La Madera: Geode Digging in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico

Plan your visit

Generally open to casual rockhounding

County

Rio Arriba County

State

New Mexico

Postcode

87539

Coordinates

36.39784, -106.02116

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 La Madera

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Best months: February to November. Typical highs run 85°F in midsummer and 42°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 18°F.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, EL RITO station (10 mi away).

Geology at La Madera

This spot sits on Los Pinos Formation of Lower Santa Fe Group, mapped as coarse alluvium and conglomerate that formed roughly 28 to 5 million years ago. Geodes weather out of their host rock and collect in gravels like these, where their round shape and light heft help them stand out.

Mapped unit

Los Pinos Formation of Lower Santa Fe Group

Age

28–5 Ma (Late Oligocene to Miocene)

Rock types

coarse alluvium and conglomerate

Elevation

6,750 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