Every place in the directory, one drawer. Filter by state, by what you're hoping to find, or by what a trip needs to be — free, fee, or good for kids.
Hours, fees, and access rules change. Verify with the operator or land agency before you go.
Bertha Creek Panning Area (Chugach National Forest)
Girdwood / Moose Pass, AK
placer goldpyritequartz
Forest Service collecting area · Free · Free; no permit for hand tools. Camping at Bertha Creek Campground is a separate fee.
Hand tools year-round on paper; the Seward Highway corridor here holds deep snow, so plan on June through September. Suction dredges of 4 inches or smaller, May 15 - July 15, with a free ADF&G permit.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Caribou Creek Recreational Mining Area
Sutton / Chickaloon, AK
placer gold
State-designated locality · Free · Free. Gold pans and hand shovels need no permit at all. A free ADF&G permit is required for a suction dredge, and also for the water pump if you run a sluice box or highbanker.
Gold pans and hand shovels year-round. Metal detectors, small sluice boxes (under 16 inches wide and 6 feet long), highbanker/rocker boxes and suction dredges with a 6-inch or smaller nozzle (18 hp or less, 30,000 gallons a day max) are allowed only May 15 - July 15, because Caribou Creek is anadromous fish habitat. Realistically snow-free June through September.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Chicken, AK
placer gold
Fee dig · Fee, seasonal · Panning at the campground troughs is free with pans provided. Guided recreational mining on the Myers Fork Creek claims is priced by method, and equipment rental is available, but rates are not published online - call 907-782-4427 for current pricing.
Open Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. The Taylor Highway in is unpaved and closed in winter.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Crescent Creek Panning Area (Quartz Creek Road)
Cooper Landing, AK
placer gold
Forest Service collecting area · Free · Free to pan. The adjacent Forest Service campground has a day-use parking area; camping and any day-use fees there are separate.
Open-water season, roughly late May through September. Suction dredging only May 15 - July 15 with a free ADF&G permit, because of king salmon spawning. Because the streambed is state land, the Forest Service points you to Alaska DNR's Mining Division for current information.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Girdwood, AK
placer gold
Fee dig · Fee, seasonal · Mine tour/admission $15 adult (13-64), $10 child 12 and under, $12 senior 65+ and Alaska resident/military. Gold panning $39 adult, $30 child, $35 senior/resident/military, including gold pan, shovel, bucket, demonstration, glass vial and a paydirt packet. Sluice box rental $27 for the day; suction dredging $40 per inch of hose intake on top of the panning fee. Camping $25-$35 a night.
Open 7 days a week, 10am-6pm, May 15 - September 15.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Fairbanks, AK
placer goldpyritequartz crystals
Fee dig · Fee, seasonal · $30 per person, kids 5 and under free. Admission includes equipment, a panning lesson, one bag of paydirt guaranteed to contain gold, museum access, and unlimited panning from the on-site paydirt piles all day at no extra charge. Upgrade bags run $60 to $1,000 for progressively better odds at a nugget. Reservations are not needed.
Memorial Day through mid-September. Open daily 10am-6pm, dropping to 12pm-4pm after Labor Day.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Fairbanks, AK
placer gold
Fee dig · Fee, seasonal · Paid two-hour tour covering the train ride, the dredge, the mining museum and hands-on panning. Current prices appear only in the online booking system, so check there before you go. Reservations are not required but are highly recommended; cancellations 48 or more hours ahead are fully refundable.
Summer season only. The operator was taking 2026 bookings when checked, but departure dates and times are published only on the booking calendar - confirm there rather than assuming a fixed daily schedule.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Independence Mine State Historical Park
Palmer / Wasilla, AK
placer gold
State park dig · Fee · Daily parking fee per vehicle - the park page links to the Alaska State Parks fee schedule rather than listing a rate, so check current pricing. The park page does not advertise gold pan rentals; Salmon Berry Travel & Tours runs the concession at Bunkhouse #2, so call ahead if you want to rent rather than bring your own pan and shovel.
Visitor center open daily June 18 - September 30. The upper lot gate is open 9am-7pm daily and the concessionaire's guided tours run 10am-6pm. Hatcher Pass Road is snowbound much of the year.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Nome Creek Valley Gold Panning Area (White Mountains NRA)
Fairbanks, AK (Steese Highway MP 57, then 7 miles of US Creek Road), AK
placer gold
BLM collecting area · Free · Free, no permit required - hand panning is casual use under BLM rules. Mount Prindle and Ophir Creek campgrounds in the same valley are fee sites.
BLM's summer season for the area runs May 1 - October 14. US Creek Road is a summer-only gravel road, and the valley campgrounds open in late May and run until snow closes them in October. Call the BLM Eastern Interior Field Office at 907-474-2200 before going.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Nome East and West Public Beach Mining Areas
Nome, AK
placer gold
State-designated locality · Free · Free and permit-free if you use a gold pan, rocker box, highbanker or sluice box in the surf below mean high tide - DNR states that miners using these apparatus in the surf zone are not required to file a permit application. Suction dredging in either public mining area requires a state Annual Placer Mining Application and a Miscellaneous Land Use Permit regardless of dredge size, plus ADEC and possibly Army Corps review, a Department of Revenue mining license, and U.S. Coast Guard registration for the craft.
Open-water season, roughly June through September; winter under-ice dredging is prohibited in both public mining areas. DNR says permit processing takes a minimum of three to four weeks and often many months, so apply in winter. Set-net buffers apply mid-June to mid-September, and mining is barred year-round within half a mile of any anadromous river mouth.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Petersville Recreational Mining Area
Trapper Creek, AK
placer gold
State-designated locality · Free · Free; pick, shovel, pan and earth auger need no permit at all. Motorized gear - suction dredge or water pump - requires ADF&G and Alaska DEC authorization, and the DEC general permit carries a fee that varies with projected use. Backpack power drills and augers are not authorized at all.
Open whenever the road is passable, roughly late May through September; Petersville Road is closed to through traffic in winter. Suction dredging allowed May 15 - July 15 only, closing at midnight on July 15 to protect salmon habitat.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Resurrection Creek Panning Area (Chugach National Forest)
Hope, AK
placer gold
Forest Service collecting area · Free · Free; hand tools and hand-fed sluice boxes need no permit. A suction dredge of 4 inches or smaller requires a free permit from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
Gold pans and hand-fed sluices year-round; suction dredges May 15 - July 15 only. Practically, June through September. This reach was substantially reshaped by the Resurrection Creek stream restoration project - as of August 2026 no closure for it appears on the Chugach alerts page and it is not among the forest's current projects, but the 2010 guide's landmarks may no longer match the ground. Call the Glacier Ranger District in Girdwood at 907-783-3242 before you drive out.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Sixmile Creek Panning Area (Chugach National Forest)
Hope, AK
placer goldpyrite
Forest Service collecting area · Free · Free; hand tools need no permit. Suction dredges of 4 inches or less require a free ADF&G permit.
Hand tools year-round, suction dredges May 15 - July 15. Best at low water, generally late summer; snow and high runoff make spring poor. The Forest Service guide describing this area dates to 2010, so confirm conditions with the Glacier Ranger District at 907-783-3242.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Lineville, AL
placer goldgarnet
Fee dig · Fee · visitor pass $5/day per person covering admission, panning, sluicing and metal detecting, children 11 and under free with an adult; bring-your-own dredge $15-$40/day by size (2" to a 5" maximum) and highbanker $15-$25/day (3" maximum); cash or check only, no credit cards
hours and season are not posted on the camp's site - water level and weather drive what is workable, so call (256) 396-0389 to confirm the gate is open before a long drive
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Avant Mining at Fisher Mountain
Mount Ida, AR
quartz crystalsquartz clusters
Fee dig · Fee · public dig $25/adult, $20 for 60+, $10 for ages 7-17, 6 and under free; tool kits $25 or bring your own, no power tools; guided private pocket digs run $1,000 to $10,000 per group with a 10% deposit
Tuesday through Sunday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., weather permitting; pocket digs must be booked at least two weeks ahead and can be reserved up to a year out
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Mena, AR
quartz crystalsquartz clusters
Fee dig · Fee, seasonal · $35 for a first visit and $25 for return visits, age 16 and up; children under 16 free with a paying adult, limit four free kids per paid adult; no minimum age
seasonal - roughly late February or early March through the end of October, Wednesday through Sunday, holidays included; closed every winter. Reservations are mandatory and there are no drive-ins
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Murfreesboro, AR
diamondamethystjasper
State park dig · Fee · $15/adult (over 12), $7 for ages 6-12, under 6 free; tickets available online or at the gate; tool rental and wash pavilion extra
year-round; search area open daily 8 a.m.-4 p.m. (visitor center and Diamond Discovery Center until 5 p.m.); closed New Year's Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Crystal Seen Trading Co. crystal dig
Mount Ida, AR
quartz crystalsquartz clusters
Fee dig · Fee · $20/adult, $10 for ages 7-11, 6 and under free; group rates available
by appointment only, and reservations are accepted over the phone only at (870) 867-4072; you collect a gate key and can stay all day until just before dark
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Crystal Vista Recreation Area, Ouachita National Forest
Mount Ida, AR
quartz crystalsmilky quartz
Forest Service collecting area · Free · free - the Forest Service states plainly that Crystal Vista is not an active mine and there is no fee to collect quartz for personal use
year-round during daylight; the last miles in are county gravel road and the trail is slick after rain
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Jessieville, AR
quartz crystalsquartz clusters
Fee dig · Fee · $15 plus tax per day for age 10 through adult; children 9 and under free; school, church and scout groups are tax-exempt
seven days a week, 8 a.m. until dusk, year-round except Christmas Day; the mine is worked every day the weather allows, so spring through fall is the reliable window
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Ouachita National Forest general quartz collecting
Mount Ida, AR
quartz crystalsnovaculitesmall geodes
Public land, rules apply · Free with permit · no charge, but the forest requires advance contact with the applicable ranger district and says a permit may be required
year-round; call the Womble/Caddo-Womble Ranger District at (870) 867-2101 before planning a day around a specific outcrop
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Oden, AR
quartz crystalsquartz clusters
Fee dig · Fee · reservation-based full-day and half-day digs; the per-person base rate is not published on the site - extending a half day runs $35/hour. Book through pineridgecrystals.com or call ahead for the current rate
by appointment year-round; gate opens 9 a.m. and closes 5 p.m., with six full-day and six half-day slots per day (twelve people maximum) and a 48-hour cancellation and reschedule window
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Jessieville, AR
quartz crystalsquartz clusters
Fee dig · Fee · day dig $25 for ages 15 and up, $20 for seniors 55+, $6 for ages 5-14, under 5 free; the zipline and mine tour are priced separately
digging hours currently posted as 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. and stated to vary seasonally; the site posts no holiday closures, so call (501) 984-5396 before a holiday trip
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Story, AR
quartz crystalsquartz clustersfluorite
Fee dig · Fee · fees are not published by any source we could verify - the operator's former website is no longer under the mine's control. Phone (870) 867-0104 and confirm the price before you drive out
no published hours; the mine has always run on the owners' schedule rather than posted times, so a phone call is mandatory. Verify the mine is still in business when you call
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Mount Ida, AR
quartz crystalsquartz clusterssmoky quartz
Fee dig · Fee · Crystal Forest dig $19/person for two hours on site with transportation included, two-person minimum; the tailings pile and the guided Phantom Mine dig are also offered but their prices are not published online - call (870) 867-2309
Tuesday through Saturday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Crystal Forest trips depart 9:30, 11:30 and 1:30; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
AZ
fire agatechalcedonyagate
BLM collecting area · Free · Free; BLM requires no fee or permit for digging here. Camping throughout the area is allowed for up to two weeks.
