White Rock Springs (Ochoco National Forest)

White Rock Springs is a documented public thunderegg locality in the Ochoco National Forest, east of Prineville in central Oregon's high desert — one of the state's best-known thunderegg regions, alongside the nearby White Fir Springs beds. Thundereggs here typically show reddish-to-yellowish-brown agate fill, mostly plain but sometimes banded or plumed. White Rock Campground, a first-come-first-served USFS site, sits about 2 miles from the White Fir Springs beds and serves as a natural base for exploring this stretch of the forest. This is genuine, hands-in-the-dirt public rockhounding country, not a fee-dig operation — bring your own digging tools and expect to work for what you find.

White Rock Springs and the nearby White Fir Springs beds are in the Ochoco National Forest, east of Prineville, Oregon, in Crook County. White Rock Campground (first-come, first-served) sits roughly 2 miles from the White Fir Springs digging area and is a practical base camp for the region.

This is public-land digging — thundereggs form in rhyolite and require breaking into the host rock, so bring rock hammers, chisels, and digging tools rather than expecting surface finds. Spring through fall is the practical collecting season given the area's high-desert elevation and winter road access.

Managed by the US Forest Service, Ochoco National Forest — standard USFS rockhounding rules apply (reasonable personal-use quantities, hand tools, no commercial collecting without a permit). Confirm current specific rules and any seasonal road closures with the Ochoco National Forest office before heading out. This is a different, free public option compared to the well-known private pay-to-dig thunderegg ranches elsewhere in central Oregon.