Tallapoosa Mines: Gold Prospecting in Lyon County, Nevada
- Minerals reported
- 3
- Elevation
- 5,470 ft
- Best months
- February to June
Tallapoosa Mines is a mapped rockhounding spot in Lyon County, Nevada. Reported finds include copper, silver, gold. Below: coordinates, access notes, nearby spots, and trip-planning links.
Plan your visit
Confirm rules before collecting
- County
- Lyon County
- State
- Nevada
- Nearest road
- Ruby Avenue
- Coordinates
- 39.45498, -119.27944
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 Tallapoosa Mines
Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)
Best months: February to June. Typical highs run 92°F in midsummer and 42°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 20°F.
Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, LAHONTAN DAM station (12 mi away), adjusted for elevation.
Geology at Tallapoosa Mines
This spot sits on Basalt flows, mapped as basalt and basaltic andesite that formed within roughly the last 5 million years. Gold in volcanic terrain like this is usually tied to old vein systems and the gravels that drain them, so nearby washes tend to carry the color.
- Mapped unit
- Basalt flows
- Age
- 5 Ma to present (Pliocene to Holocene)
- Rock types
- basalt and basaltic andesite
- Elevation
- 5,470 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.
Today's weather
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The app shows live weather, recent rain, and a daily rockhounding score for Tallapoosa Mines.
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 Tallapoosa Mines
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 Tallapoosa Mines.
- FernleyLyon County, Nevada · 6 mi awayAgate
- Fernley HillsLyon County, Nevada · 9 mi awayAgate, Chert, Jasper
- Churchill ButteLyon County, Nevada · 9 mi awayTungsten
- Lahontan ReservoirChurchill County, Nevada · 12 mi awayAgate, Chalcedony, Jasper
- Castle Peak MineStorey County, Nevada · 20 mi awayMercury
- Virginia CityStorey County, Nevada · 21 mi awayCopper, Gold, Lead
- SparksWashoe County, Nevada · 22 mi awayAgate, Garnet, Idocrase
- Silver CityLyon County, Nevada · 25 mi awayGold, Iron, Platinum
Across the state line from Tallapoosa Mines
Tallapoosa Mines 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 · 46 mi awayQuartz
Tallapoosa Mines FAQ
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