Topaz Mountain
Delta
Overview
An area where people have been chiseling into weak spots in the rock.
Topaz Mountain, located in Utah’s remote western desert, is a premier destination for rock hounds seeking the state’s official gemstone—topaz. This rugged, sunbaked landscape offers a unique opportunity to find beautifully faceted amber-colored topaz crystals, which naturally fade to a clear or pale blue hue when exposed to sunlight. The area, part of the Thomas Range, is well known for its rich deposits of topaz, as well as other minerals such as bixbyite, garnet, and red beryl.
On our visit, I was surprised at how easy it is to find small, clear pieces of topaz. The washes and ground literary glitter in places with small pieces. We had a hammer and chisel, but focused more on scouring washes, hillsides, and places others had obviously chipped at first. A couple of groups we ran into had found red beryl as well, which we had hoped to find, but we didn't scour the right places on our visit.
I think this is a fun family outing! The groups we spoke to that were more serious rock hounds with sledgehammers, buckets, screens, etc., and a bit more experience, found some gorgeous and interesting specimens. We spent a couple of hours hunting, which was enough for us, but this is certainly a good place to camp and spend a weekend if you are serious about rocks.
Looking for shiny spots!
Getting There
From Delta, head east, then north on US-6 for about 10 mile to near mile post 99.7 where the Brush Wellman Rd leaves on the left (west) side of US-6.
Start on Brush Wellman Rd (UT-174 S) and continue 22.1 miles.
Stay straight as the road becomes Brush Beryllium Rd. Drive 15.1 miles.
Turn right onto Topaz Rd and go 1.7 miles. This side road crosses the Weiss Highway after a 1/2 a mile, then becomes a bit rougher. Once across the Weiss highway, it is generally signed for Topaz Mountain.
At 1.7 miles, turn left. There are MANY side roads here. In generally, stay on the most used road heading west. After about a mile, the most used road turns right and heads up the wash.
Once heading up the wash, continue about 0.7 miles to where the road splits. This is the split for the east and west amphitheaters that are visible ahead and to the west.
Checking out one of the dig spots.
Route
As you enter the area, the road splits. Right goes up a rough road to the area referred to as the East Amphitheater. Left stays in the wash bottom, passes through the private claim, and then braids out into parking/camping spots. This area is known as the West Amphitheater. Medium clearance vehicles can get to the east/west junction. I would recommend high clearance for the east road or the west road much past the private mine claim. It is easy to park anywhere in the east/west junction area and walk the short distance to either amphitheater.
Whichever place you start your hunt, a few tips that more experienced groups imparted to us that seemed to work well:
- Wash bottoms are a great place to look for small topaz flakes and red beryl.
- Areas of white eroded rock (rhyolite) are a good place to look for topaz as well. Topaz is in the matrix of the rhyolite, and the erosion of these areas can release the topaz.
- If wanting to chisel, look for softer areas of white rhyolite. Topaz in the rhyolite will be amber, when exposed to sunlight, it becomes clear. Soft spots in the rhyolite is often where topaz is found.
- Gloves are helpful, safety glasses recommended if using hammers or sledgehammers.
Photos
Maps
| East-West Junction |
12S 320614mE 4395847mN N39° 41' 37" W113° 05' 32" |
| Private Claim |
12S 320088mE 4396188mN N39° 41' 48" W113° 05' 54" |
| Weiss Highway Junction |
12S 322900mE 4393122mN N39° 40' 10" W113° 03' 53" |