Tepee Canyon: Agate & Beryl Rockhounding in Custer County, South Dakota
- Minerals reported
- 6
- Elevation
- 3,900 ft
- Best months
- March to November
Tepee Canyon is the home of the distinctive Tepee Canyon banded agate, a fortification agate of purples, reds, and oranges encased in a chocolate-brown limestone host. The old commercial diggings off US-16 west of Custer are no longer open to mining claims, and rockhounds have productively worked the tailings here for decades. Agates here sit several feet inside the limestone and usually must be chipped free. Reported finds include agate, beryl, almandine garnet, lepidolite, staurolite, and more. Below: coordinates, access notes, nearby spots, and trip-planning links.
Plan your visit
Generally open to casual rockhounding
- County
- Custer County
- State
- South Dakota
- Nearest road
- Pleasant Valley Road
- Coordinates
- 43.55281, -103.94538
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 canyon is on Black Hills National Forest land along US Highway 16, about 18 miles west of Custer near Jewel Cave. A permit is not required to collect rocks and minerals from the surface for personal use on the Black Hills National Forest, but commercial collecting and bartering are prohibited. Forest roads here (FS 456 and 458) are typically closed November 15 to May 15, and the area north of US-16 is closed to camping. Stopping at the USFS office in Custer to confirm current claim status and open ground is advised.
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 Tepee Canyon
Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)
Best months: March to November. Typical highs run 87°F in midsummer and 37°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 13°F.
Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, EDGEMONT 23 NNW station (5 mi away), adjusted for elevation.
Geology at Tepee Canyon
This spot sits on ground mapped as Spearfish Formation that formed roughly 275 to 200 million years ago. Tough silica like agate and jasper typically survives weathering and collects as float in drainages and gravel.
- Mapped unit
- Spearfish Formation
- Age
- 275–200 Ma (Late Permian to Triassic)
- Elevation
- 3,900 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
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The app shows live weather, recent rain, and a daily rockhounding score for Tepee Canyon.
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.
- BLM Montana-Dakotas rockhounding rules
- Buffalo Gap National Grassland
- South Dakota Geological Survey
- Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules
Found at Tepee Canyon
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 Tepee Canyon.
- Pleasant Valley CreekCuster County, South Dakota · 11 mi awayBanded Agate, Jade, Jasper
- Teepee Canyon AgatesCuster County, South Dakota · 13 mi awayAgate
- Hell CanyonCuster County, South Dakota · 15 mi awayBanded Agate, Jade, Jasper
- PringleCuster County, South Dakota · 16 mi awayFairhill Agate
- Parker PeakFall River County, South Dakota · 17 mi awayAgatized Wood, Silicified Wood
- Tin MountainCuster County, South Dakota · 18 mi awayFluorapatite, Quartz, Almandine Garnet
- Laughing Water CreekCuster County, South Dakota · 25 mi awayColumbite, Gold, Silver
- Buffalo GapCuster County, South Dakota · 26 mi awayFairfield Agate
Across the state line from Tepee Canyon
Tepee Canyon is close enough to the South Dakota border that the next-closest rockhounding spots are in a neighboring state. Worth knowing if you are already on the road.
- NewcastleWeston County, Wyoming · 20 mi awayGypsum
- MontroseSioux County, Nebraska · 45 mi awayAgate, Jasper, Fossil
- OrellaDawes County, Nebraska · 50 mi awayFairburn Agate, Jasper, Carnelian
- Little BadlandsSioux County, Nebraska · 51 mi awayVertebrate Fossil
- Black Hills National ForestCrook County, Wyoming · 56 mi awayFluorite, Gold
- Crawford (Fairburn area)Dawes County, Nebraska · 65 mi awayFairburn Agate
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