Castle Dale: Fossil Hunting in Emery County, Utah
- Minerals reported
- 3
- Elevation
- 5,550 ft
- Best months
- February to June
Castle Dale is a mapped rockhounding spot in Emery County, Utah. Reported finds include agate, agatized dinosaur bone, petrified wood. Below: coordinates, access notes, nearby spots, and trip-planning links.
Plan your visit
Generally open to casual rockhounding
- County
- Emery County
- State
- Utah
- Nearest road
- Cedar Hollow Trail
- Coordinates
- 39.22744, -110.88663
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.
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 Castle Dale
Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)
Best months: February to June. Typical highs run 92°F in midsummer and 41°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 10°F.
Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, CASTLE DALE station (7 mi away).
Geology at Castle Dale
This spot sits on Alluvium and colluvium, mapped as unconsolidated alluvium and colluvium that formed within roughly the last 3 million years. Reworked sediments like these can carry fossils eroded from older beds upstream, typically as rolled bone fragments, teeth, and shell material.
- Mapped unit
- Alluvium and colluvium
- Age
- 3 Ma to present (Quaternary)
- Rock types
- unconsolidated alluvium and colluvium
- Elevation
- 5,550 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
Is today a good day to go?
The app shows live weather, recent rain, and a daily rockhounding score for Castle Dale.
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.
State guidance last verified:
- BLM Utah, Rockhounding overview
- Utah Geological Survey, collecting guidelines
- SITLA, surface use rules
- Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules
Found at Castle Dale
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 Castle Dale.
- San Rafael RiverEmery County, Utah · 6 mi awaySulfur
- Cedar Mountain areaEmery County, Utah · 15 mi awayAgate, Anhydrite, Carnotite
- San Rafael SwellEmery County, Utah · 28 mi awayJasper, Agate, Nodule
- San Rafael SwellEmery County, Utah · 28 mi awayAgatized Wood, Amethyst, Carnotite
- Copper Globe and other mines in San Rafael districtEmery County, Utah · 29 mi awayAnglesite, Azurite, Cerussite
- WoodsideEmery County, Utah · 30 mi awayAgate, Carnotite, Chalcedony
- Lucky Strick and other mines in San Rafael districtEmery County, Utah · 33 mi awayBieberite, Chalcopyrite, Galena
- ColtonCarbon County, Utah · 33 mi awayAlbertite, Ingramite, Nitrite
Castle Dale FAQ
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