Bear Mountain: Copper & Chrysocolla Rockhounding in Grant County, New Mexico

Plan your visit

Generally open to casual rockhounding

County

Grant County

State

New Mexico

Nearest road

Bear Mountain Road

Coordinates

32.83591, -108.35866

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.

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 Bear Mountain

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Conditions here are workable year-round, with typical highs from 49°F in winter to 82°F in summer. At about 8,020 ft, snow can block access from late fall well into spring, so check conditions outside of summer.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, FT BAYARD 4W station (8 mi away), adjusted for elevation.

Geology at Bear Mountain

This spot sits on Lower-upper middle Tertiary basaltic andesites and andesites of the Mogollon Group, mapped as andesite, basaltic andesite, and basalt that formed roughly 34 to 23 million years ago. Copper minerals such as malachite and chrysocolla typically show up where mineralized rock like this has weathered and oxidized near old workings.

Mapped unit

Lower-upper middle Tertiary basaltic andesites and andesites of the Mogollon Group

Age

34–23 Ma (Early Oligocene to Late Oligocene)

Rock types

andesite, basaltic andesite, and basalt

Elevation

8,020 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

• Rockhound State Park, Collection rules
• BLM New Mexico
• New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources
• Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules