Where to Find Petrified Wood?
Below is a list of notable petrified wood collecting sites. Each place has its own types, colors, and patterns of petrified wood, shaped by local geology.
Some areas are known for bright green agatized wood, while others contain opalized wood, limb casts, or large fossilized logs.
Saddle Mountains - Washington
Saddle Mountains is famous for its abundant petrified wood, making it one of the top rockhounding destinations in Washington.
Most pieces can be spotted on the surface, but walking along the hillsides often reveals promising places where larger specimens may be buried.
Saddle Mountains Rockhounding for Petrified Wood in Washington
Bear Creek - Oregon
Petrified wood at this site ranges in color from black, brown, white, and gray to yellow.
Some pieces can display striking red hues. In addition to petrified wood, you can also find calcite, red and yellow jasper, quartz, and clear to blue agates.
Hampton Butte - Oregon
Hampton Butte is one of the notable locations for rockhounding and collecting petrified wood in Oregon.
It is known for its rich deposits of unique green petrified wood.
The terrain at Hampton Butte varies, with a beautiful juniper forest, offering a shady, serene setting for both rockhounding and camping.
Dendritte Butte - Oregon
Dendrite Butte is a popular destination for rockhounds, especially those seeking limb casts and petrified wood.
This 540-acre site is managed by the BLM as a designated recreational rock and mineral collecting area
Congleton Hollow - Oregon
At Congleton Hollow, you can find opalized petrified wood and limb casts in blue, pink, and green shades.
The most prized finds are large tree trunks completely replaced by agate, jasper, or quartz.
These rare specimens often feature quartz crystal cavities, dendritic inclusions, and intricate banding patterns, making them highly sought after by collectors.
Stinkingwater Petrified Wood - Oregon
This site is known for yellow and cream-colored petrified golden oak. Many pieces also display shades of red, brown, gray, and black, often with strong contrast between growth rings and clear wood grain.
The most prized finds are bright yellow golden oak specimens. This material is very hard and takes an excellent polish, making it highly desirable for cutting, cabbing, and display.
Stinkingwater Petrified Wood Rockhounding for Unique Golden Oak
Negro Rock - Oregon
This site features a vast, rugged landscape dotted with sagebrush and framed by uniquely shaped hills with rocky peaks.
The slope of the hill contains high-quality petrified wood. The wood, which typically has well-preserved cellular structures, appears in shades of beige, brown, orange, gray, and black.
Coal Mine Basin - Idaho
Coal Mine Basin is a remote, high-desert destination in the Jordan Valley, close to the Oregon-Idaho border.
It is well known for its rich volcanic geology and diverse mineral deposits, including agatized and opalized petrified wood, common opal, agate, jasper, and quartz.
Coal Mine Basin, Idaho Rockhounding: Petrified Wood, Opal & Agate