Open year-round, but BLM itself notes summer temperatures exceeding 100 degrees, and there is no shade and no water. October-November and March-May are the working season; early morning otherwise.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
AZ
agatejasperpurple chalcedony
Public land, rules apply · Free · Collecting on the surrounding public land is free. BLM does not post campground rates on its own page and directs visitors to Recreation.gov for current camping and day-use fees, so check there before you go. Use the campground as basecamp and collect outside it.
Open year-round; October through April is comfortable. Summer highs are severe and the creek can run hard after monsoon storms, so check flows before planning to work the gravel bars.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Crystal Hill Area, Kofa National Wildlife Refuge
AZ
quartz crystalsagatechalcedony
Public land, rules apply · Free · Free; no collecting permit and no day-use fee. Confirm current camping rules with the refuge before planning an overnight — the refuge's published rules page covers collecting, not camping rates.
Open year-round, but the Kofa country is brutal from May through September. October through April is the season, and the winter Quartzsite show crowd makes January busy.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Diamond Point Crystal Collecting Site
AZ
quartz crystalsdoubly terminated quartzchalcedony
Forest Service collecting area · Free · Free; no permit or dig fee. Collection for commercial use is not authorized. Standard Tonto National Forest camping rules apply nearby.
The Forest Service publishes no seasonal restriction for this site — collecting within the posted rules is allowed year-round. Winter snow can complicate the drive up onto the Rim. Questions go to Tonto National Forest at 602-225-5200.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Dobell Ranch Petrified Wood Dig (Rhonda's Dig Site)
AZ
petrified woodrainbow petrified woodagatized wood
Fee dig · Fee · Pricing is not published anywhere on the operator's website. Call (928) 245-9010 for current rates and to book; it is a small family operation, so ask about accepted payment methods on the same call rather than assuming cards are taken.
By appointment only. The operator repeats 'BY APPOINTMENT ONLY, PLEASE CALL FIRST' throughout the site and posts no walk-in hours and no season, so phone (928) 245-9010 before you drive out. Effectively year-round in fair weather, but the ranch is not staffed for drop-ins.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
AZ
fire agatechalcedony rosesagate
BLM collecting area · Free · Free; no permit or day fee for collecting. BLM lists camping as an available activity but publishes no rates or developed sites for this area, so plan on dispersed camping and self-contained gear.
Year-round on paper; realistically October through April. The last 12 miles are dirt and turn greasy after storms, so check conditions and skip it after rain. There are no facilities of any kind.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Coalinga, CA
benitoiteneptunitejoaquinite
Fee dig · Fee · $140 per adult, $75 for children 12 and younger; you take home up to one quart-sized bag of finds per person, with larger specimens purchasable at estimated value
by reservation only, 9am-3pm on open days; weekday bookings require a minimum of three adult tickets. Check the reservation calendar for available dates
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Chambless Rock Collecting Area
Amboy, CA
hematitemagnetiteepidote
BLM collecting area · Free · free, no permit for reasonable personal-use collecting; the 25 lb per day plus one piece cap applies to petrified wood specifically, not to these materials. Call the Needles Field Office (760-326-7000) for current limits
October through April; this is open Mojave with no shade and no water at any season
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Gorda, CA
nephrite jadeserpentinevulcan jade
Public land, rules apply · Free · free to collect and free to park at the roadside pullouts; the nearby Sand Dollar Beach day-use lot charges a fee
year-round, but winter storms and minus tides expose the most jade; the cove is unsafe to work in heavy surf
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Pala, CA
pink and green tourmalinekunzitemorganite
Fee dig · Fee · $75 per adult, $60 for children under 11; screens, water, buckets and shovels are provided, you keep everything you find at no extra charge, plus one 5-gallon bucket of screened rock
year-round, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays only; the gate opens 10am sharp and the dig runs four hours from the start. Reservations required
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Pala, CA
pink tourmalinekunzitemorganite
Fee dig · Fee, seasonal · $75 each, adults and children the same; bring your own shovel, hand trowel, hand rake, and pry bars
October to June, digs held only twice a month on selected Sundays, 8am sharp to 1pm — check the operator's calendar; reservations required, 48 hours or more ahead
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Savahia Peak Rock Collecting Area
Needles, CA
chalcedonychalcedony rosesagate
BLM collecting area · Free · free, no permit for reasonable personal-use collecting; the 25 lb per day plus one piece figure is the petrified wood rule and does not set the chalcedony limit. Call the Needles Field Office (760-326-7000) for current limits
October through April; summer temperatures here routinely make collecting unsafe
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Wiley Well District Geode Beds
Blythe, CA
geodesagate noduleschalcedony
BLM collecting area · Free · free, no permit for reasonable personal-use collecting. Note the widely repeated 25 lb per day plus one piece / 250 lb per year figure is the federal petrified wood rule, not the geode limit — BLM's test for rock and mineral collecting is a reasonable, non-commercial amount. Call the El Centro Field Office (760-337-4400) for current limits
October through April only — summer heat out here is genuinely dangerous; graded dirt roads wash out after rain
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Ouray, CO
placer gold
Fee dig · Fee, seasonal · Tram tour is $25 adult, $22 senior 60 and up, $14 for ages 5-15, free for 4 and under; gold panning is offered alongside it. The operator notes prices and times are subject to change without notice.
Currently open, with mine tours running seven days a week. The operation reopened after the Gold Mountain Fire forced a temporary closure and damaged property during peak season. Specific tour hours are not published online - phone (970) 325-0220 before driving up the canyon.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Breckenridge, CO
placer gold
Fee dig · Fee · Gold panning from $15 for 60-90 minutes; the mine tour with panning included starts at $39.95 for a one-hour guided tour. Sessions sell out - book online in advance through their reservation system.
Open year-round with a heavy summer season. Panning happens in Eureka Creek, so cold-weather sessions depend on conditions. Specific seasonal hours are not published - call (720) 458-5387 to confirm.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Devils Head Area, Pike National Forest
Sedalia, CO
topazamazonitesmoky quartz
Public land, rules apply · Free · No fee. The Forest Service PSICC brochure states rockhounding with little or no surface disturbance needs no permit or Notice of Intent, though a free use permit may be required for removal of mineral materials. Check with the South Platte Ranger District at (303) 275-5610.
Roughly late May through October. The Rampart Range roads are rough, seasonally gated, and often hold snow into spring.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Florissant, CO
fossil leavesfossil insectsfossil seeds
Fee dig · Fee, seasonal · $20 per collector per hour, children under 5 free. CASH ONLY. All tools, instruction, and fossil-bearing shale are included, along with a box and wrapping materials for your finds.
Confirmed open for the 2026 season. Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Memorial Day through Labor Day; closed Sundays. After September it is open by appointment only. Occasional closures for offsite events, so call ahead.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Nathrop, CO
aquamarineberylsmoky quartz
Public land, rules apply · Free · No fee and no permit for low-disturbance hand collecting on open national forest ground. Mount Antero is densely covered with active mining claims, however, and working someone else's claim without permission is illegal - check reports.blm.gov/reports/MLRS and contact the Salida Ranger District at (719) 539-3591 before you go.
A genuinely short window, mid-July into September. The mountain holds snow late and thunderstorms build above treeline nearly every afternoon.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Venice, FL
fossil shark teethmegalodon teethray teeth
Public land, rules apply · Free · Free, and the park is open 6am to 10pm. Storm damage in 2024 washed out the Harbor Drive access, and the parking lot, restrooms and playground are closed until repairs are made — the park is reachable on foot or by bike only, from South Brohard Park or the Venetian Waterway Park Trail at the Venice Festival Grounds. No lifeguard on duty.
