Stokes Mine near Gabbs: Iron Rockhounding in Nye County, Nevada

Quick details

Access

Public area

County

Nye County

State

Nevada

Nearest road

Ione Road

Coordinates

38.88885, -117.83032

Geology at Stokes Mine near Gabbs

This spot sits on Alluvium, undifferentiated, mapped as coarse alluvium and fine alluvium that formed within roughly the last 3 million years. Loose deposits like these are float-collecting ground: erosion keeps moving durable rocks and minerals into gravel bars, cutbanks, and washes.

Mapped unit

Alluvium, undifferentiated

Age

3 Ma to present (Pleistocene to Holocene)

Rock types

coarse alluvium and fine alluvium

Elevation

5,990 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 Stokes Mine near Gabbs

Best months: February to June. Typical highs run 91°F in midsummer and 42°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 17°F.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, GABBS 1NE station (5 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 Stokes Mine near Gabbs

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