Where To Find Geodes Near Arizona Oasis
The South West desert is a mine of unique and exciting rocks. Get inspired before you go to the Desert Gardens Annual International
Rock, Gem and Mineral Show in Quartzsite and try rockhounding yourself! There are a few excellent places to look within about an hour of Arizona Oasis — the Hauser Geode Beds, Potato Patch and Cinnamon Geode Beds.
If you are new to geode hunting, try looking for round rocks near another rockhound’s hole. Once you’ve collected your spoils, gently tap each geode with a hammer to reveal the treasures inside. Here are a couple of details about what types of treasures you will find in each place.
What To Bring
• Shovel, hammer, pick, gloves, a GPS and something to collect the geodes in
• Sunblock, plenty of water and snacks
• You don’t need a 4 wheel drive vehicle, but you will have to do a little off-roading and high clearance would help
Hauser Geode Beds & Potato Patch
Potato Patch Geode. Photo from Desert USA.
At the Hauser Geode Beds, you will find geodes that have black calcite and amethyst crystals usually between two and five inches across.
Be sure to bring a good shovel since you will need to dig through the volcanic ash. You may find that the largest thundereggs will be near the surface while smaller geodes may be deeper underground.
People have reported finding green jasper with red streaks in the Hauser Geode Bed area, but if you would rather look for pink jasper (pastelite), head a few minutes northeast to a spot called the Corn Field.
The nearby Potato Patch is named for the lumpy greenish outside of the geodes. Look for calcite, rhyolite, jasper and agate at the Potato Patch. To visit this area and for more information, click here.
Cinnamon Geode Beds
Geodes found at the Cinnamon Geode Beds. Photo from DesertUSA.
The Cinnamon Geode Beds were discovered sometime before the 1950s and are named for the brown quartz crystals commonly found there.
The geodes can be up to ten inches across (this is larger than other geodes in this area), but the crystals themselves usually come in a thin layer and can be quite delicate.
Black calcite crystals are rarer but have also been found at this site.
For detailed directions about how to get to the Cinnamon Geode Beds and for more information, see this article.
How these geode beds were discovered
In the early 1900s, George Hauser ran a freight line between Glamis and Blythe. The round rocks he saw left such an impression on him that when his son Joel showed him a geode many year later, George pointed his son to the modern day Potato Patch to find more geodes.
In 1937, Joel took his Model A Ford and discovered the modern day Potato Patch. He was so successful, he filled his car up with geodes. Since then, the surrounding areas have also become known as successful geode spots.
Try geode hunting yourself and see what treasures you can find!
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