Open year-round. Low tide and the days just after a storm are when fresh material lands in the wash. Winter surf reshuffles the beach.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Peace River (Florida Fossil Permit waters)
Arcadia, FL
fossil shark teethmegalodon teethmammoth and mastodon teeth
State-designated locality · Free with permit · $5 per year for the Florida Fossil Permit from the Florida Museum of Natural History. Shark and ray teeth, invertebrate and plant fossils may be collected and kept by anyone, with or without a permit. Individual launches and county parks may charge small access fees.
The practical season is the dry period, roughly December through May, when the river drops low enough to wade and screen gravel; summer levels usually make it unworkable.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Dahlonega, GA
placer goldpyritequartz
Fee dig · Fee · Underground tour $24.95 adults and $15.95 for ages 3-12, under 3 free; gem mining starts at about $30 and gold panning at about $60. Visa, Mastercard, Discover and cash accepted — no American Express and no personal checks.
Open daily 10am-5pm year-round. Closed Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day; Christmas Eve runs 10am-1pm with arrival asked by noon. Weekday mornings draw school groups, so afternoons move faster.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Dahlonega, GA
placer goldgarnetamethyst
Fee dig · Fee · General admission is required per person: $19.95 for ages 13 and up, $15.95 for ages 12 and under, free for children 3 and under with a paying adult. That covers the walk-through mining museum, one pan of gold ore, one two-gallon gem bucket and instruction in both. Extra ore is priced separately — $30 for a five-gallon bucket of gold ore, $60-$100 for a gemstone wheelbarrow, $10 to rent a trommel or Gold Cube.
Open seven days a week, 10am-6pm, rain or shine, and open on major holidays except Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Heated indoor panning is set up seasonally, so a winter trip still works.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
LaGrange, GA
berylaquamarinegreen beryl
Fee dig · Fee · $35 per person for the Saturday public dig, no matter what time you arrive; ages 16 and under dig free. Scheduled machine-assisted dig days cost substantially more and require advance reservations.
Open to the public on Saturdays only, 9am-5pm, with arrival between 8am and 9am — the operator asks that you not arrive before 8am because of roadside traffic hazards. All other days are by reservation. Machine dig weekends are announced separately (the operator listed machine digs for August 27, 28 and 30, 2026).
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Fossil & Prairie Park Preserve
Rockford, IA
devonian brachiopodshorn coralscrinoid stems
Public land, rules apply · Free · Free, no admission and no permit — Floyd County Conservation invites visitors to collect their own Devonian fossils. No tools are needed; the fossils lie on the surface of the old quarry shale. The county does not publish specific collecting limits or a resale rule online, so ask at the center or check the Floyd County Conservation rules and regulations if you plan to collect heavily.
The park is open year-round, sunrise to sunset. The Fossil & Prairie Center keeps much shorter hours — daily 1-4 p.m. in summer — so call 641-756-3490 before counting on it. The quarry flats are best in spring and after rain.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Fernwood, ID
star garnetalmandine garnet
Forest Service collecting area · Fee, seasonal · $15 for adults, $5 for children ages 6-12, free under 6, plus a $1 recreation.gov processing fee per transaction. Online reservation only - no walk-up permits are sold on site. Book at recreation.gov or 1-877-444-6777.
CRITICAL: the Forest Service page states the Garnet Area closed early in 2026 because the supply of excavated garnet-bearing material was depleted, and is closed the rest of the year. Normal operation is Thursday through Saturday from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend, by reservation only. Confirm the area is open before booking travel.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
National Forest Lands in Idaho
Coeur d'Alene, ID
quartzagatejasper
Public land, rules apply · Free with permit · No charge, but Forest Service guide FS-1091 lists a free use permit for lapidary materials (agate, jasper, chalcedony, quartz crystals, geodes), mineral specimens, and petrified wood taken for hobby use. Ask the local ranger district first. No mechanical equipment, and nothing collected may be sold or bartered.
The snow-free window swings hard with elevation: roughly June through October in the Panhandle and the high country, considerably longer on the low Snake River side.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Spencer, ID
precious opalcommon opal
Fee dig · Fee, seasonal · $75 per adult and $50 for children under 16 to dig the tailings pile, including a 2.5-gallon bucket for your ore and help from the mining staff. No reservations needed.
Summer season only. The store is open Thursday through Monday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., with digging 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day the shop is open. The operator confirms the 2026 summer season is open. Mountain weather can shut the pile - call (208) 374-5476 ahead.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Mazonia-Braidwood State Fish & Wildlife Area (Mazon Creek Fossil Beds)
Braidwood, IL
siderite concretionsfern and seed-plant fossilstully monster fossils
State-designated locality · Free with permit · No fee is stated. An IDNR day permit is required to collect fossils and may be obtained from the park office or the IDNR website. Excavations and collecting for commercial purposes are both prohibited, and a form for reporting what you found is available.
Fossil collecting is restricted to March 1 through September 30. The area is closed to fossil hunting October through February.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Harrisburg, IL
fluoritecalcitegalena
Forest Service collecting area · Free · Free with no permit. The terms are specific: non-ground-disturbing collection only, personal and non-commercial, no mechanical equipment, local rock types exposed at the surface, and nothing larger than hand size — bigger pieces are prohibited outright.
Year-round; spring and fall are the comfortable seasons in southern Illinois. Call the Harrisburg office before a trip to confirm that the ground you have in mind is open — the forest boundary is patchy through the old fluorspar district.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Bedford, IN
geodesquartz crystalscalcite
Forest Service collecting area · Free · Free, with no permit for small quantities of rock for personal use. What you collect may not be resold or bartered, and no earth may be disturbed in the process.
Year-round. Creek gravel bars read best in late summer and fall when water is low. Recreational panning is allowed under the same no-earth-disturbance rule but is prohibited in the Charles C. Deam Wilderness, and dredges and sluices are not permitted anywhere.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Elkhart, KS
chertjasperagate
Public land, rules apply · Free · Free for ordinary rockhounding. Forest Service guidance covering this unit says rockhounding, prospecting, and petrified wood or invertebrate and plant fossil hunting usually require no permit when there is little or no disturbance to the ground. Note the fine print: collecting even less than 10 cubic yards of flagstone, rubble, sand, or gravel by hand for personal use does require a free-use permit from the ranger district, and vertebrate fossils require a permit. Arrowheads and historic artifacts may not be collected.
Year-round. Southwest Kansas summers run brutally hot with no shade; spring and fall are the sane windows. Call the Elkhart office at (620) 697-4621 before a trip — the governing guidance dates to June 2019 and the district is the authority on current conditions.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Lusby, MD
fossil shark teethmegalodon teethray dental plates
State park dig · Fee · $5 per vehicle, with an additional $2 for out-of-state residents; small bus $10, large bus $20. Cash only.
Open sunrise to sunset, daily, year-round. Low tide and the day after a storm are when the beach refreshes.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Douglas Point Special Recreation Management Area
Nanjemoy, MD (Charles County), MD
paleocene shark teethfossil shellsfossil bone fragments
BLM collecting area · Free · Free; no fees are charged. Two gravel parking areas (North Trailhead with one accessible space plus five others, South Trailhead with five) and an accessible picnic overlook. There are no restrooms and no potable water at Douglas Point.
Open dawn to dusk daily, year-round. BLM lists fossil collecting among the activities here. Usable shoreline depends heavily on tide, so plan around a low.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Lusby, MD
fossil shark teethmiocene shellsray dental plates
Public land, rules apply · Fee, seasonal · Calvert County charges by season and residency: $5 per vehicle November through March, then April through October $5 for county residents and $20 for everyone else. Walking or biking in is $5 per person, and an annual pass runs $30 for residents, $60 for non-residents. Park office: (410) 586-1477.
Open year-round on a seasonal schedule. Memorial Day through Labor Day it runs 9am-6pm weekdays and 9am-8pm weekends; the rest of the year it opens Monday and Friday 9am-4pm and weekends 9am-5pm, and closes Tuesday through Thursday. Last entry and beach closing are an hour before the gate. Maryland DNR notes that shark teeth wash up in the surf especially during low tide and after storms.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Purse State Park / Nanjemoy WMA Shoreline
Nanjemoy, MD (Charles County), MD
paleocene shark teethotodus teethsand tiger teeth
State-designated locality · Free · Free; no entrance fee. No restrooms, no potable water, no developed facilities. A free Southern Region Public Hunting Permit is required for hunting only, not for beachcombing.
Open seven days a week, year-round, in daylight. Hunting is permitted across the surrounding 1,830-acre Nanjemoy WMA in accordance with open seasons, bag limits and shooting hours — check dates and wear blaze orange in fall.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Deer Hill Mineral Collecting Area
Stow, ME
amethystsmoky quartzfeldspar
Forest Service collecting area · Free with permit · free; a mineral collecting permit is required and is self-issued at the trailhead, valid for one day at one collecting site. The permit itself carries the volume limit and hand-tool terms, so read it when you sign
open whenever Deer Hill Road (FR9) is passable; the forest road closes seasonally, so plan on roughly late spring through fall
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Dig Maine Gems / Maine Mineral Adventures
West Paris, ME
tourmalineaquamarineberyl
Fee dig · Fee, seasonal · Mount Mica Sunday field trip $65/adult and $35 for ages 8-16; the West Paris sifting site is cheaper. Limited shovels, sifting screens, potato diggers and rinse water provided
April through November, whenever the ground is not frozen. Sifting site open daily except Wednesdays, 10am-3pm; Mount Mica trips meet Sundays at 9am at 110 Bethel Rd, West Paris and leave promptly at 9:30am, returning about 3pm. No reservation necessary
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Lord Hill Mineral Collecting Area
Stoneham, ME
topazphenakitesmoky quartz
Forest Service collecting area · Free with permit · free; self-issued mineral collecting permit at the site, valid for one day at one collecting area. Collecting limits and tool rules are printed on the permit
snow-free months; the northern approach on Deer Hill Road (FR9) closes seasonally, so the southern West Lovell Road side is the reliable route
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Auburn, ME
tourmalineapatitequartz
Public land, rules apply · Free · free, no permit and no special permission required; the City of Auburn owns and administers the park under municipal ordinance
open to the public dawn to dusk, year-round, though the tailings are workable only when the ground is not frozen or snow-covered
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Grand Marais, MI
lake superior agatesunakitejasper
Public land, rules apply · Free · Free public township beach with parking and a boardwalk — no permit and no entry fee. Burt Township publishes the access rather than collecting rules; what governs how much you carry off is Michigan's statewide cap of 25 pounds of rock, mineral, or invertebrate fossil per person per year from state-owned land and Great Lakes bottomlands.
Practical from ice-out through late fall; spring melt and post-storm days turn over the freshest gravel. Winter access is a matter of ice, snow, and how much you want it.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Caledonia Copper Mine Fee Digs
Mass City, MI
native copperdatolitenative silver
Fee dig · Fee, seasonal · Priced by pile, all by advance reservation: tailings pile $50 for one adult (adults only, bring your own tools); single ore pile $125 for 1-2 adults, with children or seniors added at about $20 each; family ore pile $200 for 3-4 adults plus up to two children and two seniors; premium datolite pile $300 for 1-2 adults. Booking a day outside the normal schedule runs an extra $75 and depends on staff availability.
A summer operation. During the season the mine runs digs Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays; the operator does not publish exact opening and closing dates, so confirm the current season when you book. Reservations require 48 hours notice, online or at (906) 390-2555. Nothing here is walk-in.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Fisherman's Island State Park Shoreline
Charlevoix, MI
petoskey stonescharlevoix stonesfossil coral
Public land, rules apply · Fee · No collecting fee. A Michigan Recreation Passport is required for vehicle entry: $15 a year on a resident plate renewal ($29 for two years), or $42 annual / $12 daily on out-of-state plates, plus a $5 convenience fee if you buy outside a plate renewal. Rustic campsites cost extra.
Beach access year-round on foot, and the DNR calls the park popular with rock hounds in the fall. The rustic campground is closed from Sept. 15 through the end of the 2026 season for culvert replacement, so plan a day trip rather than a basecamp. Winter access is limited to whatever you are willing to walk.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Ironwood, MI
native copperdatolitelake superior agates
Forest Service collecting area · Free · Free, and no permit or special permission is needed for hand collecting for personal enjoyment. A mineral material permit is required only if you are taking rock for landscaping. Nothing collected may be sold, bartered, or traded.
Realistically May through October — forest roads go unplowed and many are impassable in winter. Gold panning is capped at a few scattered areas of under one square foot each, totaling under 40 square feet within any 500-foot stretch of stream, fewer than five days a year.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Petoskey, MI
petoskey stonescharlevoix stonesfavosite coral
Public land, rules apply · Fee · No collecting fee. A Michigan Recreation Passport is required for vehicle entry: $15 a year added to a resident plate renewal, or $29 for two years. Out-of-state plates pay $42 annual or $12 daily. Buying outside a plate renewal adds a $5 convenience fee.
Shoreline is walkable year-round, but the day-use parking lot typically closes from early November into early spring because of snow and drifting sand. Campgrounds and full services run spring into fall. Pets are not allowed along the lakeshore here, which keeps the piping plover nesting ground quiet.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Carlton County Agate Pits (Soo Line Pit)
Moose Lake, MN
lake superior agatesjasperbanded chert
Public land, rules apply · Fee · Nominal annual permit: $5 for the first person plus $1 for each additional person in your group, plus a card fee. Bought online or in person from the Moose Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, which administers the permit on the county's behalf. Non-refundable, renewed each calendar year — your receipt is your permit, and it goes on the dashboard while you pick.
Permits run by calendar year; picking is practical from spring thaw to first snow. The Soo Line Pit is the designated picking location and the Chamber issues the map. Chamber office hours shrink off-season — roughly Mon-Fri 9-3 and Sat 9-1 from Memorial Day through Labor Day, and Monday/Wednesday/Friday 10-3 in winter — but buying online sidesteps the office entirely.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Lake Superior Public Beaches, Minnesota North Shore
Two Harbors, MN
lake superior agatesthomsonitejasper
Public land, rules apply · Free · Free on city, township, and other non-park public beaches. No permit, and the DNR publishes no weight limit for personal, non-commercial collecting.
Year-round where you can reach the cobble. Late spring melt and the days after a November gale are when the lake has done the sorting for you; mid-summer beaches are the most picked-over.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Minnesota Public Stream Gold Panning
MN
placer goldgarnetmagnetite
Public land, rules apply · Free · Free, and the DNR requires no permit for recreational panning in the state-owned beds of streams, rivers, and lakes, provided you use hand-held, non-mechanical, non-motorized tools and impacts stay minimal.
Open water season, roughly late April through October. Designated trout streams are the exception year-round — the DNR says to contact the local Area Fisheries Manager before panning in one.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Sheffler Rock Shop & Geode Mine
Alexandria, MO
keokuk geodesquartz crystalscalcite
Fee dig · Fee · $25 per person ages 12 and up, which covers the first 50 lb of geodes; anything beyond that is $0.75/lb. Kids under 12 must dig with an adult. Bring your own bucket, hammer, and pry bar.
Digging is by appointment only — call (319) 795-5013 before you drive. The operator does not publish a fixed digging season or hours online, and the clay pit is weather-dependent, so confirm conditions when you book.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Mississippi Petrified Forest gem flume
Flora, MS
quartzamethystcitrine
Fee dig · Fee · admission $7/adult plus tax, $6 for seniors 65+ and grades 1-12, preschoolers free, plus the price of a flume bag bought at the gift shop
open year-round, seven days a week: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. from April 1 through Labor Day and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. the rest of the year, last trail entry an hour before closing; closed Thanksgiving and December 24-26
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Miles City, MT
montana moss agateagatejasper
Public land, rules apply · Free · Free, no permit. BLM lets rockhounds collect surface material — agates and the usual hobby stones — in reasonable quantities for personal, noncommercial use. Petrified wood is capped separately at 25 pounds plus one piece per day, up to 250 pounds a year. Power equipment and explosives need written authorization from the field office, and nothing you collect may be sold.
Practically June through October in the eastern badlands. Two-track roads on bentonite clay turn impassable after rain and stay that way for a day or more.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Wise River, MT
quartz crystalssmoky quartzamethyst
Forest Service collecting area · Fee, seasonal · $5 per person per day for ages 11 and up; children 10 and under free. Self-service fee station.
Day use only, mid-June through mid-October depending on snowpack. IMPORTANT: the Forest Service page currently lists the area as CLOSED due to the Sand Creek and Bobcat Lakes fires. Confirm with the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest before you drive up.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Philipsburg, MT
sapphiregarnet
Fee dig · Fee · $55 for the standard 2-gallon (roughly 25 lb) natural sapphire gravel bucket; larger jugs and party bags cost more. Washing equipment and staff help are included.
Mine site open May 20 to September 5, 2026, Wednesday through Saturday, opening at 9:30 a.m. The Philipsburg gallery downtown stays open seven days a week year-round.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Alder, MT
garnet
Public land, rules apply · Free · No fees. BLM's site page states plainly that garnets can be collected along the shoreline; standard BLM casual-collecting limits apply and nothing collected may be sold.
Site is open year-round, but collecting is best in late summer and fall when the reservoir is drawn down and the garnet bands sit exposed. Water levels fluctuate a lot because the reservoir is used for irrigation. Access roads turn to gumbo when wet.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Spokane Bar Sapphire Mine & Gold Fever Rock Shop
Helena, MT
sapphiregarnetquartz
Fee dig · Fee · Concentrate bags run $100 (Monster Mine), $125 (El Dorado), and $150 (Motherlode). A guided dig is $85 total and includes one large concentrate plus a five-gallon bucket you dig yourself in the mine, taking three to four hours.
Open year-round, Thursday through Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed Monday. The operator warns April can be iffy with frozen ground and recommends after the Fourth of July through September.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Philipsburg, MT
sapphire
Fee dig · Fee · Sapphire concentrate is $45 a bag to wash indoors. Heat treating starts at a $24 minimum for stones up to 4 carats; faceting runs $45 for round brilliants and $50 for fancy cuts. Goldsmithing available.
Open year-round, Sunday through Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Note it is CLOSED Saturdays - the one day travelers most often plan around. The reliable rainy-day and shoulder-season option when the mine roads are shut.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Franklin, NC (Cowee Valley, Macon County), NC
rubystar rubysapphire
Fee dig · Fee · $30.00 per person, which includes a bucket of gem ore. Age 6 and under free with an accompanying paid miner, but without ore. Discounted rates for gem club members and military veterans. Admission fees are non-refundable.
Open year-round 10am-4pm, opening at 9am during the summer. Operations are weather-permitting and the on-site manager may close early for rain, lightning or hard cold — phone 828-349-2941 before you drive.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Hiddenite, NC
emeraldhiddeniteaquamarine
Fee dig · Fee · A permit is required for everyone at the sluiceway, creek or dig site, digging or not, and is bought on arrival: $30 for ages 15 and up, $10 for ages 4-14, $27 for military, veterans and seniors 50+, free for 3 and under. One permit covers sluicing, creeking and digging for the whole day and you may leave and return; enriched buckets are extra.
