Lahontan Reservoir: Agate & Chalcedony Rockhounding in Churchill County, Nevada
- Minerals reported
- 4
- Elevation
- 4,180 ft
- Best months
- September to June
Lahontan Reservoir is a mapped rockhounding spot in Churchill County, Nevada. Reported finds include agate, chalcedony, jasper, petrified wood. Below: coordinates, access notes, nearby spots, and trip-planning links.
Plan your visit
Permission required before collecting
- County
- Churchill County
- State
- Nevada
- Nearest road
- Karen Road
- Coordinates
- 39.44757, -119.04931
Coordinates are approximate. Confirm the exact ground in the RockHoundR app, where land overlays show which agency manages the area.
Land & collecting status
Permission required before collecting
Requires landowner or agency permission before any collecting. Do not enter without explicit authorization.
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 Lahontan Reservoir
Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)
Best months: September to June. Typical highs run 96°F in midsummer and 47°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 25°F. Summer heat here is intense, so carry more water than you think you need and work the early morning.
Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, LAHONTAN DAM station (2 mi away).
Geology at Lahontan Reservoir
This spot sits on Alluvium, undifferentiated, mapped as coarse alluvium and fine alluvium that formed within roughly the last 3 million years. Petrified wood typically travels as tough float, and worked gravels like these are exactly where weathered pieces tend to collect.
- Mapped unit
- Alluvium, undifferentiated
- Age
- 3 Ma to present (Pleistocene to Holocene)
- Rock types
- coarse alluvium and fine alluvium
- Elevation
- 4,180 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 Lahontan Reservoir.
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.
State guidance last verified:
- BLM Nevada, Recreation
- Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology
- Royal Peacock Opal Mine (fee-dig operator)
- Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules
Found at Lahontan Reservoir
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 Lahontan Reservoir.
- Fernley HillsLyon County, Nevada · 8 mi awayAgate, Chert, Jasper
- FernleyLyon County, Nevada · 11 mi awayAgate
- Tallapoosa MinesLyon County, Nevada · 12 mi awayCopper, Silver, Gold
- Churchill ButteLyon County, Nevada · 15 mi awayTungsten
- Desert Queen AreaChurchill County, Nevada · 26 mi awayGold, Hematite
- Castle Peak MineStorey County, Nevada · 32 mi awayMercury
- Virginia CityStorey County, Nevada · 33 mi awayCopper, Gold, Lead
- Singatse MountainsLyon County, Nevada · 33 mi awayChalcanthite, Bluestone
Across the state line from Lahontan Reservoir
Lahontan Reservoir is close enough to the Nevada border that the next-closest rockhounding spots are in a neighboring state. Worth knowing if you are already on the road.
- Hallelujah JunctionLassen County, California · 57 mi awayQuartz
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More rockhounding in Nevada
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