I first visited Wonderstone Mountain (or Rainbow Mountain as it is sometimes called) 40 years ago when my husband and I lived in Fallon, Nevada. Back for a visit today, we were pleasantly surprised that not much had changed in the intervening time (except for a lot of ATV trails through the area).
Wonderstone is a rock that is hydrothermally altered by volcanic fluids so that minerals like iron and manganese impregnate the rock forming colorful bands of white, yellow, red, orange, and purple. The mountain is basically a huge pile of fractured wonderstone exposing a variety of colorful patterns.
Where the rock washes downhill and onto the desert floor, it can form a colorful “pavement”, in which the sand is hard packed between the rocks, almost as if it was roadbed.
Horned Lizards and Fence Lizards blend into this background quite well, and usually aren’t seen until they move. When they first emerge in the morning and temperatures are cool, they bask on dark colored rocks and melanin pigment granules dispersed in their skin cells absorb heat. Later in the day when it is hotter, the pigment granules condense together in the skin cells and the lizards appear grayer and lighter in color, reflecting more of the light and heat that hits them.
Photo from http://www.dipity.com/tickr/Flickr_horned_lizard/
This is as desolate an area as you are likely to come across, even for Nevada. At this point in the summer, even the insects have quit trying to eke out a living here.
The only evidence of life I saw at Wonderstone Mountain today was the recent burrow excavations of the local Kangaroo Rats, and even they are probably hunkered down in their burrows waiting for cooler days.
Back Yard Biology 
I’m learning a lot from this blog. I used to collect rocks and minerals but have never heard of wonderstone.
It is only created under very special volcanic circumstances, but you can find outcroppings in Utah, California, and Nevada, and perhaps elsewhere in the west.
Where is this site located. I’ve been to the Utah Wonderstone quarry (http://www.rockhoundmap.com/listing/vernon-hills-quarry-wonderstone/) but didn’t know about this one. We’re living in Oregon now, so maybe we’ll have to make an excursion to NW Nevada.
Hi Dave,
Wonderstone is found in many places (you probably found that out by googling it). This particular site is located east of Fallon, Nevada about 10 miles on Hwy 50. We took a dirt road east of Grimes Point (off Hwy 50) and drove about 4 miles or so on the main dirt road (there are many side roads off of it) until we got to a couple of hills that were distinctly yellow-orange colored — the wonderstone hills. There are also other hills of green rock in this area. An interesting place for rockhounds. Thanks for visiting my blog.
Hello!
Wonderstone hardness is how much?
Wonderstone and pyrophyllite are the same minerals it?
Thank you!
Here is some information I found on Wonderstone properties. Thanks for writing. http://www.wonderstone.co.za/pdf/technical_information.pdf
I am not sure if wonderstone and pyrophyllite are the same rock — wonderstone is formed under water with colored layers of sediment laid down over time.
Excellent post! I just stumbled across your blog while researching info for my own. I look forward to reading more posts from you.
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it, and please write again.
Hello. I just acquired some Wonderstone outside of Fallon Nevada but not at Wonderstone Mountain. Wonderstone Mountain must be nearby though because I was about 10 miles from Fallon. Thanks for the information. I will look for Wonder Stone Mountain as soon as I make my road trip 2 Nevada and Utah to rock hound. Thanks again
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Megg Mueller