Collecting rocks and gems is a popular pastime in the United States. And if you fancy trying your hand at rock hounding, the act of looking for these rocks and gems yourself, America has heaps of places to sluice, sift and dig for precious stones.
Click through this gallery for our pick of the USA’s top places to search for hidden gems, from historic mining sites and family-friendly attractions to intrepid independent spots…
Rockhounding is prohibited in Wyoming’s national parks, but there’s no stopping you from hunting for treasure outside of these zones, and one of the best places is in Fremont County. Most gem enthusiasts come here in search of nephrite jade, jasper and turritella agate, while waterways like the Sweetwater and Wind Rivers are also known for their quartz and agate deposits. Since there is no specific mine to visit here, it’s best to join a local rockhounding group.
There are 800 active mines in North Carolina and this gem-mining centre, run by Randy ‘Doc’ McCoy, offers the chance to find out more about the region’s diverse minerals, from topaz, moonstone, feldspar and epidote, to ruby and sapphire. The spot runs gold prospecting and gemstone-collecting tours from late spring through to fall, and you can turn your gems into jewellery at McCoy Minerals Inc, located on Main Street, Blowing Rock. Visitors can also buy and sift through a range of seeded ore bags, which might contain everything from arrowheads and shark teeth to amethysts.
Dubbed Montana’s largest, oldest and best sapphire mine, Gem Mountain welcomes gemstone hunters of all ages. You can book a slot for sluicing sapphires, rubies and moonstones at the official mine, located off the Anaconda-Pintler Scenic Route. Alternatively, drop into the site in downtown Philipsburg which has an indoor sapphire-washing area and jewellery shop. See if you can hunt down the ‘Royal Blue’ or ‘Cornflower Blue’ sapphires, the most sought-after varieties of this striking gem.
The Piedmont region in North Carolina is renowned for its hiddenite and the Emerald Hollow Mine invites members of the public to go prospecting for this famous gem, said to be one of the rarest in the world. Both amateur and more experienced rockhounds are welcome and you have the option to purchase a bucket of earth to wash off in the sluiceway or dig your own minerals in the pit mine. Prospecting in the scenic mountain creek is a popular option too.
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An alternative sapphire mine in Montana is the Spokane Bar Sapphire Mine, in the Missouri River area, which was originally mined for gold in the 1800s when the so-called ‘blue stones’ clogging up the sluices were deemed worthless. Today, you can visit the mine, around 14 miles (23km) east of Helena, to sluice for sapphires from ancient river deposits or buy a bag of concentrated gravel that you can explore on site.
Coalinga is famed for its abundance of benitoite, and mining here dates back to the early 1900s. Visitors flock to the Benitoite Mining Company to hunt for these bright blue crystals alongside neptunite, joaquinite and natrolite. All tools are provided and experienced miners will guide you through your hunt. It all takes place outside on a screening field where masses of ore are left for you to dig and explore. The company is hoping to offer gem collecting workshops and classes soon too.
Opal prospecting has been happening in Nevada since the early 1900s and Rainbow Ridge Opal Mine, located 30 miles (48km) southwest of Denio, is open for digs each summer. It offers 'tailings digging' (digging from material that has already been mined) which is ideal for beginners, as well as virgin ground loads (digging from fresh clay and dirt, knocked down from an excavator), which is great for more experienced rockhounds.
If you’re looking for incredible views while you’re gem hunting, Big Sur is your place. This rugged stretch of California coastline is home to an area known as Jade Cove, where people have been searching for the eponymous gemstone for years. You’ll need sturdy walking shoes as the trails can be very steep and there are strict guidelines to follow since it lies within Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Many high-value gems have long gone in the area but go with a keen eye and a sense of adventure, and you'll be rewarded with Pacific views and maybe a bit of treasure.
