant Parish, Louisiana · 69 mi awaySilicified Palm Wood
- Vernon ParishVernon Parish, Louisiana · 95 mi awaySilicified Palm Wood
- LeesvilleVernon Parish, Louisiana · 104 mi awayPetrified Wood
- Leesville (opal area)Vernon Parish, Louisiana · 105 mi awayLouisiana Opal
- Toledo BendSabine Parish, Louisiana · 109 mi awayPetrified Palm Wood
Across the state line from Ouachita River
Ouachita River is close enough to the Louisiana border that the next-closest rockhounding spots are in a neighboring state. Worth knowing if you are already on the road.
- Letourneau LandingWarren County, Mississippi · 66 mi awayPetrified Wood
- Adams CountyAdams County, Mississippi · 68 mi awayBanded Agate
Ouachita River FAQ
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More rockhounding in Louisiana
See all 17 Louisiana spots →
Open Ouachita River on the map
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