Las Vegas: Petrified Wood Rockhounding in San Miguel County, New Mexico

Quick details

Access

Permission required

County

San Miguel County

State

New Mexico

Coordinates

35.65774, -105.23269

Geology at Las Vegas

This spot sits on Carlile Shale, mapped as shale that formed roughly 94 to 90 million years ago. Sedimentary beds like these are the typical host for petrified and silicified wood, which weathers out as durable float on slopes and in washes.

Mapped unit

Carlile Shale

Age

94–90 Ma (Late Cretaceous)

Rock types

shale

Elevation

6,610 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 Las Vegas

Conditions here are workable year-round, with typical highs from 48°F in winter to 84°F in summer.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, LAS VEGAS MUNI AP station (5 mi away), adjusted for elevation.

Land & collecting status

Permission required before collecting

Requires landowner or agency permission before any collecting. Do not enter without explicit authorization.

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

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

Found at Las Vegas

Each chip opens all spots that produce that material; the encyclopedia link opens the full ID and field guide.

• Petrified WoodEncyclopedia →