Panaca

Panaca is a small Lincoln County town in southeastern Nevada's Meadow Valley, best known as the gateway to Cathedral Gorge State Park two miles to the north.[1][2] The database lists chalcedony, chert, and flint here, which fits the region's general volcanic tuff geology — Panaca Summit's charcoal kilns, built from rhyolitic tuff to serve the old Pioche and Bullionville silver mines, confirm volcanic rock in the immediate area.[1] But no source found ties a specific chalcedony or chert deposit to a named site at Panaca itself, and the one clearly protected, well-documented spot nearby — Cathedral Gorge — bans all collecting outright. Treat this as a general Lincoln County area reference rather than a pinned dig site.

Panaca sits just east of US-93 in Lincoln County, about 100 miles north of Las Vegas. Cathedral Gorge State Park's visitor center is two miles north of town, off US-93.[2]

General-area inference only, unconfirmed for this location: chalcedony and chert of this type typically weather out of volcanic tuff as float on hillsides and in washes, collected by surface-walking rather than digging.

Cathedral Gorge State Park, immediately adjacent to Panaca, has a flat no-collecting rule — Nevada state law protects "all plants, animals, rocks, minerals and historic artifacts within the park boundaries," and firewood collection is also banned.[2] Outside the park boundary, the surrounding high desert is a mix of BLM-administered public land and private ranch/town land typical of rural Lincoln County; no specific parcel or access point could be confirmed for chalcedony/chert collecting. Confirm land ownership before collecting anywhere near Panaca, and stay out of Cathedral Gorge entirely if you're hoping to collect.