Summary:

Fairburn Agates are a coveted treasure of rockhounding trips across the Southwest corner of South Dakota. Known for their intricate bands and elusiveness to find, a good hunt for a Fairburn can lead you to some of the most beautiful and remote parts of the Great Plains.

I went in about 2 miles down the main road, then hiked up and into the badlands terrain. After crossing the first ridge, I began finding gravel outcrops all over the place. Hiking in here is very challenging. The slopes are steep and the rocks tend to move under your feet. You will have to hike through long grass and jump across small trenches.

This spot was challenging to access. The descent from the farm fields into the badlands landscape involved a nearly 100ft drop on a gravel road with very large stones. There are no guardrails. I would call this a UTV road, rather than a road for a truck or camper.

That being said, I made it in and out in a rear wheel drive vehicle with high clearance - and I would recommend bringing something better matched.

With all that said, I still didn’t come away with a Fairburn agate. It was a beautiful place and certainly seems like a great spot to find one, though!