Year-round: Mon-Thu 8:30am-5pm, Fri-Sun 8:30am-6pm. Closing time shifts with weather, season and attendance, so the mine asks you to call ahead if arriving after 4pm; it closes temporarily during electrical storms. Holiday closures are not posted online — call before driving.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Emerald Village — Crabtree Emerald Mine & McKinney Mine Dumps
Little Switzerland / Spruce Pine, NC
emeraldberylfeldspar
Fee dig · Fee, seasonal · Self-dig at either the Crabtree Emerald Mine or the McKinney Mine dumps is $25.00 for ages 13+, $5.00 for ages 5-12, and free for ages 4 and under. Tool rental is $25/day plus a deposit. Flume gemstone buckets start at $15.00 and run up to $500.00.
Open April 1 through October 31, 2026. Hours are 10am-5pm from April 1 to June 15, 9am-6pm from June 16 to August 15, and 10am-5pm from August 16 to October 31. Black light tours and museum tours are scheduled separately — check the rates and dates page.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Spruce Pine, NC
aquamarineemeraldgarnet
Fee dig · Fee, seasonal · Bucket pricing is not published on the operator's hours page — call 828-765-6130 for current rates. Ask which buckets are native Spruce Pine mine-run material and which are enriched. Bucket sales end 30 minutes before closing time.
Open March 1 through December 31, Monday-Saturday 10am-5pm, extended to 10am-6pm from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Closed Sundays, and closed entirely in January and February.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Franklin, NC (Cowee Valley), NC
rhodolite garnetrubysapphire
Fee dig · Fee, seasonal · Native (unsalted) dig pile $40 per adult, $20 for ages 6-12, under 6 free with a paid adult. Private native dig pile $500/day and private after-hours mining $750 for 5pm-9pm, each up to 10 people. Enhanced buckets ($50 for about 10 lb, $100 for about 20 lb) and gem-filled barrels are a separate, salted product.
2026 season runs Mar. 4 - Oct. 31, Wed-Sat 9am-5pm, closed Sun-Tue. November-December it shifts to Wed-Sat 10am-3pm, with the mine closed Nov. 16-30 and Dec. 14-31. Closed all of January and February, reopening Wed. Mar. 3, 2027.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Reed Gold Mine State Historic Site
Midland, NC
placer goldpyritequartz
State park dig · Fee, seasonal · Grounds and museum are free. Gold panning is $5 per person plus tax. The guided underground tour is $5 adults, $4 seniors and military, $1 for ages 3-17.
Site open Tuesday-Saturday 9am-5pm, closed Sunday, Monday and state holidays. Underground tours run at 10, 11, 12, 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30. Panning is offered Tue-Sat and is seasonal: it stops for moderate to heavy rain, closes for 30 minutes when thunder is heard, and shuts down when the heat index tops 103F. Call 704-721-4653 to confirm panning is running.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Franklin, NC (Cowee Valley), NC
rubystar rubysapphire
Fee dig · Fee, seasonal · Bucket rates are not published on the operator's site — call 828-369-8383 to confirm before driving. The mine sells native mine-dirt buckets alongside separately priced 'Rainbow' buckets, which are pre-filled crystal buckets rather than native material.
Open seven days a week from March 28 through October 31, 2026, 10:00am-5:00pm. The cutoff for new miners is 3:00pm, so arrive with time to finish a bucket properly.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Union Mills, NC
placer goldgarnetruby
Fee dig · Fee, seasonal · Rates are not published on the operator's site — call 828-286-3016 during office hours. Hand panning has historically been among the cheapest in the Southeast (roughly $10 per person per day), with sluice rental, trommel and highbanker sessions, gem buckets and camping priced separately; treat those figures as unconfirmed until you phone.
Open March 15 - October 31, seven days a week, 8:30am-4:30pm. Gold recovery machines run two shifts, 9am and 1pm, and no machine is started after 2:30pm — reserve machine time in advance.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
NDGS Public Fossil Dig — Bismarck Area (Hell Creek Quarry)
Bismarck, ND
tyrannosaurus teethtriceratops boneedmontosaurus bone
State-designated locality · Fee · $75 full day (15+), $45 family half day (10+), $150 for the two-day experienced-digger shift. Registration opens January 31 at 10 a.m. Central through Eventbrite, first-come, and sells out. You do not keep what you find — the survey is explicit that all fossils return to the State Fossil Collection in Bismarck. Tools are provided.
July only in 2026: full days July 6-9, 20-23 and 27-29; family half days July 13-17 and 24; experienced-digger shift July 30-31. Full days run about 7:45 a.m. to 4-5 p.m.; half days are morning or afternoon blocks.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
NDGS Public Fossil Dig — Dickinson Area (Little Badlands)
Dickinson, ND
hornless rhino bonethree-toed horse teethentelodont bone
State-designated locality · Fee · $50 for a full day; full days are the only option at this site. Registration opens January 31, 2026 at 10 a.m. Central through Eventbrite, first-come. Finds go to the State Fossil Collection rather than home with you.
August 24-28, 2026. This is prospecting rather than quarry work, so heat and weather drive the day.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
NDGS Public Fossil Dig — Pembina Gorge
Walhalla, ND
mosasaur bonegiant squid fossilssea turtle bone
State-designated locality · Fee · $50 full day (15+), $30 half day (10+ for the family sessions, 15+ for the adult session). First-come registration opens January 31 at 10 a.m. Central via Eventbrite. Specimens are not yours to keep — NDGS returns all finds to the State Fossil Collection.
August 2026 only: family half days August 7-9, full days August 10-15, adult half day August 16. Weather can shut a day down; the Pierre Formation shale turns to slick clay when wet.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Crawford, NE
prairie agateblue chalcedonyjasper
Forest Service collecting area · Free · Free and no permit for surface rock and agate collecting for personal, hobby, and noncommercial use. Recommended limit 25 lb/day up to 250 lb/year; selling is prohibited. Petrified wood needs no permit for personal hobby use. Meteorites require a permit; archaeological artifacts and projectile points may not be collected at all.
Year-round on paper; practically late spring through fall. The clay roads north of Crawford are impassable when wet, and there is no water or fuel out there.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Moat Mountain Mineral Collecting Site
Conway, NH
smoky quartzamazonitemicrocline
Forest Service collecting area · Free with permit · free; a mineral collecting permit is required and is self-issued at the trailhead, valid for one day at one site. Collecting limits and tool restrictions are stated on the permit
open when the access road and trail are clear, roughly late spring through fall; High Street is a dirt road and passes a gate 1.4 miles in
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Grafton, NH
muscovite micaberylblack tourmaline
Fee dig · Fee, seasonal · $30 per person; kids under 10 free. Each paid admission covers up to one 5-gallon bucket of rocks and minerals
2026 season opened May 22; Thursday-Saturday 9am-5pm and Sunday 9am-3pm. Confirm before a long drive, since the mine has had closed years
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Franklin Mineral Museum - Buckwheat Dump
Franklin, NJ
willemitefranklinitecalcite
Fee dig · Fee, seasonal · collecting only: $18/adult, $16 ages 3-16, $17 seniors and veterans (65+); museum plus collecting $25/$20/$23. Admission includes a museum-supplied collecting bag and two pounds of rock, with all additional poundage at $2 per pound
April through November; Wednesday-Friday 11am-4pm, Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday 11am-5pm
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Sterling Hill Mining Museum - Mine Run Dump
Ogdensburg, NJ
willemitefranklinitecalcite
Fee dig · Fee · $5 per person to collect plus $3 per pound of rock, with a 5-pound minimum. Bring your own bags or buckets
open daily 10am-3pm, weather permitting; the dump is completely exposed to the elements with no shade or shelter
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
NM
lepidolitespodumeneberyl
State-designated locality · Free with permit · Free. Every visitor must carry a signed University of New Mexico release form; a group may share one form as long as it lists every participant's name and address. Groups of more than 10 mail forms and payment two to three weeks ahead, and groups staying longer than two hours pay $50/day toward a chemical toilet, by check to Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of New Mexico.
Open year-round in daylight, weather and road conditions permitting. The mine sits at elevation in the Picuris Mountains, so winter snow and mud can close the access road. The turn is poorly marked: a right just past mile marker 8 on NM 75 toward Penasco and Picuris Pueblo. On-site access is handled by the Griego caretakers, who may ask to see your signed form at any time.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
NM
thundereggsgeodesjasper
State park dig · Fee · Day use $5/vehicle for New Mexico residents (waived Oct 1-Apr 30) and $10 for non-residents, per the state parks fee schedule. Camping runs $10/night resident primitive, $15 non-resident primitive, $15 and $20 for developed sites, plus $5-$10/day for water, electric or sewer hookups.
Year-round, daylight hours. Spring and fall are kindest; the Little Florida Mountains bake in July. The separate Spring Canyon unit is described by the park as a hiking and picnicking area, not the collecting ground.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
NV
precious opalfire opalopalized wood
Fee dig · Fee, seasonal · $75 per person for a full day and $50 for a half day; children 12 and under free with a paid adult. Rock club members with proof and groups of five or more receive a $10 discount. Checks and cash accepted at the mine; credit cards only at the Bonanza store near the campground, which opens 7-8 am and roughly 4:45-5:30 pm on fee dig days.
Weekends only, Friday through Sunday, opening Memorial Day weekend (Saturday, May 23 in 2026) and closing after Labor Day weekend (closed from Tuesday, September 8 until the 2027 season), plus the Mondays of Memorial Day, the Fourth of July and Labor Day. Hours 8 am to 4 pm. Phone (775) 941-0111 in season, (775) 969-3616 year-round.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
NV
almandine garnetrhyolite
BLM collecting area · Free · Free; BLM requires no fee or permit for rockhounding. Two informal camping areas at no charge, suitable for tents and small campers only.
