Gold Hill: Argentite & Pyrargyrite Rockhounding in Taos County, New Mexico

Plan your visit

Permission required before collecting

County

Taos County

State

New Mexico

Nearest road

Gold Hill Trail #64

Coordinates

36.64296, -105.45580

Coordinates are approximate. Confirm the exact ground in the RockHoundR app, where land overlays show which agency manages the area.

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.

Best time to visit Gold Hill

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Best months: May to September. Typical highs run 60°F in midsummer and 21°F in midwinter, with winter lows near -7°F. At about 12,670 ft, snow can block access from late fall well into spring, so check conditions outside of summer.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, RED RVR station (5 mi away), adjusted for elevation.

Geology at Gold Hill

This spot sits on ground mapped as Felsic metavolcanic rocks that formed roughly 2500 to 1600 million years ago. Volcanic ground like this weathers into rocky slopes and float, and fresh exposures in cuts and drainages are usually the most productive places to look.

Mapped unit

Felsic metavolcanic rocks

Age

2500–1600 Ma (Paleoproterozoic)

Elevation

12,670 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