Meteorites Found in Colorado: 90 Documented

Colorado has 90 officially recognized meteorites — 5 witnessed falls and 85 finds. The largest, Guffey (Iron, ungrouped — iron meteorite — nickel-iron metal), weighed 309 kg. The record here spans 143 years — from Russel Gulch in 1863 to La Garita in 2006.

63 ordinary chondrites18 iron meteorites3 meteorites2 achondrite from asteroid Vestas2 pallasites1 ureilite1 enstatite chondrite

Name	Classification	Mass	Fell / Found	Year	GPS
Guffey	Iron, ungrouped	309 kg	Found	1907	38.767, -105.517
Bear Creek	Iron, IIIAB	227 kg	Found	1866	39.600, -105.300
Rifle	Iron, IAB-MG	102.7 kg	Found	1948	38.517, -107.833
Julesburg	L3.6	57.9 kg	Found	1983	39.975, -102.267
Kelly	LL4	44.3 kg	Found	1937	40.467, -103.033
Johnstown	Diogenite	40.3 kg	Fell	1924	40.350, -104.900
Arriba	L5	31.1 kg	Found	1936	39.300, -103.250
Weldona	H4	27.7 kg	Found	1934	40.350, -103.950
Two Buttes (a)	H5	19.7 kg	Found	1962	37.633, -102.417
Arapahoe	L5	19.1 kg	Found	1940	38.800, -102.200
Franceville	Iron, IIIAB	18.8 kg	Found	1890	38.817, -104.617
Burns	Iron, IIIAB	18.4 kg	Found	2003	39.867, -106.883
Carson Lake	H6	18.4 kg	Found	1941	38.607, -103.001
Shaw	L6/7	17.5 kg	Found	1937	39.533, -103.333
Ellicott	Iron, IAB-ung	15.7 kg	Found	1960	38.808, -104.569
Haxtun	H/L4	15.5 kg	Found	1975	40.457, -102.578
Russel Gulch	Iron, IIIAB	13.2 kg	Found	1863	39.800, -105.500
De Nova	L6	12.7 kg	Found	1940	39.850, -102.950
Cope	H5	12 kg	Found	1934	39.667, -102.833
Peetz	L6	11.5 kg	Found	1937	40.950, -103.083
Clifford	L6	11.4 kg	Found	1962	39.100, -103.258
Holyoke	H4	11.2 kg	Found	1933	40.567, -102.300
Rush Creek	L6	9.3 kg	Found	1938	38.617, -102.717
Armel	L5	9.2 kg	Found	1967	39.767, -102.133
Left Hand Creek	Iron, IAB complex	8.7 kg	Found	2000	40.127, -105.294
Bishop Canyon	Iron, IVA	8.6 kg	Found	1912	38.000, -108.500
Seibert (b)	L6	8.6 kg	Found	1991	39.277, -102.887
Idalia	H	7.4 kg	Found	1968	39.695, -102.295
Fremont Butte	L4	6.7 kg	Found	—	38.500, -105.500
Mosca	L6	6.2 kg	Found	1942	37.633, -105.833
Ovid	H6	6.2 kg	Found	1939	40.967, -102.400
Washington County	Iron, ungrouped	5.8 kg	Found	1927	39.700, -103.167
Adams County	H5	5.7 kg	Found	1928	39.967, -103.767
Tobe	H4	5.4 kg	Found	1963	37.200, -103.583
Stoneham	H5	5 kg	Found	1960	40.638, -103.697
Eads	H4	4.9 kg	Found	1975	38.470, -102.827
Lincoln County	L6	4.5 kg	Found	1937	39.367, -103.167
Elba	H5	4.2 kg	Found	1966	39.833, -103.217
Flagler	H3.8	4.1 kg	Found	1972	39.230, -102.990
Akron (1961)	L6	4 kg	Found	1961	40.150, -103.167
Wray (b)	L5	3.9 kg	Found	1938	40.331, -102.196
Mesa Verde Park	Iron, IAB-ung	3.5 kg	Found	1922	37.167, -108.500
Seibert (a)	H5	3.5 kg	Found	1941	39.300, -102.833
Wiley	Iron, IIC	3.5 kg	Found	1938	38.150, -102.667
New Raymer	LL4	3.4 kg	Found	1995	40.626, -103.840
Erie	L6	3.3 kg	Found	1965	40.032, -105.057
Springfield	L6	3.2 kg	Found	1937	37.383, -102.633
Two Buttes (b)	H	3 kg	Found	1970	37.633, -102.417
Little Spring Creek	H5	3 kg	Found	1937	37.683, -105.700
Stonington	H5	2.7 kg	Found	1942	37.283, -102.200
Kramer Creek	L4	2.3 kg	Found	1966	38.392, -104.177
Briggsdale	Iron, IIIAB	2.2 kg	Found	1949	40.667, -104.317
Atwood	L6	2.1 kg	Found	1963	40.517, -103.267
Thurman	OC	2 kg	Found	1965	39.522, -103.167
Alamosa	L6	1.8 kg	Found	1937	37.467, -105.867
Fleming	H3.7	1.8 kg	Found	1940	40.683, -102.817
Canon City	H6	1.4 kg	Fell	1973	38.470, -105.241
La Garita	Iron, ungrouped	1.4 kg	Found	2006	37.933, -106.200
Phillips County (pallasite)	Pallasite, PMG-an	1.4 kg	Found	1935	40.450, -102.383
Wild Horse	H5	1.4 kg	Found	1979	39.417, -103.200
Sand Draw	H5	1.2 kg	Found	1947	40.817, -102.250
Karval	H5	1.1 kg	Found	1936	38.717, -103.517
Akron (1940)	H6	1.1 kg	Found	1940	40.150, -103.167
Berthoud	Eucrite-mmict	960 g	Fell	2004	40.306, -105.023
Mount Ouray	Iron, IID	900 g	Found	1898	38.417, -106.217
Newsom	L6	892 g	Found	1939	37.600, -105.833
Ovid (b)	H5	860 g	Found	1943	40.758, -102.375
Cope (b)	H5	817 g	Found	1967	39.683, -102.845
Cortez	H6	716 g	Found	1940	37.350, -108.683
Georgetown	H6	687 g	Found	1967	39.700, -105.700
Elbert	LL6	681 g	Fell	1998	39.247, -104.588
Sterling	Pallasite	680 g	Found	1900	40.600, -103.183
Horse Creek	Iron, ungrouped	570 g	Found	1937	37.583, -102.767
Hartsel	H4	490 g	Found	2000	38.833, -105.800
Granada Creek	H	479 g	Found	1975	37.967, -102.333
Holly	H4	299 g	Found	1937	38.067, -102.100
Wray (a)	H4-an	282 g	Found	—	40.050, -102.200
Cotopaxi	Iron, IAB-ung	243 g	Found	2000	38.465, -105.701
Denver	L6	230 g	Fell	1967	39.782, -104.931
Springfield (b)	L	229 g	Found	1937	37.483, -102.677
Sawtooth Mountain	Ureilite	217 g	Found	2006	38.346, -106.961
Stratton	OC	121 g	Found	1964	39.222, -102.590
Doyleville	H5	112 g	Found	1887	38.417, -106.583
Hugo (stone)	H5	80 g	Found	1936	39.133, -103.483
Atwood (b)	OC	77 g	Found	1964	40.517, -103.267
Bethune	EH4/5	67 g	Found	1941	39.300, -102.417
Truckton	H5	43.4 g	Found	1978	38.581, -104.077
Lost Lake	L6	11 g	Found	1931	37.650, -105.733
Apex	L6	6.1 g	Found	1938	39.750, -105.200
Colorado Springs	Iron	—	Found	1950	38.833, -104.833

