Gloss Mountain State Park: Selenite & Gypsum Rockhounding in Major County, Oklahoma

Plan your visit

Confirm rules before collecting

County

Major County

State

Oklahoma

Nearest road

US 412

Postcode

73737

Coordinates

36.36850, -98.57810

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

Land & collecting status

Confirm rules before collecting

Land status here is not confirmed. Verify with the managing agency before collecting, federal, state, and tribal rules differ.

Access note: Gloss Mountain State Park lets visitors take small loose selenite specimens found on the surface, but digging, excavation, and power tools are not allowed. Rules can change, so check with park staff at the trailhead. Stay on the marked trails on the mesa and do not pry crystals from the caprock.

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 Gloss Mountain State Park

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Best months: September to June. Typical highs run 95°F in midsummer and 48°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 25°F. Summer heat here is intense, so carry more water than you think you need and work the early morning.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, FAIRVIEW 5NW MESONET station (4 mi away).

Geology at Gloss Mountain State Park

This spot sits on Blaine Formation, mapped as gypsum, dolostone, and shale that formed roughly 300 to 250 million years ago. Carbonate rock like this dissolves and weathers readily, so fresh road cuts, quarries, and creek exposures are typically the most productive ground.

Mapped unit

Blaine Formation

Age

300–250 Ma (Permian)

Rock types

gypsum, dolostone, and shale

Elevation

1,460 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.

• Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge, selenite digging
• Oklahoma Geological Survey
• Ouachita National Forest
• Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules