Joe Wilson Wash
Utah
Find: Agates (vibrant red/orange/purple/yellow chalcedony)
GPS: 38.25504, -109.38153
Nearest city: Moab, UT
Recommended Vehicle: Any
Season: Accessible year round, Winter was mid 30s with snowy mix. Summer likely very hot.
Summary:
These coordinates will lead you to an area called the Joe Wilson Wash. If you’re unfamiliar, a wash is essentially a dry riverbed where rocks accumulate. Some of the washes near the arches of Moab, Utah have some beautiful pieces of chalcedony to be found. If you look around for long enough, you may find some with fortification banding (the colorful interlocked layers).
The coordinates themselves lead to you to a parking area but there is public land to be explored in virtually every direction. If you have a 4x4 vehicle, the jeep trails that can get you a little further off the beaten path are a lot of fun. Specifically, another location that’s close to Looking Glass Rock had some larger, more colorful pieces of chalcedony but I definitely needed 4x4 and high clearance to get up there.
3 Helpful Tools
Hiking Boots
The more you walk in a place like this, the more you’ll find. Prepare to do a little climbing over uneven terrain if you explore the area.
Hiking Backpack
A small hiking backpack is my go-to for exploring and prospecting new areas.
Water Bladder
A water bladder is great in a place like Utah. It’s a very arid place, you’ll be surprised how much water you will want.
Inside the wash.
There's some deep wells where water seems to have carved out some holes. Watch your step.
A nice example of the brightly colored chalcedony/agate that's found all throughout the area.
Some of the pieces get fairly large.
I am unsure what this is, but it appears to be an igneous rock with large crystals packed all throughout.
Be sure to stop by the Wilson Arch that's right up HWY 191. (Collecting and digging is not allowed at the Arch itself)