Oglala National Grassland
Crawford, Nebraska
prairie agateblue chalcedonyjasperagatized woodpetrified wood
Forest Service collecting area · Free
Oglala National Grassland
Nebraska's northwest corner puts prairie agate, blue chalcedony, and agatized wood loose on the surface where the White River badlands erode. The Forest Service's own collecting sheet allows rock and agate hunting without a permit for personal use, but fossils split three ways: common invertebrates and plants may be casually collected in reasonable amounts with hand tools, vertebrates require a permit, and six paleontological Special Interest Areas across this grassland and Buffalo Gap are closed outright. Bring water and a spare tire — the gumbo roads turn to grease after rain.
The card catalog
| What you can find | prairie agate, blue chalcedony, jasper, agatized wood, petrified wood |
|---|---|
| Access | Forest Service collecting area — Free |
| Fees | 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. |
| Season & hours | 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. |
| Kids | Family-friendly — Fine for kids as a surface hunt in the badlands drainages, but it is genuinely remote — no services, no shade, no cell coverage in places. Vertebrate fossils are off limits without a permit, so teach the difference before you go. |
| Official source | USDA Forest Service — Collecting Rocks, Meteorites, Artifacts, and Fossils on Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands |
| Last checked | Checked against its source August 16, 2026 |
Hours, fees, and access rules change. Verify with the operator or land agency before you go.
Before you go
What does Oglala National Grassland cost?
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. Hours, fees, and access rules change. Verify with the operator or land agency before you go.
When is Oglala National Grassland open?
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. Hours, fees, and access rules change. Verify with the operator or land agency before you go.
Is Oglala National Grassland good for kids?
Yes — Oglala National Grassland works for families. Fine for kids as a surface hunt in the badlands drainages, but it is genuinely remote — no services, no shade, no cell coverage in places. Vertebrate fossils are off limits without a permit, so teach the difference before you go.