Saddle Mountain Fire Agates

Here's a blurb I found online. I'll post some more specific meeting site details in the next few days, but count on meeting there around 9 or 10am on Saturday morning, March 15th.

If the drive is too far for you to go by yourself or you're unfamiliar with it, post a notice on the message board that you'd like to carpool with some people!!!

--Rachel

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Saddle Mountain Fire Agate - Tonopah, AZ

West of Phoenix is Saddle Mountain. We have found loads of chalcedony with dark brown and orange in it indicating fire. Sure enough after bringing some home and doing a little cutting and polishing, there I had the precious fire agate.

Directions
This location is about 55 miles from Downtown Phoenix and around 8 miles outside of the town of Tonopah. From Phoenix take Interstate 10 west to Exit 94. Drive south on Ave. 411 for 2.7 miles then turn right on Salome Highway. At 5.1 miles turn left on Courthouse Rd. and a little over .5 miles there will be a few dirt turn ins that head towards Saddle Mountain. (the larger mountain to the south) Take one of the dirt roads towards Saddle Mountain. the end of the line will be apparent, with fire rings and some trailheads.

Fire Agate can be found all over Saddle Mountain and the lower lying areas.
The Site
I left Saddle Mountain very satisfied and with a full load of chalcedony. A lot of stones could be seen lying on the surface of the desert north of the parking area that were obviously of the fire variety. Honestly I collected more fire agate down here than up on Saddle Mountain, I think the prime spots have already been worked out up there but some beautiful specimens will surely rise up from this whole area after a hard rain.

I did venture up onto Saddle Mountain though, the north face that I was on contained some "unreachable" deposits of beautiful fire agate. Feeling mortal, I chose not to risk my life over rocks. I did find some amazing, museum quality crystal filled vugs along the face that could be pulled out with some chisels, hammers and hard work. I chose to leave them for the next patient guy knowing that I would probably break in a minute what took centuries to create. (and of course I left my camera in the truck)

I know with more time and venturing farther from the parking area Saddle Mountain would have turned up some prized specimens. But again, I left happy.