The state of Oregon is known for its precious sunstone and visitors can have a go at searching for this reddish-orange gem at Spectrum Sunstone Mine in Plush. The centre, situated in the Warner Valley, offers guests a pile of unprocessed ore to explore and dig all day. Alternatively, opt for a high-grate pit digging experience, where you get to use various tools to comb through basalt lava rock and keep any gems you find. Cabins and tipis are available for anyone who wants to stay the night.
The mountainous region of western North Carolina is known for its natural deposits of rubies and sapphires, but at the Nantahala River Gem Mine visitors can also find emeralds, garnets, topaz, amethysts, citrine, peridot, moonstones and myriad other gems. Once you’ve discovered your treasure, take it to the on-site gemologist who will evaluate them and discuss how you’d like them cut. Bryson City is also an outdoor-lover’s paradise, with horseback riding, fishing, river rafting and train tours to the scenic Nantahala River Gorge.
Rutile, a crystal-like mineral commonly used to polish diamonds, was famously mined at Graves Mountain by Tiffany in the early 1900s, but you can collect a whole host of other gems – from quartz crystals and iridescent hematite to kyanite and turgite – here too. The quarry is usually open for selected three-day digs in May and October and you have to book an appointment with the caretaker to join field trips to the site. Visitors must bring their own tools and equipment for scratching and breaking the rocks, as well as safety glasses and a rocker screen for sifting.
The most famous ruby mines can be found in Myanmar but the Cherokee Ruby & Sapphire Mine, nestled in the scenic Cowee Valley of western North Carolina, is one of the best in the United States. Open from April to October, it allows rockhounds to sluice through rock and dirt – using water from the Caler Creek – in search of sapphires, garnets and rutile. Experts are on hand to offer tips on how to identify each stone.
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In the late 19th century and early 20th century, ex-Gold Rush miners purportedly discovered a bounty of tourmalines and other precious gems surrounding the community of Pala. Today, Oceanview Mine hosts trips to an active mine, where visitors pay a standard dig fee and can take up to five gallons (23 litres) of rock home after you’ve screened and washed it. Expect to find anything from kunzite and triphane to aquamarine and quartz. The trip includes jeep tours of Chief Mountain with views of Pala Chief, Tourmaline Queen and other famous sites.
Arizona is a treasure trove of semi-precious gemstones and mineral specimens. And you can find specimens such as quartz and semi-precious gemstones such as agates, jasper and onyx, if you have a keen eye and fancy an independent rockhounding trip. Check out the aptly-named Crystal Hill, an area of Kofa National Wildlife Refuge in the Livingston Hills, around 150 miles (241km) west of Phoenix. Non-commercial mineral collecting (without digging) is permitted in this specific area and you’ll enjoy fantastic views of the surrounding desert wilderness.
Another of North Carolina’s top gem-hunting spots is the Elijah Mountain Gem Mine in Henderson County, where prospectors have been mining for generations. Young rockhounds are invited to don their hard hats and purchase a ‘Little Miner’ bucket which they can sluice in covered outdoor or indoor flumes for a wide range of gems, from sapphires and quartz crystals to sodalite and peacock copper. There are also goats and peacocks on site, plus waterfalls and forests to explore nearby.
You’ll find an array of mines in San Diego dedicated to high-quality tourmaline, the ‘gem of the rainbow’. But the Himalaya Tourmaline Mine, in the Mesa Grande mining district, some 20 miles (32km) east of Pala in San Diego County, claims to be the best. Not only has this mine been active for over 100 years, it has apparently produced more of these beautiful pink and green gems than any other. Digs take place in groups outside, with instructors on hand to tell you about the minerals. You can also order ore bags to be sent out to your home.
Red garnets and citrine can be found at this popular attraction in Alabama, but you may have a chance of finding gold too. The site has miles of creek where you can sluice for gemstones and glittering flakes of gold. And if a couple of hours spent dredging and sluicing isn’t enough, you can camp on the creek or campsite, or hire one of the prospecting shacks. There are fossils and indigenous artefacts to discover here too.
