TRIP 1. Chalk Bluff Road - Pecos Diamonds
TRIP 1. Chalk Bluff Road - Pecos Diamonds, well formed double-ended quartz crystals, abound along the Pecos River in the weathered Permian rocks. They are particularly abundant on the slopes of the hills forming the horizon east of The Ranch, just across the Pecos River. You can reach the collecting area as follows:
| Mile | Location | Action/Observation |
| 0.0 | Ranch House | |
| 0.3 | Main Gate | Turn Right |
| 1.6 | Hwy 285 | Turn Right |
| 15.7 | Hwy 82 in Artesia | Turn Right |
| 20.9 | Chalk Bluff Road (Across Pecos River) | Turn Right |
| 21.5 | First Cattle Guard | |
| 22.2 | Second Cattle Guard | |
| 22.5 | Third Cattle Guard | |
| 24.5 | Fourth Cattle Guard | |
| 24.7 | Small Wash Area on Right near Oil Pump | Stop |
Further along the ridge of these hills, you can find other good collecting sites in the Permian limestone rock. When you get to a good collecting site, there should be a lot of glistening crystals on the ground resembling an area of broken glass. We have particularly good luck collecting in wash (drain) areas. A geologist at the Bureau of Land Management in Carlsbad told us of a collecting site on private land that has yielded crystals of several inches in length and diameter!
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