Maury Mountains: Moss Agate Rockhounding in Crook County, Oregon
Updated July 2026
The Maury Mountains in the Ochoco National Forest hold a long-worked moss agate locality, signed by the Forest Service and open to casual collecting without a permit. The agate carries green, red, and golden moss inclusions and has supplied central Oregon lapidaries for decades. Reported finds include moss agate. Below: coordinates, access notes, nearby spots, and trip-planning links.
Maury Mountains photos
Public image records connected to this spot or its reported material.
Map showing Maury Mountains in Crook County, Oregon
Quick details
- Access
- Public area
- County
- Crook County
- State
- Oregon
- Nearest road
- Forest Road 1690
- Coordinates
- 44.07787, -120.34792
Geology at Maury Mountains
This spot sits on John Day/Clarno Group; Clarno Formation, mapped as basalt flows, andesite flows, mudflow, and tuff that formed roughly 56 to 23 million years ago. Volcanic ground like this is where agate, jasper, and other chalcedony typically form, filling old gas pockets and fracture seams in the flow rock.
- Mapped unit
- John Day/Clarno Group; Clarno Formation
- Age
- 56–23 Ma (Eocene to Oligocene)
- Rock types
- basalt flows, andesite flows, mudflow, and tuff
- Elevation
- 4,930 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 Maury Mountains
Best months: March to November. Typical highs run 86°F in midsummer and 38°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 20°F.
Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, BARNES STN station (11 mi away), adjusted for elevation.
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.
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:
- BLM Oregon/Washington — Rockhounding & mineral material
- Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI)
- Oregon Parks and Recreation Department — beach collecting rules
- Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules
Found at Maury Mountains
Each chip 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 Maury Mountains.
- Carey Agate BedsCrook County, Oregon · 5 mi awayAgate, Chalcedony, Jasper
- Dendrite ButteCrook County, Oregon · 15 mi awayLimb Casts, Opalized Wood, Petrified Wood
- S Fork Crooked RiverCrook County, Oregon · 15 mi awayAgatized Limb Casts
- Bear Creek - Site 2Crook County, Oregon · 15 mi awayPetrified Wood
- Hampton ButteTop pick in OregonDeschutes County, Oregon · 16 mi awayPetrified Wood, Jasper, Agate
- Bear Creek - Site 1Crook County, Oregon · 16 mi awayPetrified Wood
- Sheep creekCrook County, Oregon · 16 mi awayMoss Agate
- Congleton HollowCrook County, Oregon · 17 mi awayPetrified Wood, Limb Casts, Opalized Wood
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