N & E sides of Balmorhea Lake: Balmorhea Blue Agate Rockhounding in Reeves County, Texas

Quick details

Access

Public area

County

Reeves County

State

Texas

Nearest road

Houston Street

Postcode

79718

Coordinates

30.97234, -103.71426

Geology at N & E sides of Balmorhea Lake

This spot sits on Older volcanic rocks of Davis and Barilla Mountains, including Sheep Pasture, Sleeping Lion, Frazier Canyon, Adobe Canyon, and Limpia formations, Gomez Tuff, Star Mountain Rhyolite, and Huelster Formation, mapped as trachyte and rhyolite that formed roughly 38 to 34 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

Older volcanic rocks of Davis and Barilla Mountains, including Sheep Pasture, Sleeping Lion, Frazier Canyon, Adobe Canyon, and Limpia formations, Gomez Tuff, Star Mountain Rhyolite, and Huelster Formation

Age

38–34 Ma (Late Eocene)

Rock types

trachyte and rhyolite

Elevation

3,220 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 N & E sides of Balmorhea Lake

Best months: September to May. Typical highs run 94°F in midsummer and 60°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 31°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, BALMORHEA station (2 mi away).

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: April 1, 2026

• Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
• Bureau of Economic Geology — Texas geology
• Big Bend National Park — Rules
• Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules

Found at N & E sides of Balmorhea Lake

Each chip opens all spots that produce that material; the encyclopedia link opens the full ID and field guide.

• Balmorhea Blue AgateEncyclopedia →