Santaquin & Silver Lake mining districts: Actinolite & Andradite Rockhounding in Utah County, Utah

Plan your visit

Generally open to casual rockhounding

County

Utah County

State

Utah

Nearest road

Yankee Mine Road

Postcode

85092

Coordinates

40.54315, -111.63204

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 Santaquin & Silver Lake mining districts

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Best months: May to October. Typical highs run 72°F in midsummer and 29°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 14°F. At about 9,060 ft, snow can block access from late fall well into spring, so check conditions outside of summer.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, ALTA station (3 mi away), adjusted for elevation.

Geology at Santaquin & Silver Lake mining districts

This spot sits on ground mapped as Big Cottonwood Formation that formed roughly 1600 to 1000 million years ago. Ore minerals here are typically tied to veins and replacement zones, with old workings marking the productive ground.

Mapped unit

Big Cottonwood Formation

Age

1600–1000 Ma (Mesoproterozoic)

Elevation

9,060 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