Modena: Gold Prospecting in Iron County, Utah

Plan your visit

Permission required before collecting

County

Iron County

State

Utah

Nearest road

Gold Springs Road

Coordinates

37.88287, -114.03791

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 Modena

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Best months: February to November. Typical highs run 89°F in midsummer and 41°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 14°F.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, MODENA station (8 mi away), adjusted for elevation.

Geology at Modena

This spot sits on Isom Fm, Needles Range Fm, Escalante Desert Fm, Sawtooth Peak Fm, and Tunnel Springs Tuff, mapped as felsic volcanic and mafic volcanic that formed roughly 38 to 23 million years ago. Gold in volcanic terrain like this is usually tied to old vein systems and the gravels that drain them, so nearby washes tend to carry the color.

Mapped unit

Isom Fm, Needles Range Fm, Escalante Desert Fm, Sawtooth Peak Fm, and Tunnel Springs Tuff

Age

38–23 Ma (Late Eocene to Oligocene)

Rock types

felsic volcanic and mafic volcanic

Elevation

6,550 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.

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