Mineral Hill: Copper & Lead Rockhounding in Eureka County, Nevada

Plan your visit

Confirm rules before collecting

County

Eureka County

State

Nevada

Postcode

89316

Coordinates

39.49141, -115.98576

Coordinates are approximate. Confirm the exact ground in the RockHoundR app, where land overlays show which agency manages the area.

Land & collecting status

Confirm rules before collecting

Land status here is not confirmed. Verify with the managing agency before collecting, federal, state, and tribal rules differ.

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 Mineral Hill

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Best months: March to October. Typical highs run 82°F in midsummer and 34°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 14°F. At about 7,470 ft, snow can block access from late fall well into spring, so check conditions outside of summer.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, EUREKA station (2 mi away), adjusted for elevation.

Geology at Mineral Hill

This spot sits on Crossbedded quartzite, siltstone, and phyllite, mapped as quartzite, siltstone, and phyllite that formed roughly 1000 to 510 million years ago. Metamorphic rock like this weathers into resistant float, and minerals that survive transport typically concentrate in nearby drainages.

Mapped unit

Crossbedded quartzite, siltstone, and phyllite

Age

1000–510 Ma (Neoproterozoic to Early Cambrian)

Rock types

quartzite, siltstone, and phyllite

Elevation

7,470 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