Rock Corral Recreation Area
Smoky quartz pockets at the head of Corral Canyon
- Minerals
- Smoky quartz crystals that may exceed 12 inches; feldspar, often twinned
- Where
- Head of Corral Canyon, west slope of the Mineral Mountains, about 10 miles east of Milford
- Getting there
- Highway 21 between Minersville and Milford, then the Pass Road at the Rock Corral sign
- Rule
- Collect on the slopes, not at the developed day-use site; hand tools only
- BLM office
- Cedar City Field Office, (435) 865-3000
Public area set aside for recreational collecting
Native material: you search the natural ground on site.
Make a weekend of it
24 gem and mineral spots on open public land with no claim on record, within 50 miles.
There are more on the map, some of them with a possible mining claim.
About Rock Corral Recreation Area
Rock Corral is a day-use recreation area of the Bureau of Land Management on the west slope of the Mineral Mountains, nestled at the head of Corral Canyon about 10 miles east of Milford. The BLM counts it among the most scenic sites of its Cedar City Field Office and says the area is popular with rock hounders and known for its smoky quartz.
The Utah Geological Survey's 1995 collector's guide calls Rock Corral a well-known collecting area, justly famous for beautiful, large smoky quartz crystals that may exceed 12 inches, and for feldspar crystals that often show twinning. The crystals occur in vugs or pockets in the rock. Previously excavated pockets are everywhere, with scraps of broken crystals and masses of feldspar around them, and success, the guide says, requires walking, studying the rock, digging at likely locations and a great deal of luck.
The BLM directions start from Minersville: head north on Highway 21 toward Milford and take a right onto the Pass Road at the sign for Rock Corral. At the fork keep left toward Rock Corral and Upper Ranch Canyon Road; at the next fork the right branch goes to the day-use and picnic area and the left one to the camping area. The UGS guide gives the way in from Milford: half a mile south, then the Pass Road east for about 6 miles, then left (north) at the microwave towers; roughly 1.5 miles on, the right fork reaches the Rock Corral picnic area.
The day-use area offers restrooms, sheltered tables, fire pits and parking, and the BLM lists picnicking, camping, geocaching, rock climbing and hiking among the things to do; the hike to the top of Granite Peak gives an almost 360 degree view of the valleys and mountains. Under federal rules, rocks, mineral specimens and semiprecious gemstones may be gathered from BLM land in reasonable quantities and never for sale, except on developed recreation sites: dig on the slopes around the area, never at the picnic site itself, and leave explosives and motorized or mechanical devices at home.
Clubs and places nearby
- Southern Utah Rock ClubClub · 45 mi
- Fossil MountainFree public dig · 49 mi
- U-Dig FossilsPay-to-dig · 72 mi
- A New Dig FossilsPay-to-dig · 72 mi
- Central Utah Rock ClubClub · 79 mi
- Topaz Mountain Rockhound Recreation AreaFree public dig · 91 mi
Where to buy gear nearby
- GeosearchShop · 33 mi
- The Rock StopShop · 77 mi
- Zion Rock & GemShop · 83 mi
- Dixie Rocks & FossilsShop · 96 mi
Access
Coming from Minersville on Highway 21 toward Milford, the BLM directions turn right onto the Pass Road at the Rock Corral sign, keep left at the fork toward Rock Corral and Upper Ranch Canyon Road, then take the right fork for the day-use and picnic area (the left one goes to the camping area). The day-use area has restrooms, sheltered tables, fire pits and parking. The nearest mining claim on BLM records is about half a mile from the pin.
Technique
Success, says the UGS guide, takes walking, studying the rock, digging at likely spots and a great deal of luck. BLM rules allow reasonable amounts of rocks, mineral specimens and semiprecious gemstones for noncommercial use, but not on developed recreation sites: not at the picnic area itself. Hand tools only: explosives and motorized or mechanical devices are not allowed.