Field Trips
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Please note: Club events including field trips, meetings, service activities, and our annual holiday party will be listed on the monthly Calendar page!
The sign says it all… Welcome to Rim Country. It is here that the Payson Rimstones call home. The surrounding area has an abundance of fossils – like corals, snails, clams, brachiopods, gastropods, sponges, crinoids, trace fossils, to name a few; minerals – including gem-worthy crystals in a variety of colors; and rocks – anyone like petrified wood or pretty agates?
Favorite Locations
Typically, the Club plans a couple of local Club rock-hounding trips each month, weather permitting. We also keep an eye out for trips sponsored by other clubs and locales that might be of interest to members. The Club has numerous local rock-hounding options – on the Rim searching for fossils, in the Payson area gathering geodes and brightly-colored agates for polishing, or seeking that perfect crystal at Diamond Point. For those who are willing to adventure a little further, you can find petrified wood, picture sandstone, peridot, copper ores, amethyst, Apache Tears, and more.
A Great Calcite Find
While there are quite a few dedicated field trippers who rarely miss an outing, in most months groups of about 5-20 form naturally around factors such as specific rocks and minerals native to the trip area, driving distance, the walking terrain, etc.
The following summaries are from field trips we have taken in the past several months. We tend to vary the locations from year to year to keep everyone interested and the experiences fresh.
September2026
Rim and Pinedale
Trip Leader: Rollo Pool
In September, the Club visited two collection sites – the Rim and Pinedale/Heber. At the Rim, just north of Strawberry, the members primarily looked for fossils from the Devonian Era. At Pinedale, Club members collected petrified wood and fossils. In addition to the petrified wood, some hunters also collected jasper, quartz, sandstone and banded quartzite.
August 2026
Roberts Mesa Road
Trip Leader: Rollo Pool
In August, the Club traveled just east of Payson to Roberts Mesa Road. This area is full of trace fossils, crinoids and agates.
July 2026
Young, AZ (zebra chert, marine fossils, agates)
Trip Leader: Rollo Pool
On Sat July 11, fifteen members traveled to a collection area north of Young. It was approaching 85 degrees by 11a so we elected to visit other areas here when temperatures are milder. We collected Zebra chert, agates and many types of fossils, including brachiopods, gastropods, sponges and bryozoans. The photo shows Carla O’Connor with a nice fossil block.
June 2026
Parks, AZ
Trip Leader: Bill Freese
In June, the Club was invited to collect obsidian (volcanic glass) in Parks, AZ with the Daisy Mountain Rock Club. This is a cool place to rockhound during the summer with temps considerably cooler than the Valley (and even Payson, at times). Many folks found gorgeous pieces of mahogany obsidian, so named because its coloring/pattern resemble mahogany wood.
May 2026
Forest Lakes and Christopher Mountain
Trip Leaders: Rollo Pool and Bill Freese
Under a USFS collection permit and sunny skies and gentle breezes, we loaded up on banded sandstone for our artwork, yards, or shelves. Fifteen Rimstones members met with a few members of the Daisy Mtn Club just west of Forest Lakes. In the afternoon, most went to a nearby site for collecting fossils, like sea urchin spines, sponges and a few brachiopods. A few days later, the Club visited three hunting locations. The first stop was to collect zebra chert and fossils – including a few lucky folks who found trilobites. We then visited a secret location for red-jasper fossils. In the afternoon we returned a second time to Forest Lakes for the gorgeous banded sandstones around abandoned quarries.
April 2026
Triassic Park and Agate Mountain
Trip Leaders: Rollo Pool and Bill Freese
In April, the Club visited a favorite location – Triassic Park – to view some world-class pre-dinosaur prints. Club member, James Lang, opens up his land for Club members to view the vast collection of trace fossils. Afterwards, folks went to Concho to look for fossils. Then it was off to Agate Mountain. This is a tricky ride, but ends with beautiful views. Club members found some nice specimens on the mountain.
March 2026
Mt. Ord, Sycamore Creek and Kingman
Trip Leaders: Rollo Pool and Bill Freese
The Club visited some new and some old spots in March. We had a 3-creek-stop trip to Upper Gold Creek (new), Upper Sycamore Creek and Slate Creek for agates, jaspers, slates, schists, and other rocks. Our overnight trip to Kingman Mar 27-28 was terrific. On Day 1, over two dozen Rimstones hunted (and found) fire agates and chalcedony on three claims along the Old Beale Wagon Trail. A big thanks to fire agate magnate Jack Norton who owns the claims (and made sure we all found “fire”) and to member Larry Pluhar who did the initial scouting and planning for the Kingman trip. On Day 2, with the Kingman club, we drove to the bottom of the Grand Canyon – descending over 3000 ft in 19 miles from Peach Springs, AZ.
February 2026
Multiple Locations
Trip Leaders: Rollo Pool and Bill Freese
The Club broke a record in February with seven field trip offerings. Wow!
The first trip was to the LGF Museum. This museum, which is not open to the public, has one of the largest private collections of petrified wood in the US – and also houses an amazing collection of fossils, meteorites, specimens and artifacts. Owner Michael Fleeman was our guide for 2hrs.
The club also visited Tucson. This overnight trip took members to several show venues and the Alfie Norville Museum. Members also were treated to a dinner at the home of Rimstones members Greg and Susan Bryson.
Then it was off to Peridot Mesa on the San Carlos Apache Reservation. This is always a unique rockhound experience.
Next the Club visited Camp Verde (Salt Mines and the Lost Onyx Mine). Members looked for pseudomorph glauberites near the old salt mine and then onyx at the Lost Onyx Mine. The glauberites were easy, the onyx was work.
The Club went twice to Dobell Ranch for petrified wood. A club favorite, this fee site always has a large assortment of rainbow petrified wood pieces – some that need 2-3 people to get into vehicles. Most members buy one or two 5-gallon buckets of this prized “wood.”
During the month, the Club was invited to the Gold Prospectors Club’s claims in Rye. If you are a member of the Gold Prospector’s Club, you can pan for gold.
January 2026
Wickenburg, Burro Creek and Purple Passion Mine
Trip Leaders: Rollo Pool and Bill Freese
2-day field trip this past week to Wickenburg, Burro Creek, and the Purple Passion Mine (pastelite, tourmaline, thunder eggs, pegmatite, fluorescents, mica, agates, etc).
Photos and field trip stories on this page thanks to Rimstones Rock Club members