Bayard: Agate & Petrified Wood Rockhounding in Morrill County, Nebraska

Plan your visit

Generally open to casual rockhounding

County

Morrill County

State

Nebraska

Nearest road

US 26

Postcode

69334

Coordinates

41.73236, -103.31874

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 on public ground and public river accesses only. The North Platte is non-navigable in Nebraska, so its bed is privately owned to midstream: use public crossings, bridge right-of-ways, and any nearby public land rather than walking private bars. Chimney Rock National Historic Site is a protected monument (no collecting). Ask before entering ranch or farm land.

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 Bayard

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Best months: February to June. Typical highs run 91°F in midsummer and 41°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 14°F.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, BRIDGEPORT 18WSW station (12 mi away), adjusted for elevation.

Geology at Bayard

This spot sits on White River Group, mapped as clay that formed roughly 34 to 23 million years ago. Petrified wood typically travels as tough float, and worked gravels like these are exactly where weathered pieces tend to collect.

Mapped unit

White River Group

Age

34–23 Ma (Early Oligocene to Late Oligocene)

Rock types

clay

Elevation

3,740 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.

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.

• Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands
• Conservation and Survey Division, University of Nebraska
• Nebraska Game and Parks rules
• Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules