If you have never been to Pebble Terrace near Palo Verde, CA, you probably are wondering what I am talking about.  Picking up great rocks, of course!  This flat area of desert pavement consists of miles of material carried down by the Colorado River eons ago when it used to run rampant at flood stage.  The river brought materials down from Montana, Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico, which means you can find an amazing assortment of agates, jaspers, petrified wood, fossils of many kinds and more.  There are several areas where you can access the old river terraces, from Katherine's Landing above Laughlin, NV , down to Palo Verde, CA and several other areas in between the two. Once you have collected at such a terrace, you will be able to more easily recognize the structure when you explore in other likely places along the present-day Colorado River shorelines. 

Desert collecting is at its best early in the fall, and again in early spring, when the daylight is long enough and the sun just warm enough to make the effort worthwhile.  We really like to go in the spring, as the wildflowers to be found are exquisite, especially this year.  We live about a three hour drive from Palo Verde, so like to go and camp in the area for several days, to take advantage of the great weather and good bright sunshine.  Pebble Terrace is easily accessed from Palo Verde ( home to a great rock shop owned by Dale Schutte) by taking Fourth Street west about 4.5 miles, following the signs for the Opal Hill Fire Agate Mine.  If you have a copy of the Southern California Gem Trails book by James Mitchell, just find this collecting area in the index and follow his directions.  You must go right through a farmyard shortly after leaving Highway 78 where you turned on Fourth Street, but don't worry--you are on the right track.  As  you leave the alfalfa fields and start to climb up to the low hills, you will encounter a very sandy stretch of road----just don't slow down and you will be OK.  At about the 3 mile mark, where the road levels out, you will start seeing the desert pavement that is called Pebble Terrace.  The rocks have a dark coating called "desert varnish" created by heat and wind over time, that makes the rocks all look the same.  However, if you use your trusty rock pick, you can take a small chip off a rock and get a better idea of what lies beneath that varnish.  The Gem Trails book will tell you to start collecting at the 4.5 mile mark, but we stopped at the 3.2 mark and found a shark's tooth fossil and a piece of Montana agate right away. 

We continued on to the 4.5 mile mark where there are several roads that intersect with each other and cross the washes nearby.  This particular spot is where we found some pieces of chalcedony with the potential for fire agate, which have been carried down from the Opal Hill Mine area.  You might also look in the washes for geodes, agate, and petrified wood.  My daughter found  a really nice red and yellow-swirled rock in the wash which when slabbed turned out to be a winner!  Of course, we found petrified wood, more agate and jasper, more chalcedony, and stromatolites by walking the flat areas where we parked our vehicle.  You will find so much material, that it is hard to stop looking when it is time to go!

This is a scenic area, with beautiful wildflowers at your feet, and views of the mountains,  the green farmlands of Palo Verde, the Colorado River  and the jagged volcanic peaks on the Arizona side of the river all around.   We were also lucky enough to see two wild burros just a short distance from our vehicle.  We had seen their droppings in the wash, but were still surprised to see them so near us.  They were really curious about us, and kept coming closer--probably thought we had brought them a nice snack!  Anyway, it made a nice end to our already nice day, full of wonderful adventures.  This area is so great for a family trip, with easy access to awesome rocks for any age or physical ability.  It is especially suitable for someone who is handicapped, as the rocks are literally at your feet.  Be sure and keep this site in mind for your next desert adventure---you won't be disappointed!