Austin: Gold Prospecting in Lander County, Nevada

Plan your visit

Generally open to casual rockhounding

County

Lander County

State

Nevada

Nearest road

Big Creek Road

Coordinates

39.48728, -117.08306

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 Austin

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Best months: February to November. Typical highs run 87°F in midsummer and 43°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 27°F.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, AUSTIN #2 station (1 mi away), adjusted for elevation.

Geology at Austin

This spot sits on Older felsic phaneritic intrusive rocks, mapped as granitic, granodiorite, and quartz monzonite that formed roughly 200 to 145 million years ago. Gold in granitic terrain like this is typically tied to quartz veins along contacts and shear zones, with placer color in the streams that drain them.

Mapped unit

Older felsic phaneritic intrusive rocks

Age

200–145 Ma (Jurassic)

Rock types

granitic, granodiorite, and quartz monzonite

Elevation

6,560 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