Glass Butte
Oregon
Find: Obsidian - multiple varieties including mahogany, gold, and rainbow
GPS: 43.58966, -120.06711
Nearest city: Bend, OR
Summary:
Glass Butte is a spot that probably shouldn’t be visited for rockhounding in Winter. I found that out the hard way. There are maps others have made that direct to outcrops of the specific types of obsidian. Even with that, I was unable to find more than a few palm-sized chunks near some trees.
I am looking to return to this spot in the right season to try and track down some of the picturesque obsidian that comes from this location. For now, treat this page and my video as a “how not to” guide to Glass Butte.
I am unsure what the standard road conditions are to access this site without snow. I was warned by locals that the obsidian is so sharp that it can jeopardize your tires, so I’d recommend a vehicle with thick offroad tread if you have it available.
Video Guide
For the best experience, check out the video guide. I show how I found my best pieces and challenges you might face along the way.
The roads were covered in deep snow when I visited in December.
Apparently this region of Oregon is known as the "High Desert" and it snows here. This was clearly news to me...
Still, I was able to find some floating chunks of obsidian after trudging around for a little while.