Rockhound State Park
Twelve miles to the southeast of Deming is Rockhound State Park.Located
on the rugged west slope of the Little Florida Mountains.Forget for once the usual public-property admonition
"Take pictures only; leave only
footprints. At Rockhound State Park, the rule doesn’t apply. In fact, this
park is one ‘you can take with you. Here, rangers encourage
visitors to take rocks you find, up to 15 pounds per person, for personal
collections, to make jewelry, or to decorate the garden.
That’s right. Rockhound State Park to go. Established in 1965 and dedicated
in June 1966, this little park, in the craggy desert uplifts that form the
Little Florida Mountains, has been a favorite of rock and mineral buffs
since the early part of the century. These days, the park gets 45,000 visitors a year, most of
whom come in the cool of winter, when the 29-site campground, among
beautifully landscaped gardens of prickly pear, cholla, and
bird of paradise, is often full. But according to park officials, even though many of these
visitors do in fact take rocks from the park with
them, the area's landscape has changed very little over the years.
The park’s visitors include both casual and serious
rockhounds, the latter hip to the agate, onyx, and opal
often found frequently just underground, sometimes lying
right in view. Park officials claim anyone willing to do a
little work can find something worthwhile (if not
necessarily worth untold riches). Bring a pickax and
shovel (the old army surplus specials are ideal) and a
good pair of hiking boots or shoes (the rock is loose
in places and the hills and sometimes steep) and head
out into the park’s 240 acres. Look for nodules, round
or oval rocks that when cracked open may contain agate
or opal, or sometimes quartz crystal (these are called Thunder Eggs).