Rawhide Buttes: Azurite & Bornite Rockhounding in Goshen County, Wyoming
- Minerals reported
- 5
- Elevation
- 5,380 ft
- Best months
- March to November
Rawhide Buttes is a mapped rockhounding spot in Goshen County, Wyoming. Reported finds include azurite, bornite, chalcocite, chrysocolla, malachite. Below: coordinates, access notes, nearby spots, and trip-planning links.
Plan your visit
Generally open to casual rockhounding
- County
- Goshen County
- State
- Wyoming
- Nearest road
- Silver Springs Road
- Coordinates
- 42.59351, -104.51303
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 Rawhide Buttes
Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)
Best months: March to November. Typical highs run 83°F in midsummer and 34°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 11°F.
Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, LUSK 2 SW station (11 mi away), adjusted for elevation.
Geology at Rawhide Buttes
This spot sits on Metasedimentary and metavolcanic rocks, mapped as amphibolite, hornblende gneiss, and biotite gneiss that formed roughly 4030 to 2500 million years ago. Metamorphic rock like this weathers into resistant float, and minerals that survive transport typically concentrate in nearby drainages.
- Mapped unit
- Metasedimentary and metavolcanic rocks
- Age
- 4030–2500 Ma (Archean)
- Rock types
- amphibolite, hornblende gneiss, and biotite gneiss
- Elevation
- 5,380 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
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The app shows live weather, recent rain, and a daily rockhounding score for Rawhide Buttes.
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 Wyoming
- Wyoming State Geological Survey
- Fossil Butte National Monument
- Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules
Found at Rawhide Buttes
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 Rawhide Buttes.
- Jay EmGoshen County, Wyoming · 12 mi awayAgate, Malachite, Onyx
- SunrisePlatte County, Wyoming · 20 mi awayArsenopyrite, Barite, Copper
- HartvillePlatte County, Wyoming · 22 mi awayAgate, Moss Agate, Chalcedony
- Guernsey Platte RiverGoshen County, Wyoming · 25 mi awayAgate, Chalcedony, Banded Iron Formation
- Glendo Red HillsPlatte County, Wyoming · 27 mi awayBanded Iron Formation
- Cooney HillsPlatte County, Wyoming · 52 mi awayGarnet
- WheatlandPlatte County, Wyoming · 54 mi awayMoonstone, Labradorite
- Moss Agate HillConverse County, Wyoming · 60 mi awayMoss Agate, Chalcedony, Jasper
Across the state line from Rawhide Buttes
Rawhide Buttes is close enough to the Wyoming border that the next-closest rockhounding spots are in a neighboring state. Worth knowing if you are already on the road.
- Agate Fossil BedsSioux County, Nebraska · 41 mi awayAgate, Jasper, Chalcedony
- MontroseSioux County, Nebraska · 46 mi awayAgate, Jasper, Fossil
- Sioux CountySioux County, Nebraska · 47 mi awayChalcedony, Celestite, Fossil
- Little BadlandsSioux County, Nebraska · 50 mi awayVertebrate Fossil
- Crawford (jasper area)Dawes County, Nebraska · 56 mi awayFairburn Agate, Jasper, Petrified Wood
- Crawford (Fairburn area)Dawes County, Nebraska · 57 mi awayFairburn Agate
Rawhide Buttes FAQ
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