Best late spring through fall. The site sits around 7,000 feet, so snow and mud can close the graded access road in winter and early spring. BLM notes no water is available at any time of year.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Otteson Brothers Turquoise Mining Tours
NV
turquoiseroyston turquoisevariscite
Fee dig · Fee · $150 per person for a half day and $300 per person for the all-day tour. Children 13 and under dig free with a paying adult. Mine tour gift certificates are available.
Tours run year round, Monday through Saturday, weather permitting and excluding holidays. Morning tours start at 8 am and afternoon tours at 1 pm; the all-day tour is listed as 8:00 am to 2:00 pm.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
NV
black fire opalprecious opalopalized wood
Fee dig · Fee, seasonal · Tailings $100 per person per day, no half-day rate; children 10-15 half price and children under 10 free with an adult. A virgin ground load is $900 for up to three adults, with half loads on a limited basis for $600 and additional adults $100 each; minor children are included. Load reservations are required and must be made by phone.
2026 season May 1 through September 27, 8 am to 4 pm, closed Wednesdays and Thursdays. Be at the mine at 8 am — the cutoff for tailings digging is 9 am. Reservations for virgin loads opened February 15, 2026. The operators warn the roads become impassable quickly when it rains and the mine closes in really wet conditions.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
NV
black fire opalprecious opalopalized wood
Fee dig · Fee, seasonal · Bank digging $210 per person per day; tailings raking $85 per person per day. Discounts for active military, veterans and 65+ with valid ID. Tools on site are very limited — hand picks in the gift shop run $45 small and $100 large — so arrive equipped.
2026 season May 1 through October 18, seven days a week, 8 am to 4 pm, weather permitting. Virgin Valley is remote high desert; the mine is the nearest anything and Denio is a small outpost.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Crystal Grove Diamond Mine & Campground
St. Johnsville, NY
herkimer diamondsdoubly terminated quartzcalcite
Fee dig · Fee, seasonal · $16 per person ages 12 and up, $10 for ages 6-11, under 5 free; campers pay $14 and $8. Tool rentals extra: chisel $3, crack hammer $4, shovel $4, sift box $5, sledge $7, no reservations on tools
mid-April through mid-October; daily hours are not posted online, so call ahead at (518) 568-2914 if arriving late in the day
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Diamond Mountain Mining, Little Falls
Little Falls, NY
herkimer diamondsscepter quartzskeletal quartz
Fee dig · Fee · pricing is not published on the operator site and appears to be set per event; ask when you reserve. Mining access is by reservation only
reservation-only digs; the on-site Diamond House Crystal Gallery keeps Tuesday 10am-4pm hours and opens by appointment otherwise
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Dirty Diamond Diggers, Fort Plain
Fort Plain, NY
herkimer diamondsdoubly terminated quartzcalcite
Fee dig · Fee · private excavator-assisted digs only, $1,500 for a maximum of two people, with a $100 refundable deposit at booking. Keep everything you find, no limits
Thursday and Friday 7am-2pm, Saturday and Sunday 7am to dark; season dates are not posted
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Middleville, NY
herkimer diamondsdoubly terminated quartzcalcite
Fee dig · Fee, seasonal · $19/adult (13+) and $16/child (5-12) Monday through Thursday, $22 and $18 Friday through Sunday; ages 4 and under free. Includes an all-day prospecting ticket, gem collection bags, and use of a rock hammer
April 12 through October 31, 2026; open 9am-5pm seven days a week. No reservation needed
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Herkimer Mountain Diamond Mine
NY
herkimer diamondsdoubly terminated quartzsmoky quartz
Fee dig · Fee · $120/adult (13+) and $60 for ages 6-12 for a seven-hour dig; ages 5 and under free. Reservations required, no walk-ins. Buckets, hammers, trowels, rakes and eye protection can be rented
9am to 4pm dig day with 5pm checkout, ending a half hour before dark in the fall season; season dates are not published, so book ahead and confirm
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Penn Dixie Fossil Park & Nature Reserve
Blasdell, NY
pyritecalcitemarcasite
Fee dig · Fee, seasonal · 2026 rates: $25/adult, $15 ages 3-17, $17 seniors (62+), students and military; Erie County residents $20. Members free
June 24 through September 27, 2026; Wednesday-Sunday 9am-4:30pm through Labor Day (September 7), then weekends only. No public entry after 2:45pm and the final tour departs then
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Caesar Creek Lake Emergency Spillway
Waynesville, OH
brachiopodstrilobiteshorn coral
Public land, rules apply · Free with permit · Free, but you must first pick up a fossil collecting permit in person from the Army Corps of Engineers Visitor Center on N. Clarksville Rd. — Ohio's Geological Survey lists it as a requirement and gives (513) 897-1050 for the center. Call to confirm the center's hours before you build a trip around it.
The spillway itself is open year-round in daylight, but the visitor center's hours gate the permit, so a holiday or off-season arrival can leave you without one. Skip the trip after heavy rain, when the spillway holds water.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Sylvania, OH
brachiopodshorn coraltrilobites
Public land, rules apply · Free · Free — parking, admission, and fossil hunting all cost nothing, and you keep whatever you find.
The digging quarry runs mid-April through October, opening 8:30 a.m. daily and closing on a sliding schedule: 6 p.m. in April, 7 p.m. in May, 7:30 p.m. in June and July, 7 p.m. in August, 6 p.m. in September, 5:30 p.m. in October. The parking lot and restrooms run year-round from 8 a.m. to 90 minutes before sunset, with holiday closures including July 1-5.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Hueston Woods State Park Fossil Areas
Oxford, OH
brachiopodsbryozoanshorn coral
State park dig · Free · Free — Ohio state parks charge no entry fee, and no permit is needed to collect here. Ohio's Geological Survey attaches one instruction to the site: check with a naturalist before collecting. The nature center is where to do that; the park office is (513) 523-6347.
Year-round in daylight hours. Four Mile Creek runs low and readable from late summer into fall, which is when the streambed exposures work best.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Fairborn, OH
silurian coralsstromatoporoidsbrachiopods
Public land, rules apply · Free · Free and open to the public with no permit or reservation. The park is at 1267 E. Xenia Dr.; Fairborn Parks & Recreation can confirm current collecting rules at (937) 754-3090.
Open daily, dawn to dusk. There is almost no shade on the old quarry floor, so aim for early morning or evening in July and August. Collecting boundaries are marked on site — read the signage at the trailhead before you start.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Sharonville, OH
brachiopodsbryozoanshorn coral
Public land, rules apply · Free · Free, with no permit, no reservation, and no entrance fee. Visitors keep the fossils they find. Follow whatever limits are posted on site.
Open daily, dawn to dusk, year-round. Portable toilets and a hand-washing station operate April through November only; picnic tables and a drinking fountain are on site.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge Selenite Crystal Digging Area
Jet, OK
hourglass selenite crystalsgypsumselenite clusters
Public land, rules apply · Free · Free — the refuge calls it a free activity for everyone. Limit is 10 pounds plus one large cluster per person per day, and selling what you dig is prohibited.
Open April 1 through October 15 only, every day sunrise to sunset. Digging outside that window, or outside the Dig Area marked with orange signs, is prohibited to protect wildlife including whooping cranes. Refuge information: 580-626-4794.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Plush, OR
oregon sunstonecopper-bearing sunstoneschiller feldspar
Fee dig · Fee, seasonal · $80 per person to lease access to a virgin ore pile for one day; a yard of 3-inch-minus production ore is $280 cash or $290 by credit card. Children under 12 free with a paying adult
2026 season posted as May 23 through September 27; free camping on site with 9pm-7am quiet hours, no running water or electricity, and no charcoal grills or open fires
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Plush, OR
oregon sunstonecopper-bearing red sunstonegreen sunstone
Fee dig · Fee, seasonal · no charge to dig the ore pile — you pay 50% of wholesale on better-colored stones and clear stones over about 8 carats; processing concentrated material runs $60 per half yard or $100 per yard
open daily May 15 through October 1, weather permitting, 8am until a half hour before sundown; the operator asks that you call to verify availability before traveling in May or September
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Hampton, OR
black obsidianrainbow obsidianmahogany obsidian
BLM collecting area · Free · free, no permit for a reasonable personal-use load — BLM's Oregon/Washington guide defines reasonable as fitting a car trunk or partial pickup load, under 250 lb, and non-commercial
roughly May through October; the spur roads off US-20 turn to grease after rain and snow shuts them in winter
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Oregon Coast Ocean Shore Agate Beaches
Newport, OR
agatecarnelianjasper
Public land, rules apply · Free · free; OAR 736-021-0090 allows agates and other loose non-living items such as shells, stones, and fossils up to a one-gallon container per person per day and three gallons per person per calendar year — you may not combine collections in one container with another person
late fall through early spring is prime — winter storms strip sand off the gravel beds; work a falling tide and check the tide table first
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Oregon Sunstone Public Collection Area
Plush, OR
oregon sunstoneclear labradorite feldsparschiller feldspar
BLM collecting area · Free · free, no permit; BLM states there is no fee for collecting sunstones but you may not collect them for trade or commercial purposes
open year-round, but May through October is the realistic window; no gas, water, or cell service within about 20 miles
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Succor Creek State Natural Area
Adrian, OR
thundereggspicture jaspercommon opal
State-designated locality · Free · free, no permit; the park allows souvenir collecting up to 1 gallon per person per day and no more than 3 gallons per person per year
open for camping April 1 through October 31, first come first served; the 15-mile dirt road in from Oregon 201 is rough and turns impassable when wet
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Whistler Springs Thunderegg Beds
Prineville, OR
thundereggsagatejasper
Forest Service collecting area · Free · free; Forest Service casual collecting for personal use, hand tools only — confirm current rules with the Lookout Mountain Ranger District
roughly June into October, snow-dependent; McKay Creek Road and its spurs are rough and slow
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
White Fir Springs Thunderegg Beds
Prineville, OR
jasper-filled thundereggsagate-filled thundereggsjasper
Forest Service collecting area · Free · free; standard Forest Service casual collecting for personal use, hand tools only, no motorized digging — confirm current rules with the Lookout Mountain Ranger District
roughly June into October; the forest roads hold snow late and go to mud through spring
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Danville, PA
brachiopodspelecypodscrinoid stems
Public land, rules apply · Free · Free; admission is free, no permit is required, and visitors may keep any fossils they find.
