Silver Cloud Mine: Cinnabar Rockhounding in Elko County, Nevada

Quick details

Access

Public area

County

Elko County

State

Nevada

Nearest road

Rock Creek Road

Coordinates

41.05277, -116.62484

Geology at Silver Cloud Mine

This spot sits on Older rhyolitic flows and shallow intrusive rocks, mapped as rhyolite and dacite that formed roughly 48 to 28 million years ago. Volcanic ground like this weathers into rocky slopes and float, and fresh exposures in cuts and drainages are usually the most productive places to look.

Mapped unit

Older rhyolitic flows and shallow intrusive rocks

Age

48–28 Ma (Middle Eocene to Early Oligocene)

Rock types

rhyolite and dacite

Elevation

5,350 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.

Best time to visit Silver Cloud Mine

Best months: March to November. Typical highs run 88°F in midsummer and 40°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 23°F.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, TUSCARORA station (28 mi away), adjusted for elevation.

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.

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.

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.

State guidance last verified: April 1, 2026

• 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 Silver Cloud Mine

Each chip opens all spots that produce that material; the encyclopedia link opens the full ID and field guide.

• CinnabarEncyclopedia →