Known as the state gemstone of New York, the barton garnet is a ruby red variety of gemstone and can be found high up on Gore Mountain in the Adirondack range. Usually known as a top skiing destination, this scenic region also offers organised tours of the historic Barton mines and you can spend time digging for these hard gems in the mountaintop pits. You’ll learn about the history of the mine and a trip to the Gem & Mineral Shop is included, to weigh your garnets and see gem-cutting demos.
Mount Mica is where the first rose quartz crystals were found around 1915 and visitors are taken here on field trips with this rockhounding outfit, Dig Maine Gems. Visitors are kitted out with shovels, sifting screens, potato diggers and rinse water, and it's recommended you bring two large buckets for taking your rocks home in. You can also sift through buckets of pre-dug rocks on the dig site in West Paris. Aside from the famed rose quartz, you could leave with red garnets, an array of tourmaline varieties, mica and feldspar.
Gem hunters can dig to their heart’s content at Diamond Hill Mine, with six acres of ground to mine in the southern Appalachian Mountains. It’s best known for its wide variety of quartz crystals, but beryl, garnet and epidote have also been discovered here and in rare cases, purple amethyst too. It’s a simple set-up with picnic tables and no running water, so come with plenty of supplies if you plan to stay long.
The pay-to-dig Royal Peacock Opal Mine has been open since 1981 and some of the most impressive Virgin Valley black opals – which formed millions of years ago – are said to derive from here. Opals of many other colours can also be discovered and visitors who come to the attraction, open from May to October, are taken through the basics by staff, before they start their dig. Choose from the tougher ‘bank digging’ or, for something less demanding, you can ‘rake the tailings' or sift through a mine dump. The company has a campsite, cabin and cottage for overnight stays too.
Emerald Village, known for its picturesque setting in Little Switzerland, offers an intriguing underground tour of the historic Bon Ami Mine and plenty of activities, from gold panning to exploring the North Carolina Mining Museum. You can pay a fee to dig for gems at the dump – a mass of ore from the historic McKinney Mines – or purchase a gem bucket at the flume, which may contain up to 25 different gem varieties, from citrine to smoky quartz.
Situated around eight miles (13km) out of Blue Ridge in the Aska Adventure Area of Georgia, this family-friendly attraction offers a fun day out for young gem-mining enthusiasts. Experts here offer plenty of advice and information as little miners get to work on finding their treasure and there’s the option to purchase a number of different-sized buckets of gem dirt to sluice on site. There's usually gem polishing, plus fishing and miniature golf available too.
Located near Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Pigeon Forge Gem Mine welcomes all sorts of rockhounds with a wide range of gemstones ready to be unearthed, from ruby and sapphires to garnets and amethysts. Visitors can choose between four different-sized buckets to dig from, each containing a unique mix of gemstones and fossils. After you’ve found your treasure, have it cut, polished and mounted into your own jewellery to take home. There’s also a rock and fossil museum on site.
There are few places in the world where you can dig for real diamonds in their original, volcanic source, but this 37-acre field in western Arkansas is one of them, with the largest diamond in the USA originating from here. You can hire equipment or bring your own (no motorised tools allowed), and the visitor centre and Diamond Discovery Center provide a perfect introduction to this sought-after gem. This place made the news when one visitor found a 4.38-carat yellow diamond in 2021.
Topaz is Utah’s state gem, and tucked away in the southern end of the Thomas Range in Juab County in Utah you’ll find the best place to find them: the appropriately titled Topaz Mountain. The topaz crystals here are naturally amber in colour and can be found glimmering in the washes and slopes on the south side of the mountain. Or chip away at the volcanic rhyolite seams for the highest-quality crystals. Most of the area is public land, so all you’ll need are hiking boots, tools and gem-collecting bags for all your finds.
Now read on for America’s spookiest ghost towns, many of which were once mining hubs