Rockhounding near Hays, KS

39 mapped rockhounding spots within 150 miles of Hays — 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 Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma.

Closest rockhounding spots to Hays

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

Most-reported finds near Hays

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

Hunting something specific near Hays?

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

Every spot within 150 miles of Hays

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

Spot	County	Minerals	Coordinates	Access
Smoky Hill River (chalk)210th Avenue	Ellis County	Chalk	38.7255, -99.3951	Public
Trego CountyUS 283	Trego County	Geode	38.9823, -99.8909	Public
Osborne	Osborne County	Septarian Nodules	39.4055, -98.7151	Public
South Fork Solomon River	Sheridan County	Moss Agate	39.3096, -100.4007	Public
KanopolisAvenue L	Ellsworth County	Halite Volcanic Ash	38.7159, -98.1140	Public
Smoky Hill River (amber)	Ellsworth County	Amber Barite Roses	38.6586, -98.0576	Public
Mushroom RocksAvenue K	Ellsworth County	Pyrite Concretions	38.7262, -98.0304	Permission
NortonCity Route	Norton County	Quartz Concretions	39.8353, -99.8718	Public
AdaNemaha Road	Ottawa County	Petrified Wood	39.1600, -97.8993	Public
Smoky Hill River (moss agate)Butterfield Overland Trail	Logan County	Moss Agate Chalk	38.8019, -100.8640	Public
Rock City ParkNorth 100th Road	Ottawa County	Concretion	39.0927, -97.7391	Public
FreemountSioux Road	McPherson County	Septarian Nodules	38.5367, -97.7755	Public
Kimberly Ranch	Kiowa County	Meteorites	37.5867, -99.1828	Public
Concordia	Cloud County	Agate Moss Agate Banded Agate Jasper Petrified Wood	39.5784, -97.5687	Public
Wilmore	Comanche County	Volcanic Ash	37.3274, -99.2120	Public
Sun CityWhite Sands	Barber County	Gypsum Calcite	37.3508, -98.9453	Public
AshlandClark County Lake Road	Clark County	Moss Agate Opal Jasper	37.3347, -99.7421	Public
Republican River	Red Willow County	Jasper	40.1878, -100.5771	Public
Chikaskia River	Kingman County	Agate Jasper Petrified Wood	37.4378, -98.0528	Public
WallaceCounty Road Wa S-26	Wallace County	Moss Opal	38.8489, -101.5925	Public
Smoky Hills RiverWest 4th Street	Dickinson County	Agatized Wood	38.9673, -97.0304	Public
Platte RiverHuron Drive	Buffalo County	Agate Chalcedony Jasper Petrified Wood	40.6611, -99.0708	Public
Aetna	Barber County	Agate Agatized Wood	37.0737, -98.9573	Public
Medicine LodgePixley Road	Barber County	Petrified Wood	37.1432, -98.5213	Public
Sharon SpringsKS 27	Wallace County	Agate Petrified Wood	38.9367, -101.7499	Public

Hays rockhounding FAQ

Where can I go rockhounding near Hays?+

There are 39 mapped rockhounding spots within about 150 miles of Hays, Kansas. The closest is Smoky Hill River (chalk) in Ellis County, roughly 11 miles away. The full list is on this page with coordinates and drive times.

What rocks and minerals can you find near Hays?+

Spots within driving distance of Hays most commonly produce jasper, agate, petrified wood, chalcedony, moss agate, agatized wood.

Is rockhounding legal near Hays?+

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 Hays?+

Most weekend trips from Hays 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 3 states. Open the state page for the full county-by-county view.

Pack Hays's rockhounding map in your pocket

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