Fire Control RD
Rockhounding Fire Control Road in Payson AZ wasn’t even on the plan. We were off-roading, I really had to pee, and when I stepped out of the truck I noticed the ground looked like a rainbow. Kody tried to lure me back into the car, but no chance—I was locked in. The piles along Fire Control Road reveal mostly jasper and chalcedony, with occasional fossil fragments and quartz mixed in. The logging road exposed sediments rich in patterned jasper—sometimes called ‘Payson Agate’ locally—even though it’s technically jasper or chalcedony. Heavy machinery might have built the road, but it left behind a rockhound’s playground. 4×4 helps for the climb, but you can always park at the bottom and walk the road, scanning the pushed-up piles that line the way.
Is it Jasper is it Chert? Honestly, I don’t know—but I know I like it. Around Payson you’ll stumble across banded stones that flash reds, browns, and yellows in bold stripes. Some call it jasper, others argue for chert, and maybe it doesn’t matter. What’s certain is these striped stones stand out in washes and cuts along the Mogollon Rim, each one with its own pattern. For a rockhound, they’re less about labels and more about that thrill of finding a pocket-sized piece of Arizona’s wild geology.
Petrified palm wood is where fossils meet fine patterns. These ancient pieces of palm have turned to stone but still display the dotted cell structures of the original tree. The result is a polka-dot or streaked effect unlike anything else you’ll pick up around Payson. Each chunk tells a story from millions of years ago, when tropical plants thrived in what’s now high desert forest. Collectors prize them for both their beauty and their link to Arizona’s prehistoric past.
Getting there
Fire Control Road cuts off from Highway 260 northeast of Payson. The spot where we found the best rock piles is located at:
This turnoff leads to a newly cut logging road where heavy machinery pushed rock-rich soil into neat piles along the roadside. A 4×4 is best if you want to drive up, but you can always park at the bottom and walk the road at your own pace. Either way, the drive takes you through pine forest terrain with plenty of chances to spot wildlife before you even start rockhounding. It might be better now and more smoothed out since it has been a couple years.