Mud Spring Road
South Dakota
Find: Teepee Canyon agates
GPS: 43.72905, -103.85789
Nearest city: Rapid City, SD
Recommended Vehicle: High clearance, but you can likely get in here with less suitable cars. It’s well-maintained.
Summary:
Teepee Canyon agates are one of the few varieties of agates that have been mined commercially in North America. I am certainly no expert on the topic, but hey form in layers of limestone within the Black Hills area. Within these layers, you will find nodules of chert. In those nodules, you’ll find vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows comprising the layers of the tightly-banded Teepee Canyon agate.
Mud Spring Road is a long gravel road that is right in the main area that Teepee Canyon agates have been found and enjoyed for many years. I explored the wide open ridge line in here for an entire day and ended up leaving with about a dozen agates. You will come across small holes and workings if you walk for long enough or spend a few days in here.
I ended up finding most of my agates all alongside one another near a hole that someone opened up before me.
3 Helpful Tools
Water Bladder
The warmer months are arid and dry in South Dakota. A water bladder is a great luxury to hike with.
Chisel
I used a 1" flat bar chisel to split open nodules that I found to try and expose agate banding.
Spray Bottle
A spray bottle is useful for getting a better look at banding in the dry stones you’ll find.