Fire agate Arizona: where to dig it on public land
Updated . Rules come from the Bureau of Land Management; sources are at the end of the page.
Fire agate is a chalcedony with opal-like flashes of red, green and blue, and the BLM says it is known only from the deserts of Arizona, southern California and central Mexico. In Arizona you can dig it for free at the BLM’s Black Hills Rockhound Area near Safford, open all year with no fee or permit.
- Best-known public site
- Black Hills Rockhound Area, about 18 miles north of Safford
- Fee and permit
- None; personal use only
- Arizona BLM limit
- 25 pounds a day, 250 pounds a year
- Heat
- Open all year; summers top 100°F
Black Hills Rockhound Area is at 32.87397, -109.39496. Open in Apple Maps or Google Maps.
Directions in Apple MapsDirections in Google Maps
Open the full map with satellite imagery and who manages the land. Coming in the Capyhound app: an offline copy for places with no signal. Get it first
What fire agate is
The USGS describes fire agate as a form of chalcedony that contains inclusions of iron oxides, which give it a play of colors much like precious opal. The BLM adds that it is a relatively new gemstone, only identified and formally recognized in the 1930s, and that its origin is unknown, although it is always found with volcanic deposits.
In 1995 the USGS reported Arizona as the only state with commercial fire agate production, from Graham, Greenlee, Maricopa, Mohave and Yuma counties. Those figures are old; we found no current count.
Black Hills Rockhound Area
- What’s there: fire agate is the principal attraction.
- Where: on the north side of US 191 between Safford and Clifton, about 18 miles north of Safford. Turn off just east of milepost 141.
- Rules: open for public digging without fees or permits.
- Camping: allowed throughout the area for up to two weeks. The BLM page lists no water or toilets, so bring everything.
- Season: open year-round; summers can be hot and dry, above 100°F.
- Office: BLM Safford Field Office, 711 14th Avenue, Safford, 928-348-4400.
Round Mountain Rockhound Area
- Where: near Duncan in eastern Arizona. From Highway 70, about 50 miles east of Safford, drive into New Mexico to just past milepost 5, then 12 miles on the dirt road on your right.
- Fee: none. The BLM lists camping, hiking and rockhounding.
- Fire agate: the BLM page does not mention it, but a 2013 abstract by a USGS geologist names chalcedony, agate and fire agate nodules near Round Mountain and Engine Mountain.
- Office: also the BLM Safford Field Office.
The rules on BLM land in Arizona
- Personal use only: nothing collected for sale, barter or any commercial purpose.
- Limits: up to 25 pounds a day and 250 pounds a year, and a group may not pool its allowances to take a larger piece.
- Hand tools: no motorized or mechanical devices, heavy equipment or explosives.
- Not on State Trust Land. Arizona State Trust Land is not public land, and rockhounding is not allowed there.
- Check for mining claims before you go: claimants may have the right to exclude others. The BLM also lists fire agate on Kingman Field Office land but names no specific site there.
- Leave artifacts and stay out of abandoned mines.
We could not confirm any pay-to-dig fire agate mine operating in Arizona in 2026. More rules: rock collecting rules by type of land.
Save fire agate spots
The Capyhound app will keep the rockhound areas, the route and the limits on your phone, even with no signal.
Questions
Where can you find fire agate in Arizona?
The BLM lists two rockhound areas in Arizona: Black Hills near Safford, where fire agate is the main attraction, and Round Mountain near Duncan. Its Arizona brochure also lists fire agate on BLM land of the Kingman and Safford field offices.
Is it free to dig for fire agate at the Black Hills Rockhound Area?
Yes. The BLM says the site is open for digging without fees or permits, and you may camp for up to two weeks.
How much fire agate can I take from BLM land in Arizona?
BLM Arizona sets personal-use limits of up to 25 pounds per day and 250 pounds per year, and a group may not pool its allowances.
Can I sell fire agate I collect on BLM land?
No. BLM Arizona says specimens must be for personal use and not collected for sale, barter or any commercial purpose.
Can I collect fire agate on Arizona State Trust land?
No. The BLM’s Arizona brochure says rockhounding is not allowed on Arizona State Trust land, which is not public land.
Is the Black Hills Rockhound Area open in summer?
It is open year-round, but the BLM warns that summers can be hot and dry, with temperatures above 100°F.
What is fire agate?
A form of chalcedony whose iron-oxide inclusions give it a play of colors like precious opal, in reds, greens and blues.
