Sunflower Flat: Jasper & Thundereggs Rockhounding in Wasco County, Oregon
Updated July 2026
Sunflower Flat is a mapped rockhounding spot in Wasco County, Oregon. Reported finds include jasper, thundereggs. Below: coordinates, access notes, nearby spots, and trip-planning links.
Map showing Sunflower Flat in Wasco County, Oregon
Quick details
- Access
- Permission required
- County
- Wasco County
- State
- Oregon
- Nearest road
- S-509 Road
- Coordinates
- 45.07459, -121.40298
Geology at Sunflower Flat
This spot sits on John Day/Clarno Group, mapped as andesite flows that formed roughly 34 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
- Age
- 34–23 Ma (Oligocene)
- Rock types
- andesite flows
- Elevation
- 2,720 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 Sunflower Flat
Best months: March to November. Typical highs run 74°F in midsummer and 42°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 31°F.
Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, GOVERNMENT CAMP station (23 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:
- 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 Sunflower Flat
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 Sunflower Flat.
- WillowdaleJefferson County, Oregon · 29 mi awayAgate, Chalcedony, Geode
- Richardson's Rock RanchJefferson County, Oregon · 32 mi awayThundereggs
- Clackamas RiverClackamas County, Oregon · 32 mi awayPetrified Wood, Cinnabar, Agate
- Priday Agate BedsJefferson County, Oregon · 34 mi awayAgate, Chalcedony, Jasper
- AntelopeWasco County, Oregon · 34 mi awayAgate, Chalcedony, Geode
- Polka Dot Agate MineJefferson County, Oregon · 36 mi awayPolka Dot Agate, Thundereggs
- Chenowith CreekWasco County, Oregon · 39 mi awayOpalized Wood
- AshwoodJefferson County, Oregon · 39 mi awayAgate, Chalcedony, Geode
Across the state line from Sunflower Flat
Sunflower Flat is close enough to the Oregon border that the next-closest rockhounding spots are in a neighboring state. Worth knowing if you are already on the road.
- LyleKlickitat County, Washington · 44 mi awayPetrified Wood
- Klickitat RiverKlickitat County, Washington · 48 mi awayPetrified Wood
- WashougalTop pick in WashingtonClark County, Washington · 56 mi awayMoss Agate, Amethyst
- CamasClark County, Washington · 61 mi awayGold
- Brush PrairieClark County, Washington · 73 mi awayGold
- BickletonKlickitat County, Washington · 78 mi awayAgate, Carnelian, Jasper
