Collecting Fire Agate
Fire Agate is an unusual, rare and beautiful form of cryptocrystalline chalcedony. It can occasionally exhibit flashes of color similar to precious opal.
The presence of dark reddish brown iron oxide layers, between layers of chalcedony is what causes this play of color. Brown and orange fire is the most common, but sometimes, very rarely there can be beautiful green, blue and purple flashes.
There are several areas in the desert southwest where you can find fire agates. Some of the areas are on BLM (Bureau of Land Management) administered lands, that are open to rock hunting and mineral collecting.
Here is a link to a PDF of the BLM’s collecting regulations and limits. Collecting is limited to 25 pounds a day and one piece, per person. I suppose that one piece could be a heavy one. Limit of 250 pounds a year. Collected material must not be sold, bartered or traded for commercial gain.
Some Fire Agate areas are on mineral claims that can be hunted for a fee. These are commercial dig sites and you may sell what you find.
The free collecting sites are usually relatively flat ground and cover a wide area of land, hence the name gem fields. There have been many people over the years scouting these spots for fire agate. But there are still high quality fire agates to be found. It takes patience and a good eye. Recent rains can also help uncover fresh material.
The collecting sites in this post are all well known, but there are other smaller, lesser known spots where you may find good quality fire agate.
Most collecting areas where there is an abundance of plain white botryoidal chalcedony, sometimes known as desert roses because of their unique shapes and pale pink tint, can be an indicator of fire agate, but only if the brownish red oxides are present in some of the pieces of chalcedony.
See my post Agates for more info on a variety of agates that you can collect from many areas across the desert southwest.
When scouting the fire agate fields, remember that the agates have been eroded out of the enclosing matrix and scattered over a wide area, and there are many small chips and pieces that you will have to look closely to discover.
The majority of what you find will have no fire, but many pieces will have thick white chalcedony covering the brown oxide layers, making it hard to tell. You may have to tumble or carefully grind some of this down to tell for sure.
Some of he following areas are quite remote, and are accessed by typical desert dirt roads. there may be soft, sandy sections and rough, rocky parts as well. A high clearance vehicle, preferably a 4×4 should be taken.
If possible travel with another vehicle, and don’t go in summer as getting stuck or having a vehicle breakdown can lead to a life-threatening situation.
Come prepared for weather changes, carry a first aid kit. wear comfortable shoes or boots, wide brimmed hat, plenty of water, and watch for rattlesnakes.
Let someone know where you’re going and when you’ll be back. Consider carrying a PLB (personal locater beacon). I take one whenever I go exploring.
You should carry a spray bottle of water to clean some of the dirt off your agates, a small trowel or rock pick to loosen buried gems, and a 5 gallon bucket or pack to carry your rocks and gear.
If you plan to scout out and explore new areas. make sure you research land status first. I have a post that goes over how to do that. How to find Gold – Mining Research.
First let’s check out three free fire agate sites in Arizona
Saddle Mountain, Arizona
BLM free Fire Agate collecting site
Located less than an hours drive west of Phoenix, just south of Interstate 10.
Click the image to the left for a Google Maps route to the Fire Agate collecting area.
This is an easily accessible collecting area, with a Pilot travel center at the offramp, and a paved road that cuts across the north side of the gem field.
This is some beautiful desert country, with Saguaro cactus, and sweeping views of Saddle Mountain. There are also some nice BLM dispersed campsites in the area. Check this post for more on dispersed camping and boondocking.
There have been some high quality fire agate collected here over the years. The collecting gets better the farther you get from the pavement and closer to the base of Saddle Mountain. Try your luck searching in and around the black volcanic patches.
Black Hills, Arizona
BLM free Fire Agate collecting site
This free BLM collecting site is located about 20 miles east of Safford, Arizona.
With only 2 miles of dirt road to the parking area, this is an easily accessible area. Click image to the left for driving directions.
This has been a productive area over the years, and there are many fine fire agates left to be found.
Work your way uphill and try your luck below some of the rock outcropping. This is some beautiful desert country, open to dispersed camping.
Round Mountain, Arizona
BLM free Fire Agate collecting site
Located about 65 miles southeast of Safford, Arizona, the Round Mountain BLM Rockhound Area is the most remote of the three free Arizona collecting sites.
The route travels into New Mexico and back into Arizona across about 12 miles of desert dirt road.
Click the image for driving directions and a KML file.
Rocky, windswept, open low desert country. High clearance vehicles necessary. Round Mountain is remote, and therefore less picked over than some other sites. We spent two days in the area and didn’t see a soul.
Beautiful dark nights great for stargazing. Chances are very good that you will find some pieces with fire, maybe large pieces. Be prepared to cover some ground. Try your luck towards the hill tops. The area is also wide open to dispersed camping.
We’ve covered Arizona’s best free fire agate areas, now let’s take a look at a great fee fire agate area.
Cuesta Fire Agate Mine
Fee Fire Agate collecting site
The Cuesta fire agate mine has been in operation since 1928. It’s a fee collecting site owned by Don Nelson. Their website says it’s open year-round, but I would recommend going during the cooler months. This site has produced many world class fire agates, and still does.
As I write this post, fees to walk the claim and collect are $30 per day. If you would like to dig into fresh ground to uncover some fire agate, the fee is $50 per day, per person.
Located about 35 miles south and east of Bullhead City, Arizona, it’s 4 miles out of the old ghost town/tourist attraction of Oatman, Arizona, right on the side of the Oatman Highway, just east of Sitgreaves Pass..