Open dawn to dark, year-round. The exposed shale gets quite hot to the touch by mid-afternoon in summer, so mornings are far more pleasant. Pets are not permitted at the pit.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Swatara State Park — Suedberg Fossil Site
Pine Grove, PA
trilobite fossilsphacops ranabrachiopods
State park dig · Free · Free; no fee, permit or reservation is published for the fossil site, and DCNR presents it as an open collecting opportunity. Hand tools only, and pack out everything you bring in.
Open year-round during park hours. The Mahantango shale splits far better dry, so skip the days right after heavy rain.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Abbeville, SC
quartz crystalsamethystsmoky quartz
Fee dig · Fee · $20 adults (18+), $10 for ages 13-17 and seniors 65+, $15 veterans, $5 for ages 6-12, free for ages 5 and under; non-collecting companions free. Take-home limit is a car or truck load — no trailers.
Posted hours are 9:00am-5:00pm. The operator's site does not publish which days it is open or any seasonal closures, and the page carries a dated copyright, so call 864-934-3744 to confirm before driving. There is no shelter on the property — summer heat and winter mud both bite.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Keystone, SD
placer gold
Fee dig · Fee, seasonal · On-site panning $17.95 per pan, $15.95 after a mine tour; gem panning $11.95. The Claim Panning Adventure on Battle Creek runs $39.95 adult / $29.95 child for two hours, $76.95 / $60.95 half day, and $105.95 / $89.95 full day, booked 24 hours ahead. Mine tours are $17.95 adult, $14.95 ages 6-12, free 5 and under.
Daily from the second weekend in March through the end of October. Hours climb with the season: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday-Sunday in March, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. in April, 9 a.m.-8 p.m. May through August, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. in September, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. in October. November through February is off-season, with tours by reservation only — call (605) 666-4847.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Custer, SD
rose quartzquartz crystalsmica
Forest Service collecting area · Free · Free. The forest states plainly that collecting small rocks or minerals from the surface for personal use does not require a permit. Hand gold panning needs no permit in South Dakota; motorized equipment or suction dredges require a Notice of Intent. Wilderness areas, acquired mineral lands, and mineral withdrawal areas are closed.
Year-round where roads are open, but high-country forest roads close under snow from roughly November into April. Summer is crowded; September is the collector's month.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Buffalo Gap National Grassland — Fairburn Agate Beds (French Creek)
Fairburn, SD
fairburn agateprairie agatechalcedony
Forest Service collecting area · Free · Free, no permit. Surface collection of rocks and agates for personal, hobby, and noncommercial use is allowed without a permit; the Forest Service recommends holding to 25 lb per day and 250 lb per year. Selling rocks or agates collected here is prohibited. Other uses such as landscaping may require a permit — call the Supervisor's Office at 308-432-0300.
Open year-round, but realistically spring through fall — access is gravel and clay two-track that turns to grease after rain. Best hunting is right after a hard rain has washed the gravel bars clean.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Adamsville, TN
cretaceous marine fossilsmollusk shellsshark teeth
Fee dig · Fee · program fees are not published online; access is by scheduled program only, booked through UT Martin's center at (731) 646-1636
educational programs run year-round by arrangement; there is no walk-in collecting, so everything goes through a booked visit
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Hammer's Hideaway Campground gold panning
Coker Creek, TN
placer gold
Fee dig · Fee · $15/adult and $10 for ages 3-13 per day; complete panning kits with pan, magnifier, tweezers and vials sold on site
warm months are the practical season for creek work; daily hours are not published, so book or call through the campground first
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Ladonia, TX
mosasaur teethammonitesexogyra oysters
Public land, rules apply · Free · Free public park, no permit. Operated by the Upper Trinity Regional Water District with the City of Ladonia. The official page does not publish a fee schedule or a collecting-limit rule, so confirm specifics with UTRWD at (972) 219-1228 or the City of Ladonia at 903-367-7011 before planning around them.
The park relocated during construction and now sits at 2242 FM 904, where the road crosses the North Sulphur River. No posted hours, but automatic gates may close after dark (a sensor lets you drive out). The river channel is unsafe when running high, so check conditions after rain — the best collecting and the worst danger both follow a storm.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Mason, TX
blue topazsmoky quartzquartz crystals
Fee dig · Fee · $15 per guest age 18 and over to hunt topaz, and you keep what you find. Hunting is limited to ranch guests: lodging is $150/night for two, $50 per additional guest over 18, with a two-night minimum.
The ranch does not post fixed hunting dates; call Deloris Lindsay at 325-347-4052 to arrange. Central Texas summers are punishing in the creek gravel — spring and fall are far better.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Mineral Wells, TX
crinoid stemsbrachiopodsbryozoans
Public land, rules apply · Free · Free, no admission and no permit, and you keep what you pick up. Collecting is for personal use only, not for commercial sale. Surface collecting only — small gardening tools are permitted; shovels, hoes, picks, and any motorized equipment are prohibited.
Open every day of the year, 8 a.m. to 8:45 p.m., holidays included. Go right after rain, when a fresh crop of fossils has washed out of the shale. An annual Crazy Fossil Dig event runs each October.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Teri Smith Rock Hunts — Alpine-Area Ranches
Alpine, TX
plume agatemoss agatebanded agate
Fee dig · Fee · Per-ranch day fees: Ritchie Ranch $20 entry plus $1/lb for cutting material, East Needle Peak $50/day, Pigmon Ranch $50/adult/day (children free), South Larremore $60/day. Rollin' Rock Club membership is required for all hunts — $10/year single, $16 dual.
Spring (March-April) and fall (October-November) seasons out of Alpine, including a four-day Pigmon Ranch hunt in early March. The Spring 2026 season is posted as running. Most hunts meet at 8 a.m. at the Little Caesar's parking lot in Alpine (9 a.m. for Ritchie). Confirm dates by text at (432) 386-3431 or email agatehunter@sbcglobal.net.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
UT
obsidiansnowflake obsidianmahogany obsidian
Public land, rules apply · Free · Free; BLM public land published by the Utah Geological Survey as an open collecting site. Personal, non-commercial use only, and do not collect on marked claims.
Year-round on a dry road. From the west edge of Delta, 4.3 miles west on US 6/50 to State Highway 257, then about 43 miles south to a BLM sign reading 'Kanosh 26,' then roughly 6 miles east on dirt. UGS suggests four-wheel drive but does not require it. No water, no shade, no services.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
UT
geodesquartz crystalsamethyst
BLM collecting area · Free · Free; BLM requires no permit. Dispersed camping is the norm out here and there are no facilities, no water and no toilets.
Year-round in dry weather only. BLM's route runs roughly 85 miles from Salt Lake City via I-80 west and State Highway 36, following the historic Pony Express Trail, with the final stretch on unimproved road that turns to grease after rain or snowmelt. No services, no water, no cell coverage — carry a working spare.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
UT
smoky quartzmicrocline feldsparlimonite pseudomorphs after pyrite
Public land, rules apply · Free · Free; BLM public land, published by the Utah Geological Survey as an open collecting site. Personal, non-commercial use only.
Spring through fall. From Milford, travel 0.7 mile south of the railroad tracks on State Route 21, turn east and continue 5.4 miles to an intersection, take the left fork 1.2 miles, then keep right 2.7 miles to the first outcrop. The road is paved a short distance and then turns to sand, which goes soft after storms; the canyon sits at elevation in the Mineral Mountains, so plan around winter weather.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
UT
sunstone (labradorite)basalt
State-designated locality · Free · Free; no fee or permit. The Utah Geological Survey asks collectors to sign the register at the entrance.
Year-round, with easy access off State Highway 257. From the west edge of Delta, 4.3 miles west on US 6/50 to Highway 257, then about 13.4 miles south to a marked entrance just before mile marker 56, then east on dirt. Spring and fall are pleasant; the flats have no shade at all in summer.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
UT
topazpink topazbixbyite
Fee dig · Fee · Public tours, private tours for one to eight people, and prospector passes for collecting the rubble piles at Topaz Dome. Prices are not posted on the operator's site and vary by product, so request current rates before booking. Expect guided-tour pricing rather than a walk-in day fee.
Scheduled year-round. Daytime tours generally run 9 am to 5 pm daily and evening or night tours roughly 5 pm to 10 pm. Private tours should be booked at least two weeks in advance, though the operators will check earlier availability on request. Weather in the Thomas Range can cancel a date.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Topaz Mountain Rockhound Recreation Area
UT
topazbixbyitered beryl
BLM collecting area · Free · Free; no permit or fee. Collect for personal, non-commercial use only. BLM's page for this area does not post a specific weight ceiling, so keep it to reasonable hobbyist amounts and call the Fillmore Field Office at 435-743-3100 if you intend to take a lot.
