Crater Island: Bornite & Calcite Rockhounding in Box Elder County, Utah

Plan your visit

Permission required before collecting

County

Box Elder County

State

Utah

Coordinates

41.08802, -113.77005

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

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.

Best time to visit Crater Island

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Best months: March to June. Typical highs run 92°F in midsummer and 34°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 11°F.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, WENDOVER 16NW station (22 mi away), adjusted for elevation.

Geology at Crater Island

This spot sits on Arcturus Formation, mapped as sandstone that formed roughly 300 to 275 million years ago. Sedimentary rock like this erodes unevenly, so the most productive collecting is typically along fresh cuts, badland slopes, and active drainages.

Mapped unit

Arcturus Formation

Age

300–275 Ma (Cisuralian)

Rock types

sandstone

Elevation

5,360 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.

State guidance last verified: April 1, 2026

• BLM Utah, Rockhounding overview
• Utah Geological Survey, collecting guidelines
• SITLA, surface use rules
• Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules