Cookes Peak area: Agate & Carnelian Rockhounding in Luna County, New Mexico

Plan your visit

Generally open to casual rockhounding

County

Luna County

State

New Mexico

Nearest road

Cookes Peak Trail

Coordinates

32.52597, -107.70145

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 Cookes Peak area

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Conditions here are workable year-round, with typical highs from 54°F in winter to 89°F in summer.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, FAYWOOD station (12 mi away), adjusted for elevation.

Geology at Cookes Peak area

This spot sits on ground mapped as limestone, shale, and sandstone that formed roughly 420 to 325 million years ago. Chert and agate nodules typically form inside carbonate rock like this and weather out as tough, waxy lumps in soils and creek beds.

Age

420–325 Ma (Devonian to Mississippian)

Rock types

limestone, shale, and sandstone

Elevation

5,850 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