Best Rockhounding in Dawes County, NE (5 Spots)

Standouts in Dawes County

Hand-picked spots in Dawes County, chosen for unusual mineralogy or documented public access. Each card opens the full coordinates and access notes.

Top pick
Chadron
Public
Dawes County
Chadron sits in the type area of the Chadron Formation, the Oligocene beds that produce Nebraska's state gemstone: translucent blue chalcedony, often called Nebraska blue agate.
Chalcedony, Blue Chalcedony
Top pick
Crawford (Fairburn area)
Public
Dawes County
Crawford is the gateway to Toadstool Geologic Park and the northern Oglala National Grassland, and the grassland draws around it are one of the few places in Nebraska to hunt Fairburn agate, the prized fortification agate, alongside prairie agate, jasper, and chalcedony.
Fairburn Agate
Top pick
Orella
Public
Dawes County
The heart of Nebraska rockhounding.
Fairburn Agate, Jasper, Carnelian, Opalized Wood

Spots in Dawes County

Spot	Minerals	Coordinates	Access
ChadronSchommer Road	Chalcedony Blue Chalcedony	42.8713, -103.0211	Public
Crawford (Fairburn area)Highway 2 71	Fairburn Agate	42.7045, -103.4043	Public
Crawford (jasper area)Annin Street	Fairburn Agate Jasper Petrified Wood	42.6831, -103.4114	Public
Dawes County	Chalcedony Celestite Fossils Agatized Wood Opalized Wood	42.6651, -103.1121	Public
OrellaSugar Loaf Road	Fairburn Agate Jasper Carnelian Opalized Wood Agatized Wood Silicified Ferns Chalcedony	42.9179, -103.4725	Public

Neighboring counties in Nebraska

Adjacent rockhounding counties, ranked by how close their centroids sit to Dawes County. A natural extension if Dawes County is already on your trip plan.

Across the state line from Dawes County

Rockhounding counties in neighboring states within driving range. Geology rarely respects state borders — these are often the closest mapped spots you can reach without going deeper into Nebraska.

Dawes County FAQ

Where can I rockhound in Dawes County, Nebraska?+

RockHoundR tracks 5 rockhounding spots in Dawes County. Each entry below has coordinates, mineral notes, and access type. Always confirm local rules before collecting.

What rocks and minerals are common in Dawes County?+

Spots in Dawes County most often produce Chalcedony, Fairburn Agate, Agatized Wood, Jasper, Opalized Wood. Individual spots can vary widely.

Are these Dawes County rockhounding spots on public land?+

Most spots in this list are tagged public, but access can change with seasons, claims, and local closures. Always verify before driving out — links in the app open the right BLM, USFS, or county pages.

Plan a Dawes County rockhounding trip

Open RockHoundR to see these spots on the map alongside land overlays, weather, geology, and your saved finds.

Rockhounding in Dawes County, Nebraska

Dawes County rockhounding photos

Minerals reported in Dawes County