Where to find geodes in the US
Updated . Sources are at the end of the page.
The most famous geode country is the Keokuk region where Iowa, Missouri and Illinois meet, but most of it is private land, so you need permission or a pay-to-dig site. Out West, the Bureau of Land Management lists public geode beds at Dugway in Utah and Hauser in California, where you can collect reasonable amounts for personal use.
- Best-known region
- Around Keokuk, where Iowa, Missouri and Illinois meet; mostly private land
- Public BLM geode beds
- Dugway, Utah, and Hauser, California
- Typical size
- 2–6 inches in Iowa; 2–4 inches at Dugway
- Rule on BLM land
- Reasonable amounts for personal, noncommercial use
The map shows 3 places. They are all listed on this page.
Open the full map with satellite imagery and who manages the land. Coming in the Capyhound app: the map offline, for places with no signal. Get it first
What a geode is
Some geodes are hollow and lined with crystals; others are filled solid by crystals growing inward. Hollow ones are lighter than filled ones and more prized. In the Midwest the outer shell is chalcedony, a quartz with crystals too small to see, which is much harder than the limestone around it. That is why whole geodes weather out of the rock and collect in stream beds.
Geologists agree on the broad steps: geodes began as nodules of limestone or anhydrite in soft sediment, their insides dissolved and left a hollow, and minerals carried by groundwater later lined or filled the space. The round “geodes” of the volcanic West are mostly thundereggs, which form differently, in volcanic rock; see Oregon thunder eggs.
Where to find them
The Keokuk region: Iowa, Missouri and Illinois
The Iowa Geological Survey calls the area within 35 miles of Keokuk one of the most productive and famous collecting regions; the Illinois survey describes about a 70-mile radius around Warsaw, Hamilton and Nauvoo. In Iowa, geodes turn up in stream drainages of Lee, Henry and Van Buren counties. Quartz is the main mineral inside, and 17 others have been identified. The geode has been Iowa’s state rock since 1967.
- Most spots are private land: get permission before you go in.
- Geode State Park is closed to collecting, according to the Iowa Geological Survey (1995). Check the current rules with the park.
- Pay-to-dig: Sheffler Rock Shop & Geode Mine in Alexandria, Missouri, digs by appointment only. Its site lists $25 per person aged 12 and up, $0.75 per extra pound, and asks you to bring your own buckets and tools.
- Gear: the Iowa survey says a bricklayer’s or rock hammer and some patience are all you need.
Dugway Geode Beds, Utah (BLM)
The BLM Fillmore Field Office manages these beds in western Utah. Geodes here are dark gray, hard and round, 2 to 4 inches across, with clear, amethyst or rose quartz inside. The BLM’s route runs from Interstate 80 past the Faust Pony Express Station toward Simpson Springs, with the last 2 miles on an unimproved road.
- Dig where others have dug: the BLM says previously excavated areas are the best place to look.
- No tunnels. Tunneling is unsafe and not permitted, and the soft ground can collapse at any time.
Hauser Geode Beds, California (BLM)
The BLM names the Hauser Geode Beds as a rockhounding site reached from Wiley’s Well, south of Interstate 10. To camp at Wiley’s Well Campground from September 15 to April 15 you need a BLM long-term visitor permit: $180 for the season or $40 for a short visit.
The new Chuckwalla National Monument, created on January 14, 2025, lists rockhounding among its recreation uses. We could not confirm whether the Hauser beds lie inside it, so check with the BLM before you collect.
The rules
- BLM land: reasonable amounts for noncommercial use, except at developed recreation sites or where collecting is prohibited and posted.
- Selling: collecting to sell or barter to dealers needs a contract or permit.
- Mining claims: the BLM advises against collecting on a claim without the claimant’s consent.
- Private land: ask the owner first.
More detail: rock collecting rules by type of land.
See geode spots on the map
The Capyhound app will keep public geode beds, their rules and the route on your phone, even with no signal.
Questions
Where can you find geodes in the US?
One of the best-known areas is the Keokuk region where Iowa, Missouri and Illinois meet. In the West, the BLM lists the Dugway Geode Beds in Utah and the Hauser Geode Beds near Wiley’s Well in California as places to collect.
Can I collect geodes on BLM land?
Yes, in reasonable amounts for noncommercial use, except at developed recreation sites or where collecting is prohibited and posted. Collecting to sell needs a permit, and you should not collect on a mining claim without the claimant’s consent.
Can I take geodes from Geode State Park in Iowa?
No. The Iowa Geological Survey says collecting is not permitted there, and that most geode spots in the region are on private land, where you need permission.
How do geodes form?
They started as nodules of limestone or anhydrite in soft sediment. The insides later dissolved, leaving a hollow, and minerals carried by groundwater lined or filled the space.
What is inside a Keokuk geode?
Mostly quartz, inside an outer shell of chalcedony. Another 17 minerals have been identified in Keokuk geodes.
How big are geodes?
Iowa geodes are typically 2 to 6 inches across, with specimens up to 30 inches known; in Illinois, 3 to 5 inches is the average. The BLM describes Dugway geodes as 2 to 4 inches.
Can I drive an RV to the Hauser Geode Beds?
Not at the moment. A BLM notice dated October 15, 2026 says Wiley’s Well Road is impassable for RVs and trailers after storm damage and advises 4x4 vehicles only.