Reading the classifications

H, L, LL (ordinary chondrites)

The most common meteorites — stony, with visible metal flecks. H = high iron content, L = low, LL = very low. The digit (3–6) says how much the parent asteroid heated it: 3 is the most pristine.

Carbonaceous chondrites (CM, CV, CO…)

Primitive, carbon-bearing stones that predate the planets — some carry water-bearing minerals and amino acids. Fragile and rare on the ground.

Irons (IAB, IIIAB…)

Solid nickel-iron from the shattered cores of asteroids. Dense, magnetic, and the easiest meteorites to recognize — most of the biggest US finds are irons.

Pallasites & mesosiderites (stony-irons)

The showpieces: pallasites are gem-quality olivine suspended in polished metal, from the core-mantle boundary of destroyed asteroids.

Achondrites (eucrite, howardite…)

Volcanic rocks from bodies large enough to melt — most trace to the asteroid Vesta; the rarest are from the Moon and Mars.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many meteorites have been found in Colorado?

90 meteorites from Colorado are officially recognized in the scientific record — 5 witnessed falls and 85 finds. The largest is Guffey at 309 kg.

Can I hunt for meteorites in Colorado?

On BLM-managed public land, casual collecting is legal without a permit: surface finds, up to 10 lb per person per year, personal use only. National parks prohibit all collecting, and on private land the meteorite belongs to the landowner. Always verify land status before hunting.

How do I know if a rock is a meteorite?

Quick field checks: meteorites are unusually dense, most attract a magnet (iron-nickel content), fresh ones have a thin black fusion crust, and many show regmaglypts (thumbprint-like depressions). Slag and magnetite are the common false alarms.

⚠️ Always verify current regulations, weather conditions, and access requirements before visiting any location. Information provided is based on community submissions and may not be current or accurate.

Coordinates are historical find locations from the scientific record, often approximate — not guaranteed collecting spots; verify land status and permissions before hunting. Source of record: Meteoritical Bulletin Database (Meteoritical Society).