My daughter wants to find a geode to have one she found herself. Anyone have any leads on where some might be found? I talked to a few rockhounds and they said almost all the "known" places are pretty much picked clean. Thanks!

I long time ago the area around Charleston ghost town in Cochise county on Charleston road at the bridge over the San Pedro river was a good place.  I personally never found any there but many other people have.  It has probably been picked over too.

North of Payson, along the east verde river, there are quite a few.  They are referred to as "Payson brains".  They are nothing special on the inside , just small crystals.  Not the kind that are worthwhile cutting open and polishing. I find them as small as marbles and occasionally as big as softballs.

I will give you some if you want to plant them for her and then she can find them.

To reach Diamond Point go northeast from Payson on Highway 260 (Star Valley Road) for about 14 miles. Turn west on Forest Road 64 before reaching Kohls Ranch. go west 8 miles on Forest Road 64 from the intersection of Forest Roads 64 and 65 (3.7 miles from Diamond Point). When you've traveled 8 miles, stop and check out the ravines, hillsides and eroded areas on both sides of Forest Road 64. If you reach the bridge over a creek on Forest Road 64 you've gone a mile too far west of the main deposit.

These are from the website. To clarify.. when you turn on to 64, you will drive a few miles. Pass some houses and a store on the right hand side. You will eventually come to a bridge where 65 goes off the left and 64 goes straight. Set your odometer and go exactly 8 miles ahead on 64.. There will be a turn off on your left hand side to park. Park there and walk across the street and down to the creek bed and up the hill a bit. There are collections of them around there. Got a ton a few weeks back. After washing them and soaking them in hydrochloric acid for a day they dont look too shabby. My 6 year old is turning into quite the rockhound so we go looking for different rocks on most weekends. Also had some luck near castle hot springs, but that should be left for when its cooler out.

thanks,


Dan

I can't tell you about the exact hill side but there is an area that I have deer hunted several years in a row that I always seemed to find geodes at. Look around North west of Vulture Mine peak out side of Wickenburg.

My son wanted to do the same thing, he's ten. We bought the book Gem Trails of Arizona and had some luck in Wickenburg and by Lake Pleasent. They were smaller in size but he didn't care.

Thank everyone, I appreciate the info!

Nice you found it.  I have a ton from there.

 

Grandpa used to take me out when I was young, I'll have to ask where it was we went.  I want to say Quartzsite.

Thanks Vic! Originally, I went left on 65 and was up near the Fire post collecting crystals then went back over the notes you gave me. Literally 8 miles to the dot. Largest ones were about the size of grapefruits, lots of smaller ones but my boy was having a great time. That was until I was advised to avoid the small cactus on the ground and he decided to fall right into it. Had to carry him, bucket of geodes, hammer, and everything else down the hill and back up to the truck. None the less, after a bit of gorilla tape all was well again. As it cools down we need to him up some spots to do some collecting!

That is a great spot up there.  We have been several times.  The last time we went during summer my wife and boys got ahead of me in a wash.  A few minutes later they all came running and yelling back toward me!  They had turned over a dead log with a nest of ground hornets in it!  Little bastards followed us 300 yards back to the truck!  We all got hit at least a couple of times.  Once we were in the truck they stuck around and we could see and hear them bouncing off the windows!

 

We came home with two 5 gallon buckets full.  Just keep an eye out for those dern hornets while you are up there!