Open year-round. Spring and fall are best; summer in the west desert is punishing and winter storms make the last dirt miles rough. BLM notes there are no facilities in the area at all — no water, no services, no toilets.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
UT
elrathia kingii trilobitesasaphiscus trilobitesperonopsis trilobites
Fee dig · Fee, seasonal · Per-person rates by length of stay — two hours, four hours or the full day — but the operator does not publish prices on its rates page; book online or call (435) 864-3638. Youth 6 and under dig free with a paying adult. A 15% discount applies to Utah residents with a valid driver's license, active military, veterans and seniors 70+, and the discounts cannot be combined. Special rates for academic and scouting groups on request.
2026 season runs March 30 through October 24, Monday through Saturday, closed Sundays and closed on the 4th of July. Pre-season dates March 20-21 and March 27-28; post-season Fridays and Saturdays on October 30, November 7 and November 14. Gate opens at 9 am and closes by 6 pm; evening diggers must arrive by 3:45 pm to be out by close.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
UT
wonderstone (banded rhyolitic tuff)iron oxides
State-designated locality · Free · Free on the open BLM portion; no fee or permit. A private mining claim covers part of the area, and UGS says plainly not to collect on any marked claim or on rock piles showing signs of recent mining activity.
Spring through fall. From Tooele, about 31 miles south on Highway 36 toward Vernon, then 4.5 miles further, north onto a dirt road beside the railroad tracks for 1.7 miles, then 0.4 mile to the end of the road. UGS recommends four-wheel drive and warns the road can be muddy depending on weather. Summer is open and shadeless.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Lake Anna State Park — Goodwin Gold Mine Panning
Spotsylvania, VA
placer goldpyritequartz
State park dig · Fee, seasonal · Standard Virginia State Parks daily parking fee plus a per-person program fee. The park page does not publish the program fee, the headcount cap, or what you may keep — register through the Virginia State Parks event calendar or call 540-854-5503 and ask when you book.
Offered as scheduled ranger-led programs ('Goodwin Gold Mine Tour and Gold Panning Experience') rather than open access; a session was on the park calendar for August 16, 2026. Dates run mostly spring through fall — check the Virginia State Parks event calendar. Day-use parking fills on weekends and holidays.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Westmoreland State Park — Fossil Beach
Montross, VA
fossil shark teethmiocene shell fossilsfossil bone fragments
State park dig · Fee · Standard Virginia State Parks daily parking fee, roughly $7-$10 per vehicle depending on season; no separate collecting fee.
Beach accessible year-round; fossil hiking, kayaking and night hiking programs run Memorial Day through Labor Day. A construction project has closed the cabins through May 2027 along with the paddle-in campsite and one picnic shelter, and the park can hit capacity and close its gate on busy days — but Big Meadow Trail, Fossil Beach and the Day Use Beach stay open. Low tide after a storm is the productive window.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Camp Plymouth State Park - Buffalo Brook Gold Panning
Ludlow, VT
placer goldgarnetmagnetite
State park dig · Fee, seasonal · standard Vermont State Parks day-use fee applies (a modest per-person charge, reduced for children); panning itself costs nothing beyond park entry. Bring your own pan
day use opens the Friday of Memorial Day weekend and closes the second weekend in September; day-use hours are 10am to official sunset. Brook levels drop and panning improves in late summer
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Vermont Recreational Gold Panning (statewide waters)
VT
placer goldgarnetmagnetite
Public land, rules apply · Free · hand panning is unregulated on state lands and needs no permit. A sluice box is allowed only on private land and requires both landowner permission and a state Mineral Prospecting Permit; the guidance does not publish permit fees, so contact the Rivers Program for current cost
open water season, generally spring through fall; low summer flows are easiest to work
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Saddle Mountains Petrified Wood Area
Mattawa, WA
petrified woodagatized woodopalized wood
Public land, rules apply · Free · free, no permit; BLM's petrified wood limit is 25 lb per day plus one piece and no more than 250 lb per year, and pooling quotas between people to take an oversize piece is prohibited. BLM's own page tells visitors to contact the Wenatchee Field Office for collection limits
spring and fall are best; BLM notes snow and rain occasionally close the gravel and dirt roads, and summer fire restrictions apply. Camping is free with a 14-day limit
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Stonerose Interpretive Center Fossil Site
Republic, WA
eocene plant fossilsfossil leavesfossil insects
Fee dig · Fee, seasonal · posted rates $18 adult (18-61), $12 seniors 62+ and college students with ID, $7 youth 5-17, free for ages 0-4, and $43 for a family of two adults and two youth; the interpretive center and gift shop are free to enter. The fee page still carried a 2025 heading in August 2026, so confirm current rates
open for the 2026 season; interpretive center and gift shop run Tuesday-Sunday 8am-5pm, closed Mondays. Exact Boot Hill dig-site dates and hours are not posted on the fee page — call 509-775-2295 to confirm before traveling. Wildfire smoke advisories are posted in late summer
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Mount Vernon, WA
quartz geodesamethyst geodeschalcedony
Club open dig · Free with permit · no dig fee; a valid Washington Discover Pass must be prominently displayed in your vehicle or you may be ticketed (about $35 annual, $11.50 day) since the site sits on state DNR land
open year-round when roads allow; the access road is gated, so park clear of the road and walk around the gate — the collecting ground is less than 250 feet in. Logging operations and DNR road work close the approach periodically, so check with the Mineral Council before driving out
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest
Rhinelander, WI
quartzlake superior agatesjasper
Forest Service collecting area · Free · Free, and no permit is required for recreational rock collecting or panning. The forest does require advance notice — it wants the locations and dates of your proposed trip, so contact the Supervisor's Office minerals program before you go.
Spring thaw through October for road access. Gold panning is limited to hand tools and to under 40 square feet of disturbance within any 500-foot stream segment, fewer than five days a year; the forest also restricts panning in classified trout waters, so ask about the specific stream when you call in your trip.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Wisconsin DNR Lands Collecting Permission (NR 45)
WI
lake superior agatesquartzjasper
Public land, rules apply · Free with permit · No fee, but you must hold written permission from the individual property manager before you collect anything, and you are capped at 5 pounds per day from any one property and 50 pounds per year total.
Year-round wherever the property is open, but permission is issued property by property rather than statewide. Ask several weeks out — a manager may simply decline.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Kemmerer, WY
fossil fishknightiadiplomystus
Fee dig · Fee · 2026 rates for ages 15 and up: $89 for two hours, $109 for four, $169 for a full eight-hour day. Ages 6-14: $59, $74, and $89 respectively. Under 6 dig free with a paying adult. Private digs for up to ten people are $750. Pricing subject to change.
Booking is open for the 2026 season, late spring through fall. Reserve online or call 801-836-7269, and confirm shoulder-season dates before you commit.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Lander, WY
nephrite jadeagatechalcedony
Public land, rules apply · Free · Free and no permit. BLM Wyoming states public lands it administers are open to everyone to take limited amounts of rock material for noncommercial purposes without charge. Petrified wood is capped by federal rule at 25 lb plus one piece per day and 250 lb per calendar year. Nothing collected may be sold, traded, or bartered.
June through October is the realistic window. Most backcountry two-tracks are snowed or mudded shut from November into late May.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Blue Forest Petrified Wood Area
Farson, WY
petrified woodblue chalcedonyagatized wood
Public land, rules apply · Free · Free. Federal petrified-wood limits apply: 25 lb plus one piece per day, 250 lb per year, personal use only, hand digging, and fill your holes. You may not pool your allowance with another collector's to remove a larger piece.
Late May through October. The clay flats west of Farson are impassable after rain, and there is no shade, water, or services once you leave the highway.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Jeffrey City, WY
nephrite jadeagatechalcedony
Public land, rules apply · Free · Free on unclaimed BLM ground, hand tools only, personal use only. Jade on a claim staked for jade belongs to the claimant, so checking claim status is the whole game here. Look claims up in the BLM Mineral and Land Records System at https://reports.blm.gov/reports/MLRS.
June to October. The sagebrush two-tracks south of Jeffrey City are impassable when wet and there is no water for miles in any direction.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Kemmerer, WY
fossil fishfossil plantsfossil invertebrates
Fee dig · Fee, seasonal · Adults 17 and up: $79 for two hours, $109 for four, $169 for a full day. Kids 7-16: $49, $69, and $89. Children 6 and under are free with a paying adult. A private full-day dig with staged rock, a dedicated tile saw, and snacks is $1,200. Groups of 15 or more get reduced rates.
Open seven days a week, May 9 through September 30, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Reservations are not required, and arriving early gets you first pick of the fresh rock.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Kemmerer, WY
fossil fishknightiafossil plants
Fee dig · Fee, seasonal · $125 per person with a TEN PERSON MINIMUM to book - a family of four cannot reserve a dig on its own. That buys four hours of dig time and 6 to 10 complete fish to keep, rare species excluded. Children under 4 are free. Complimentary fossil cuts included; tools and rock supplied.
Usually open June through September and dependent on weather - the shortest season of the Kemmerer quarries, not the longest. Book through the form on their site or call 307-413-0820.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Kemmerer, WY
fossil fishknightiadiplomystus
Fee dig · Fee, seasonal · $135 per adult for the guided quarry dig. Children under 16 dig free with a paying adult, or pay an additional adult fee to dig their own fossils. Tools and packing materials are included and shipping can be arranged.
Mid-May through October, weather permitting. Tours begin at 9:00 a.m. unless arranged otherwise. Weekend reservations are required and weekday reservations are recommended - call (307) 877-6466.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
A working operation that charges admission and lets you keep what you find — the surest legal way into the hobby. Fees, tools, and rules vary by operator; every listing links its official source.
Every entry is checked against an official source — the operator, the land agency, or a state geological survey — and shows the date it was last checked. Hours, fees, and access rules change, so verify before you go.