Ouachita National Forest: Quartz & Novaculite Rockhounding in Le Flore County, Oklahoma
- Minerals reported
- 3
- Elevation
- 1,000 ft
- Best months
- Year-round
The Ouachita Mountains carry a belt of clear and milky quartz crystals that runs west from the famous Arkansas crystal district into southeastern Oklahoma. On the Oklahoma side the Ouachita National Forest holds a large block of public land in Le Flore County where hobby collectors can pick up quartz, novaculite, and chalcedony. Personal collecting on this national forest is rare legal ground in a state that is otherwise almost entirely private. Reported finds include quartz, novaculite, chalcedony. Below: coordinates, access notes, nearby spots, and trip-planning links.
Plan your visit
Generally open to casual rockhounding
- County
- Le Flore County
- State
- Oklahoma
- Nearest road
- US 259
- Postcode
- 74957
- Coordinates
- 34.63200, -94.61700
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.
Access note: The Ouachita National Forest allows collecting common rocks and mineral samples in reasonable amounts for personal, non-commercial use, but the Forest Service asks collectors to check with the district ranger first, and some ground is covered by mining claims that are off limits. Contact the Kiamichi/Choctaw Ranger District at Talihina for current rules and forest-road conditions. Use hand tools only, and do not collect in developed recreation areas or on posted claims.
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 Ouachita National Forest
Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)
Conditions here are workable year-round, with typical highs from 50°F in winter to 90°F in summer.
Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, SMITHVILLE station (11 mi away), adjusted for elevation.
Geology at Ouachita National Forest
This spot sits on Terrace Deposits, mapped as coarse alluvium and fine alluvium that formed within roughly the last 3 million years. Gravels like these concentrate whatever survives the river: agate, jasper, and other tough silica typically show up as rounded, waxy stones.
- Mapped unit
- Terrace Deposits
- Age
- 3 Ma to present (Pleistocene)
- Rock types
- coarse alluvium and fine alluvium
- Elevation
- 1,000 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.
Today's weather
Is today a good day to go?
The app shows live weather, recent rain, and a daily rockhounding score for Ouachita National Forest.
Get the appSources & 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.
- Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge, selenite digging
- Oklahoma Geological Survey
- Ouachita National Forest
- Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules
Found at Ouachita National Forest
Each name opens all spots that produce that material; the encyclopedia link opens the full ID and field guide.
Nearby rockhounding spots
Other rockhounding spots within driving distance of Ouachita National Forest.
- AntlersPushmataha County, Oklahoma · 62 mi awayGreen Quartz
- Tenmile CreekPushmataha County, Oklahoma · 67 mi awayGrahamite
- AtokaAtoka County, Oklahoma · 84 mi awayNovaculite, Chert
- TahlequahCherokee County, Oklahoma · 91 mi awayPyrite
- LehighCoal County, Oklahoma · 92 mi awayManganese
- HoldenvilleHughes County, Oklahoma · 107 mi awayBarite
Across the state line from Ouachita National Forest
Ouachita National Forest is close enough to the Oklahoma border that the next-closest rockhounding spots are in a neighboring state. Worth knowing if you are already on the road.
- Board Camp Crystal MinePolk County, Arkansas · 31 mi away
- Unnamed Quarry (Wavellite)Montgomery County, Arkansas · 55 mi awayWavellite
- Wegner Quartz Mines (Phantom Mine)Montgomery County, Arkansas · 55 mi awayQuartz, Smoky Quartz, Amethyst
- Sweet Surrender Crystal MineMontgomery County, Arkansas · 56 mi awayQuartz, Calcite
- Wegner Quartz MinesMontgomery County, Arkansas · 56 mi awayQuartz
- Wegner Crystal MinesMontgomery County, Arkansas · 56 mi away
Ouachita National Forest FAQ
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More rockhounding in Oklahoma
See all 36 Oklahoma spots →
Open Ouachita National Forest on the map
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