Tuscarora: Citrine & Rose Quartz Rockhounding in Elko County, Nevada

Plan your visit

Generally open to casual rockhounding

County

Elko County

State

Nevada

Nearest road

North Tuscarora Road

Coordinates

41.31918, -116.22051

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: BLM records active mining claims in this area. Collecting from inside an active claim needs the claim holder's permission.

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 Tuscarora

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Best months: March to November. Typical highs run 85°F in midsummer and 37°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 20°F.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, TUSCARORA station (0 mi away).

Geology at Tuscarora

This spot sits on Older silicic ash flow tuffs, mapped as felsic volcanic that formed roughly 48 to 28 million years ago. Cavities and seams in volcanic rock like this are the kind of setting where quartz and amethyst crystals tend to grow.

Mapped unit

Older silicic ash flow tuffs

Age

48–28 Ma (Middle Eocene to Early Oligocene)

Rock types

felsic volcanic

Elevation

6,200 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.

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