Amateur geology fans will find plenty to explore in historic mining districts around Silver City

Silver City, NM – July 17, 2019 – New Mexico is great place for both amateur rockhounds and professional geologists to explore, thanks to a wide variety of rocks, minerals, and fossils exposed at the surface throughout. Even the state’s mining dates back to pre-Columbian times with turquoise and ochre being mined near Santa Fe.

Silver City, at the center of a number of historic mining districts, is an excellent home base with many rockhounding sites in and near the town. There are also many opportunities in the nearby Gila National Forest.

Rockhounding, or amateur geology, is the recreational study and collection of rocks, gems, minerals, or fossils from their natural environments. Rockhounds are the people who cannot pass by a pretty rock without picking it up for a closer look.

Rockhounding opportunities in or just outside of the town are a good place to start. A few of these locations include:

• Boston Hill, a city-owned property once mined for Manganese offers a few trail heads where various types of rock, crystals and fossils can be found. Locals particularly like the East rim.
• Forest Rd 838, a little more than 2 miles after Cottage San Road’s pavement ends, is a good starting place to start looking for Crinoid stems small horn corals and brachiopods.
• Hanover-Fierro Mining area on Hwy 356 north of Hwy 152 is an old mine area that can be found on the West side of the road, offering serpentine, chrysacolla, and lots of others along the base. (CAUTION: Please do not try to climb on the tailing pile as it is steep and the rocks are unstable). 

Silver City’s close proximity to the Gila National Forest opens up many opportunities to rockhounders. Located within the Mogollon Plateau, the area’s volcanic activity is responsible for the occurrence of Agate, Banded Agate, Bloodstone, Bytownite, Calcite, Chalcedony, Crystaline, Fire Agate, Geodes, Golden Luna Agate, Halite, Hematite, Hypersthene, Jasper, Labrodorite, Lava's, Luna Blue Agate, Obsidian, Perlite, Plume Agate, Quartz Crystals, Spotted Agate, and Thunder Eggs, to name a few.

Locations within Gila National Forest abound for amateur geology expeditions. The USDA Forest Service offers places to explore, including:

• Apache Creek Campground – This is a nice, quiet, undeveloped campground amongst ponderosa pines and abundant wildlife in the northwest region of the forest. Rockhounders have reported finding Agate, Banded Agate, Bloodstone, Bytownite, Calcite, Chalcedony, Crystaline, Fire Agate, Geodes, Golden Luna Agate, Halite, Hematite, Hypersthene, Jasper, Labrodorite, Lava's, Luna Blue Agate, Obsidian, Perlite, Plume Agate, Quartz Crystals, Spotted Agate, and Thunder Eggs, to name a few.
• WS Mountain Trail #43 – A lightly used trail through the isolated Pueblo Creek Canyon’s east side offers some great rocky outcrops for those interested in geology. 

Rockhounding is a great activity for kids and those looking for an activity that gets them outdoors.  There are multiple resources in Silver City, including gem and mineral shops that can provide some local insight into the opportunities in and around the area. You are encouraged to only visit public mines or museums, and don’t go into a mine without a professional guide. Exercise caution if you’re exploring with children, and do not enter private mines.

For more information on all there is to see and do in Silver City, or to plan your visit, go to www.visitsilvercity.org.