06/07/2026
June 2026 Rock Hounding
There are multiple places to go looking for the "mythical" Fairburn Agate in the Wyoming-Nebraska-South Dakota area. One can look for them in place where the Minnelussa Limestone is exposed in place along the Black Hills. One can go to the namesake above French Creek, near Fairburn, SD. Also, the Weta Gravel beds out past Wall, SD have yielded some Fairburns as well.
A recent rock hounding trip to Crawford, NE was a lot of fun. There are a number of gravel beds north of Crawford that have red jasper, bublegum agates, prairie agates, petrified wood, rose quartz, clear agates, and an occassional Fairburn. The area lies within the Oglala National Grasslands, which is adminstered by the National Forest Services. There is private land out there, so make sure you follow signs or have a GPS for locations.
The area also has additional spots to visit including Ft Robinson, Toadstool Geologic Park, Hudson-Meng Bison Bone Bed (if its open), and some badlands. If you go over Labor Day weekend, Crawford hosts its annual rock show in the city park. You can also sign up for field trips / tours at the show.
And just in case it gets hot and windy, Crawford has an ice cream shop(s) and a lovely rock shop (Prairie Agate) to wander through.
Directions to the Crawford gravel beds are:
Leaving Crawford, go north on Hwy 71 for approximately 18 miles. Turn left on Sugar Loaf Road. Travel approximately 3-3 1/2 miles west on Sugar Loaf until you start seeing exposed gravel beds, mostly on the left/south side of the road. The beds run in an approximate east-west trend along the road for the next few miles until you hit private property. Find a gravel zone you like, hike in or take one of the numbered routes to any gravel bed and start looking. Some wander about all day, picking up just a few rocks and covering miles, some prefer to hunt on their hands and knees, examining every rock for the thin bands characteristic of a Fairburn.
There are additional gravel beds farther north along Hwy 71 near Agate Reservoir.
In the summer, the grasslands are hot and dry (+ 90 degrees at times) with an occassional snake. The area is a mix of private and public, so go prepared with a good map or GPS, once in the grasslands stay on approved, numbered roads (these are well marked). Stay hydrated.
