Apache Mine: Calcite & Chrysocolla Rockhounding in Hidalgo County, New Mexico

Plan your visit

Confirm rules before collecting

County

Hidalgo County

State

New Mexico

Nearest road

NM 81

Coordinates

31.84476, -108.30532

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 Apache Mine

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Best months: August to May. Typical highs run 93°F in midsummer and 57°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 24°F. Summer heat here is intense, so carry more water than you think you need and work the early morning.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, HACHITA 1W station (6 mi away), adjusted for elevation.

Geology at Apache Mine

This spot sits on ground mapped as shale and limestone that formed roughly 145 to 100 million years ago. Carbonate rock like this dissolves and weathers readily, so fresh road cuts, quarries, and creek exposures are typically the most productive ground.

Age

145–100 Ma (Early Cretaceous)

Rock types

shale and limestone

Elevation

4,750 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