Meteorite Hunting at Franconia

Amateur meteorite hunters at Franconia—just 17 miles from Lake Havasu City—are finding stones from space.

In 1912, an estimated 14,000 stones fell on Northern Arizona alone. In 2002, a meteorite weighing 4.75 kg was discovered in a dry wash at Franconia in Mohave County.

The green dots mark the locations of a desert meteorite find

Since then, meteorite hunters have found over 100 specimens in the Franconia area. The area has been designated a Dense Collection Area due to the wide variety of meteorites discovered there since 2002.

In 2011, millions of people watching "Meteorite Men" on the Science Channel saw pro hosts Geoff Notkin and Steve Arnold go hunting for meteorites in the Franconia area during their stay in Lake Havasu City.

Other nearby meteorite-rich areas are Sacramento Wash, Yucca, Buck Mountains, Palo Verde Mine, and the Powell Peak area including Powell Peak, Boulder Mine and some other finds.

This 2-1/2 minute video shows a meteorite find in Franconia.

Franconia meteorite hunting—a fun, healthy and inexpensive hobby for everyone

Not only is meteorite hunting fun for the entire family, but it's also great exercise. The strewn field area has been picked over for years, which is why hunters also look for meteorites buried in the sandy washes. All it takes is some sturdy boots, a shovel and a metal detector, ranging in price from $50 to $300 for rent or purchase on Amazon.

Rocks aglow in Franconia's meteorite field

As an added bonus, an ultraviolet (UV) flashlight at night will reveal fluorescing rocks. The ground is covered with calcite-covered rocks that glow bright orange when exposed to UV light.

But discovering a rock from space will make for an out-of this-world-experience during your next visit to Lake Havasu City.

Flourescing calcite rock
Credit: James St. John/Flickr

Getting to Franconia

Franconia is located off of Interstate 40 north at Exit 13, about a 20-minute drive from Lake Havasu City. The strewn field area is accessible by a passenger vehicle. The sandy wash areas are best accessed by an off-highway vehicle or on foot.

For more information about meteorite hunting, visit meteorite-times.com.

Take a virtual tour of Arizona State University’s university-based meteorite collection, the largest of its type in the world with over 40,000 specimens.

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