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Field CollectingCollecting places near Fillmore, Ventura County, So CA

8th Nov 2008 18:40 UTCJuan Jimenez

Hello everyone!

I will appreciate information of collecting places, open mines for collecting, pegmatites, etc.

in the Fillmore, Ventura County area in southern California.

Juan Jimenez

9th Nov 2008 00:23 UTCRock Currier Expert

Juan, You might profitably get hold of a copy of the Minerals of California by Pimberton and study it and learn what kind of minerals have been found in your areas of interest.This would be a good place to start. How much do you know about minerals? How hard are you willing to work moving rock? Do you have the tools to do so? Are you a member of any local gem and mineral societies? How many hours a month are you able to devote to digging rocks?

9th Nov 2008 03:07 UTCJim Bean 🌟

Ventura, Oxnard, and Newbury Park/T.O. all have clubs.

www.vgms.org

www.oxnardgem.com

www.cgamc.org

The Conejo Volcanics between Camarillo and Agoura occasionally turn up interesting agates, zeolites and petrified wood, but there are no clearly defined sites, it's mainly found by wandering around any area where you can find access. Since the area is so urbanized, new construction sites can be good targets, but don't trespass. Kanan Road south of the 101 in Agoura has been mentioned in local field trip reports.

The more well-known pegmatites are all much further south in San Diego and Riverside counties. Several mines offer fee digging of mine tailings.

Pegmatites do actually occur in Ventura County but they're in the northernmost part of the county up by Frazier Mountain, and are of the simple variety with the best specimens being large sheets of muscovite mica. Nice examples of augen gneiss can also be found in that area, but those are more yard-rocks than mineral specimens. That area is most well-known for recreational gold-panning if you're into that.

Joining a local club, as Rock mentioned, will allow you to participate in field trips to various areas more or less nearby where you can go bang on rocks with like-minded folks. I'll also second the recommendation for Pemberton's book to get a feel for what California has to offer mineral-wise.

10th Nov 2008 04:46 UTCJuan Jimenez

Thanks for all the information; I am not planning to make a living of this hobby,

I am a little interested in self collecting just for the fun and to be in the out doors,

Actually I have more interest in radioactive specimens.

Saturday I drove half ways to the condor sanctuary with my gamma survey meter, a gamma pager and a Geiger counter; half the way up the road my survey meter picked up a strong gamma signal, I was exited for only a few minutes when I found that the rock slate in the picture was emitting that gamma radiation with 65 micro-roentgens/hr the highest reading I got at one place. Background readings at home are 8 microR/Hr and 16 mR/hr. about 20 ft away from the rock slate.

I think that there may be good chances of finding a nice a hot specimen.

I think that I get to the southern side of Frazier mountain trough this road.

I only found these small crystals they are only about 1 cm in size.

thaks for all your help.

Juan

16th Nov 2008 07:25 UTCJenna Mast

Juan:

I have heard of sea fossils such as shark teeth, ammonites, and the sort being found in the region of South Mountain in Santa Paula and maybe around Grimes Canyon. I have heard of moonstone and small agate nodules being found in the region of Moorpark though I don't think anything particularly exciting. I have found calcite in the Santa Monica Mountains up on the trails, and long ago I found a little quarts cluster but I haven't found another since and most of the calcite I find up there now days isn't anything interesting to look at.

The interior of the county is host to many old gold mines and I wouldn't be surprised if some prime collecting spots could be found, I've found some interesting things which have washed down from the mountains, but most of the area is not accessible unless you have a helicopter, donkey, horse, or camel, and are up for a good adventure:-)

There are some uranium deposits in the county but it's probably crumbly stuff that you wouldn't want to touch.

16th Nov 2008 16:12 UTCJuan Jimenez

Jenna,

Thanks for your info.

I broke the rock with the small crystals in the picture above and found a cluster of bigger calcite crystals inside,

But all the crystals inside broke in many small rhomb pieces, except for the one in the picture, only the tip broke.

I will try to go to the south mountain one of these days.

I work six days a week and next weekend I plan to go to the Gem and Mineral show in Oxnard.

Juan

16th Nov 2008 16:57 UTCJuan Jimenez

Jenna, please check your PM's

Juan

8th Dec 2008 00:07 UTCEugene Cisneros

Hi Juan,

After reading one of the replies to your questions, I feel the need to express my encouragement.

I wish that I had the luxury of Minerals of California when I first started field collecting. And study? That would have taken valuable time that I could use to wander aimlessly around the mountains looking for minerals. And as far as interest was concerned, anything that had even vaguely resembled crystals was fair game. How much did I know about minerals? I confess, not much, but that didn't stop me. I wasn't willing to work hard to move rock either, but somehow the lust of making a find brought forth the super human strength needed to move tons of material. And when I didn't find anything, it was disappointment, but that drove me even more to make a find. Tools? A simple rock hammer at first and the rest came as I needed them, including a Cobra drill that I never would have even considered when I started. And no, I wasn't a member of any local gem and mineral societies. As for time, I was lucky in that respect. Just graduating from High School did allow time, but not much money for books, tools, equipment or gas for the broken down old car. None of these obstacles prevented me from having some of the best times of my life, and eventually even led me to be a mineral dealer. So, I think that desire and perseverance are the key ingredients to having fun mineral collecting. While I didn't know a lot about minerals, the mystique and adventure of making a find were the strongest for me. The rest followed....

Have fun!

Gene

Crystals and Pistols

10th Dec 2008 03:42 UTCJuan Jimenez

30th Dec 2008 20:16 UTCcharles kraft

Juan Jimenez Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Hello everyone!

> I will appreciate information of collecting

> places, open mines for collecting, pegmatites,

> etc.

