Diamond Point…….. never heard of it. Do you call the ranger station before you head out to a camping area to check on the current conditions? We call to find out what the weather has been like, how are the roads, are there any fire restrictions, are there any bears sighting in the area, etc.

When we contacted the ranger station for information regarding our upcoming camping trip to Upper Tonto Creek Campground, the ranger shared with us about Diamond Point. I had not heard of Diamond Point before, so I ask for more information. I am so glad that the ranger shared this location with us. On our way back from Upper Tonto Creek Campground we stopped in at Diamond Point.

Getting There

Diamond Point is about 40 mins from Payson, Arizona. From Payson head east on AZ-260 for about 14.5 miles, then turn left (north) on Fire Control Rd/NF-64. There is a turn lane off of AZ-260. About 4.5 miles on Fire Control Rd/NF-64. You will see a sign to turn on NF-65. As you drive on the dirt road for about 4 miles, you will see the two large signs that say you have reached the destination.

Note that we drove a 2-wheel drive vehicle to get to the location.

Diamond Point Site

Diamond Point is on the Tonto National Forest. There is a wonderful information sign that describes how the area was formed and why quartz crystals are found there.

Amenities

Parking is on the side of the dirt road.

There are no restroom facilities. Bring your toiletries and shovel.

There is no water. Bring drinking water.

T-Mobile service was available.

Diamond Point Rules

The rules and regulation sign is helpful to understand how to keep the location available for the future.

Open for small scale collection

Stay within the 35 acre area illustrated in light red on the map

Site disturbance must not exceed 4x4x8 inches or the dimension of a 32-ounce water bottle

Digging is not allowed within 6 feet from the base of any tree

Collection for commercial use is not authorized

All holes must be backfilled with native materials found on site

Only small hand tools allowed such as gardening spades, hand trowels, or short handled gardening picks

Collections may not exceed 10 pounds per person, per day

Map of Quartz Crystal Collection Area

There is a large sign with the map of the search area.

On the Rule and Regulations sign, there is a QR code that allows you to download the map to your phone.

Searching

You can dig for crystals or you can surface hunt.  We were fortunate that when we visited, it had rained a few days before, therefore nature washed away the dirt for us. So, we surface hunted for about 30 mins. Then it was lunchtime and we set up our table and chairs in the shade. After lunch, we spend another 30 mins surface finding and were very impressed with our finds.

We left a lot on site as we did not need to take them all home.

Diamond Point Arizona – Finding Quartz Crystals

Not only can you find quartz crystals laying on the surface but we also found geodes. We look forward to visiting this location again and sharing the experience with our family and friends.

Have you gone hunting for crystals?