Rockhounding near Butte, MT

84 mapped rockhounding spots within 150 miles of Butte — most are inside a 2 to 3 hour drive. Below: a map, the closest spots, what they produce, and full coordinates with access notes.

Covering parts of Montana, Idaho.

Closest rockhounding spots to Butte

The 6 nearest mapped spots, with straight-line distance and an approximate drive time.

Most-reported finds near Butte

Counts reflect how many spots in this radius mention each material.

Hunting something specific near Butte?

These materials have enough dedicated spots around Butte to earn their own page, with distances and a separate map.

Every spot within 150 miles of Butte

Sorted by distance from Butte. Tap a row to open the spot detail page with full directions, access status, and nearby trips.

Spot	County	Minerals	Coordinates	Access
ButteClark Street	Silver Bow County	Bornite Pisanite Rhodochrosite Rhodonite	46.0206, -112.5463	Public
Brown’s Gulch	Silver Bow County	Sapphire	46.0144, -112.6848	Public
PipestoneCamp Caroline Road	Jefferson County	Amethyst Quartz	45.9555, -112.3869	Public
Dry Cottonwood Creekcdt-alt Ley	Deer Lodge County	Sapphire	46.2206, -112.6851	Public
WhitehallPaul Gulch Road	Jefferson County	Galena Gold Sphalerite Pyrite	45.9179, -112.0411	Public
Basin	Jefferson County	Silver Gold	46.2960, -112.2327	Public
Jefferson RiverPrimrose Lane	Madison County	Agate Chalcedony Jasper Petrified Wood	45.6902, -112.2745	Public
French CreekDeep Creek Road	Deer Lodge County	Gold	45.9474, -113.0605	Public
Lost CreekLost Creek Road	Deer Lodge County	Amazonite	46.2087, -113.0032	Permission
Jack CreekJack Creek Road	Jefferson County	Dumortierite	46.3725, -112.2872	Public
Mill Canyon	Madison County	Tourmaline	45.6968, -112.1247	Public
Calvert Hill MineCalvert Loop Road	Beaverhead County	Scheelite Garnet Aquamarine Tungsten	45.8489, -113.1524	Public
South Boulder RiverSouth Boulder Road	Madison County	Quartz	45.7263, -111.9747	Public
Wickes & ClancyPowder House Road	Jefferson County	Arsenopyrite Cerussite Gold	46.3925, -112.0829	Public
CorbinPowder House Road	Jefferson County	Arsenopyrite Cerussite	46.3927, -112.0831	Public
Elkhorn MountainIron Mountain Road	Jefferson County	Magnetite Hematite	46.2909, -111.9359	Public
GeorgetownCable Mountain Road	Deer Lodge County	Gold Chrysocolla	46.1999, -113.2176	Public
Bismark MineMammoth South Boulder Road	Madison County	Molybdenite Pyrite Chalcopyrite	45.6129, -112.0490	Public
Pioneer	Powell County	Gold Calcite Chalcopyrite Quartz Pyrite	46.5139, -112.9638	Public
PhillipsburgGranite Rd	Granite County	Chrysocolla Rhodochrosite Ore	46.3193, -113.2805	Public
RadersburgKeating Gulch Road	Broadwater County	Gold Silver	46.1921, -111.6645	Public
Crystal Park	Beaverhead County	Amethyst Smoky Quartz	45.4864, -113.0999	Paid / fee
GoldcreekI 90;US 12	Powell County	Gold	46.5945, -112.9434	Public
Gem Mountain	Madison County	Sapphire	45.3430, -112.3560	Paid / fee
HelenaMRL Service Road	Lewis and Clark County	Gold	46.6539, -112.1266	Public

Butte rockhounding FAQ

Where can I go rockhounding near Butte?+

There are 84 mapped rockhounding spots within about 150 miles of Butte, Montana. The closest is Butte in Silver Bow County, roughly 1 miles away. The full list is on this page with coordinates and drive times.

What rocks and minerals can you find near Butte?+

Spots within driving distance of Butte most commonly produce gold, sapphire, agate, quartz, chalcedony, petrified wood.

Is rockhounding legal near Butte?+

Casual hand collecting of common rocks and minerals is allowed on most BLM and U.S. Forest Service land, with limits set by the local field office. National parks, most state parks, and tribal land are off-limits. Each spot page on this site lists access status; always confirm current rules with the managing agency before a trip.

How far do most rockhounders drive from Butte?+

Most weekend trips from Butte fall inside a 2 to 3 hour drive, which is roughly the 150-mile radius shown on this page. Closer spots are good for half-day outings; the outer ones are better as overnight trips.

More state coverage

The spots above span 2 states. Open the state page for the full county-by-county view.

Pack Butte's rockhounding map in your pocket

Open RockHoundR for live land overlays, weather, geology, directions, and saved finds — wherever the drive takes you.