> in the Fillmore, Ventura County area in southern

> California.

>

> Juan Jimenez

Someone just told me that there used to be easy pickings for quartz crystals at a place called Chief Peak. He said that he was with the forest service, so I'd guess it's in the Los Padres National Forest near here. I haven't found my map yet, so I'm not sure exactly where it is. (For me, here is Santa Paula.)

31st Dec 2008 19:27 UTCJuan Jimenez

You can find Chief Peak north of the upper Ojai Area in Google maps,

I think you need to go trough orchards roads,

which probably are gated with locks.

I found fossilized clams in the Grimes Canyon area in Fillmore.

see picture here

Juan

31st Dec 2008 23:15 UTCGreg Slak Expert

Juan...

Ten years ago when I was primarily interested in paleontology, I occasionally visited the next canyon over, Balcom Canyon, where searching the roadcuts can produce some interesting fish fossils.

Shown below is a specimen I had labeled "Miocene viperfish and prey".

Because my interests have shifted to geology, I've had to relabel the specimen "Diatomaceous shale";-)

greg slak

2nd Jan 2009 22:34 UTCcharles kraft

Chief Peak is accessible by road (not now due to snow). a permit is needed from the forest service, and a 4X4 is needed for the road. I just talked with them earlier today.

7th Jan 2009 22:50 UTCJuan Jimenez

thanks for the info. Jenna, Greg, Charles, and everybody else.

today I went to the southern part of South Mountain in Ventura County,

I was lucky to get the acces code for the electric gate in the Saticoy area,

(from a company I do work.)

I didn't take me more then 10 minutes in the area to find a couple of the clam shell fossils,

they are beautifull and huge.
pleaase take a look at a picture of a Clam Shell Fossil

12th Jan 2009 05:32 UTCJenna Mast

Juan:

I just noticed the photo of the large calcite crystal you found. I'm officially jealous :-)

Keep up the good work though. I think Ventura County has a lot of potential if you're not afraid of the rattlesnakes, ticks, and mountain lions:-)

And bears if you go east. One time a bear wondered all the way down from Los Padres and was found near Central Road and the 101.

12th Jan 2009 22:32 UTCJuan Jimenez

Yes, I am afraid when I go to Los Padres National Forest, I have something handy just in case, I hope not.

back in 1985 I used to work for Geo Seismic Services in Wyoming,

We used to walk many miles every day to install the cables and Geo Phones.

it was a routine to find some times more then 10 rattles snakes in one day.

I am always looking for rattle snakes and some times rocks.

I'll continue posting my findings.

Juan

3rd Mar 2009 21:10 UTCMarekC

Hi Juan,

There is a following reference to Fillmore in Centennial Minerals of California, I think Pemberton hasit as well;

"Ventura County: 1, Deposits of sulphur occur on Sulphur Mountain 3 miles east of Fillmore, CDMG (14592)."

I never had time to go and check it out, maybe you'll have more luck. You can find the centennial book text scanned here:
Minerals of California Centennial 1966 The text is 40+ yrs old, but very interesting read, especially for rare minerals.

BTW, you might have luck finding Pemberton in your city library. I belong to Thousand Oaks Library, they have one volume available for checkout. I used to borrow it every several weeks before I got one for myself from biblio.com. It was 80 bucks but totally worth it, even for fun reading.

Also, you might want to join Conejo Valley club, they are Newbury Park/Thousand Oaks based. They just had a nice field trip to Gem Hill in Rosamond across Edwards AFB. Don't miss their show in Newbury Park in May. I belong to MSSC in Pasadena, same as Rock Currier.

Best Regards,

Marek Chorazewicz

Simi Valley

4th Mar 2009 16:17 UTCMatthew Boeck

>:D< Ventura co show, 2009

Seaside Park (Ventura County Fairgrounds),

10 West Harbor Blvd.,

Ventura, California 93001.

And I am available for field trips up there too ( secret spots) call me after the 15th 760-216-8971 cell

-Matt,

Prez. Palomar club

15th Jun 2009 06:18 UTCjhapeman

Greg,

Those are some great fossils. You don't happen to have more specific information on where in Balcom Canyon you located those, do you?

Jeff

greg slak Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Juan...

> Ten years ago when I was primarily interested in

> paleontology, I occasionally visited the next

> canyon over, Balcom Canyon, where searching the

> roadcuts can produce some interesting fish

> fossils.

> Shown below is a specimen I had labeled "Miocene

> viperfish and prey".

> Because my interests have shifted to geology, I've

> had to relabel the specimen "Diatomaceous

> shale";-)

> greg slak

11th Jan 2013 19:24 UTCConnie

I see this is an old post. I wanted to say thanks for the info and also I have found some great fossils from the sea off of south mountain road (the Santa Paula side). I don't know much about minerals and closely relate to gene's post top of page. I still very new and am loving every rock turned!

4th Jun 2018 18:18 UTCAdam Holland

If you like tumbling rock, some of the weathered jaspers and agates on the beaches come out really nice! I have to start them with a very coarse grit and really let it work the rock for about 1.5 - 2 weeks. There are a lot of nice yellows, reds, browns, layers.... Some of the patterns are amazing below the weathering and pot holes.

You can search any of the "naturally deposited" (not rip rap) rock piles in town by the pier and surf (at each days max low tide -- not the half a** low tide.)

Materials range in size from 3 - 4" fist sized pieces, down to pieces the size of a nickel. The larger pieces I have -- you can cab, I gave several away and my friend has made a few nice cabs out of the stone canyon LIKE jasper I have found.

Its all over... best wishes and good luck!

A.Holland - Camarillo

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