 Black Hills rockhounding area. [A BLM designated rockhounding area.] This site is most noted for fire
agate but you really have to look hard to come up with any keepers.
There are plenty of agate chips and pieces that, at first glance, have
the color of fire agate with out the "fire"! I found a nice one
with fire and a couple of marginal specimens. This location is
also said to have geodes lined with chalcedony and/or quartz crystals.
I saw where others had been digging for geodes but I didn't see
any whole ones or even pieces. Chalcedony roses were the best
thing to collect here. Last year I found lots but this year I
didn't take as many away. Maybe I'm getting too particular on
what I will carry back to Georgia.
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 Picture of "Thumb Butte" and the fire agate collecting area around the small hill in the foreground. |
 It had rained a lot during the week before this picture was taken. The wild flowers carpeted the valley floor.
|
 Black Hills collecting site #2 The geodes and chalcedony were most abundant on the land just below the lowest visible rock outcrops.
|
 Small geodes and chalcedeny! |
 Small geode eroding out of the country rock. All were relatively small and light as a feather!
|
 Route 191 crossing the Black Hills area. |
