Detrital zircon geochronology gives a maximum age for the lower Hondo Group of 1765 to 1704 million years (Mya), corresponding to the Statherian period.

[1] The upper section is absent in the Tusas Mountains, where the Hondo Group is essentially synonymous with the Ortega Formation.

However, a metamorphosed tuff bed in the Pilar Formation yields an age of 1488 ± 6 Mya, considerably younger than the Ortega Quartzite.

Mining began along the Champion vein on the west side of the hill, with two shaft connected by an adit 100 meters (330 feet) long.

The name, Hondo Group, was proposed by Bauer and Williams in 1989 as part of their sweeping revision of the Precambrian stratigraphy of northern New Mexico.