Hi all. I am a new member to the forum but have been reading posts for months. Great site. I was wondering if anyone could recommend some good sites for smokey quartz or amazonite around colorado springs that I could take the family to. We spend a lot of time in the southern mountains and have found some silver in the greenhorn area. I took the kids up to st peters dome but not sure where to dig. There are dig sites everywhere but looks like people are digging randomly hoping for anything . Any help would be much appreciated. If anyone is interested in an outing let me know we would be more than happy to meet up and go do some prospecting. Just looking to learn. Thanks in advance.

I've had great luck hiking trail 666 off high drive. Lots of amazonite and smokey stuff in the scree, so you don't have to do a lot of hard work to find stuff... or you can get off the beaten path and poke around int he ricks and find the source!

Thanks Crusty. Went up today and found some great minerals but have no clue what some are. Any chance you would be up for getting together? Also would you mind pm'ing me the coordinates for the scree. I think I know but want to be sure before taking the family. We did a 6.3 mile hike today to old Eureka Mine. Kids had no issues they are in shape and troopers. We love hard work. Thanks for the help. I could use some help with identification so I will post pics tomorrow.

I don't get home until next week, so I'm not sure when 'll get up in to the hills, but I'll ping you when I do! Not sure where the mine is; haven't been there.

Not sure I have the coords here; I've gone a mile or so out 666 and then just headed uphill from the creek and I've also come down from the Capt Jack side. There are spots with Smokey Quarts and Amazonite all over in that area, both still in the ground and scattered about.

lostnewb -

Have you been up Rampart Range Road yet? There are digs all over the place up there...but you have to watch out for mining claims. This whole mountain range is full of goodies to be found, but some digging is required most of the time. When I started out rock hounding, I had a vocabulary of maybe 10 minerals I could identify. I'm now over 100 that I can pick off immediately. :-) Time and study make a difference and hanging out with other miners, you will learn quickly the tells of the land.

Also, if you ever want to take the family out to find fossils, I can give you the info you need to get on the private land in Pueblo for it.