Big Indian Wash: Coffinite & Doloresite Rockhounding in San Juan County, Utah

Plan your visit

Confirm rules before collecting

County

San Juan County

State

Utah

Nearest road

Homestake Spur

Coordinates

38.23082, -109.28105

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

Land & collecting status

Confirm rules before collecting

Land status here is not confirmed. Verify with the managing agency before collecting, federal, state, and tribal rules differ.

Access note: BLM records active mining claims in this area. Collecting from inside an active claim needs the claim holder's permission.

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 Big Indian Wash

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Best months: March to November. Typical highs run 86°F in midsummer and 37°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 17°F.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, LA SAL 1SW station (5 mi away).

Geology at Big Indian Wash

This spot sits on ground mapped as Wingate Sandstone that formed roughly 200 to 175 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

Wingate Sandstone

Age

200–175 Ma (Early Jurassic)

Elevation

6,820 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