Garnet Hill is the only designated rock hounding area in the Ely District, an internationally known site for gem collectors looking for garnets. There is even a mining ghost town where these stones used to be mined. Canyon Rock Shop at Rubys Inn (Bryce Canyon City), Website: http://www.rubysinn.com/old-bryce-town.html, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Canyon-Rock-Shop-at-Rubys-Inn/226476884051312, -Note: The directions above are actually to the hotel/general store/restaurant across the street, but there is a crosswalk between the two to get to the Old Bryce Town.. It can be challenging; make sure you have water and supplies with you. Their website is http://greenriverrocks.com/ and they are currently looking for vendors if any of you are interested. Thank you for the tip. Among veins of gold, silver, zinc, and lead, there are many different minerals and crystals. Incredibly friendly gentleman. See 60 traveler reviews, 133 photos and 5 blog posts . Website: http://thebughouse.net/ or http://www.u-digfossils.com/, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Bug-House/150966084945032. Brown, wooden signs will direct you to the Visitor Center, which is the last place for good cell reception and restrooms. Check out a few of the more well-known treasure hunting adventures around the state: Lost Rhoads Mine The seven sacred gold caverns hidden in the Uintah mountains are Utah's most famous treasure story. Website: I cant find a website for this location, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/West-Desert-Collectors/164408473584960. Rockhounding for Thompson Agate - Near Crescent Junction (Moab, UT) June 23, 2019. Northern Skyline Drive is an unimproved road that clings to the top of the mountains for over 20 miles. Paying visitors can spend a half or full-day fossil hunting, and take all of their prehistoric souvenirs home. It is fairly small as rock shops go, but they have some great stuff. Here gypsum can be found. Elevation 7000 ft. From Ely, travel west on U.S. Highway 50. nothing huge, but happy with what I found. The past few weekends Big J and I have had to keep the trips close to home since we had other stuff going on, but this should never be an excuse to not come back with awesome stuff Our destination this time was in the Lake Mountains just west of Utah Lake and South of the town of Saratoga Springs. Rockhound State Park Campground, Deming New Mexico. All in all, it was small, but very rewarding. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS Remember you can't remove rocks or anything from National Parks or State Parks and in some cases BLM or Forest Service land. Garnet Hill is the only designated rock hounding area in the Ely District, an internationally known site for gem collectors looking for garnets. Youll want to continue up some switchbacks and across a field for about .75 miles to the dig site, 8. Next Group. Many people claim that the deeper you dig at this location the more these specimens are made up of Pyrite with some only having a thin coating of Goethite and remaining completely Pyrite underneath. Great smoky quartz and rainbow citrine location for rockhounds. It is a cloudy white crystal that forms near salt lakes and salt flats. The Park City Mining District is home to many mines and dump sites, both active and abandoned. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/White-Winds-Stone-Jewelry/154198026598. Information: Make sure to register at the turnoff into this area. Rockhounding Around The WorldScience QuestionsLearn About Different Kinds of Rocks, About UsPrivacy PolicyTerms Of UseArchives, Rockhounding Near Palm Springs, California, Rockhounding Near Phoenix, Arizona: 12 Not Too Far Sites To Explore, Is Baking Powder A Pure Substance? Showing the same rainbow cluster from the other side. Most likely, you will find them underground, so bring a shovel. Millions of years ago, volcanic activity sparked the formation of topaz, red beryl, amethyst and other semi-precious gemstones which attract amateur rockhunters to the area each year. It isnt free like the sites earlier in the list, but for just $33, you can access the site for two hours and even have rockhounding equipment provided for you to use. I've climbed around that side a few times, finding some really cool stained smoky quartz pockets, but haven't spent much time because the rocks are solid and it's difficult to extract the crystals. Most easily accessed places have been hit hard, you really do need to get off the beaten track. Once you go past the houses, the road surface converts from pavement to gravel and becomes Skyline Drive. The time it takes to get there is worth the fun you'll have digging for sapphires. All the usual rockhounding equipment is needed to collect in this area. First of all, the effort to get there is an adventure in itself, but those efforts make the reward namely, the chance to see up close some of the most significant pictograph panels in North America even more noteworthy. Use a shovel or pickaxe to pan through the soil in search of light, 2-4 spherical rocks. As we begin to explore some great places to collect rocks, fossils, and stones, bond with nature, and return with some great memories and tangible treasure, here are some great places to start. . You might even get lucky enough to find pyritohedrons, pentagonal dodecahedron-shaped pieces, although many have claimed that no such thing exists at this site. The outer clay shell of the Septarian is made up of bentonite. Visited yesterday, great spot! The vein itself appeared to run vertically right up the mountain. From the intersection of St. George Blvd and Utah Hwy 18, drive NW for 25.7 miles to the Pine Valley Recreation Area turnoff. If you are looking for agate, you can find it in the mountain range just north of Wendover. Utah's "Dinosaurland" is an exciting destination for outdoor recreation and taking a step back into prehistory. Copyright 2023 Utah Office of Tourism. House prices and rental costs are very dear in this area. He has quite a variety of gems and minerals crammed into this small room/closet. Saturday, April 23, 2016 Rockhounding near Jordanelle Resavoir, Park City, Utah! Location: Roughly 54 miles west of Delta off of Highway 6 City of Rocks National Reserve & State Park is located in south central Idaho just north of the state border with Utah. These two gentlemen custom make stainless steel lapidary cabbing machines for a great price. Visit the park and Museum for a peek into Utahs past, plus hiking and ATV trails. Alternatively, you may use, Super 8 by Wyndham Salina / Scenic Hills Area, Best Western Plus Bryce Canyon Grand Hotel. Rolling in as the number one place to live in Utah is Park City. Rock-hounding can be a great opportunity to be at one with nature, explore our wildlands, river beds, and canyons and find beautiful treasures along the way. During the ride, you will see rocks made from iron, magnesium, and chlorite. This location is well known by many, but that hasnt stopped it from producing amazing specimens for decades. PureRadiancePhoto / Shutterstock. So sorry it has been so long since the last post. Cowboys and dinosaurs dont always come to mind in tandem. Sundance Institute. 85 reviews . Looking for things to do in Vernal, Utah? Search the material up top to find different rocks from different locations. If you dig the fluorescing rocks, I would ask him to show you the small room in the back, but Im not sure if any of that was for sale. Let me know if you have any questions. As far as the shop, they have great stuff in the back. I'm a rockhound and love rock hunting but. Or, you can click on the pin on the map and it will open a new tab at the correct place on the page, ===========================================================================, Website: http://www.rocks4u.com/ or http://www.erockshop.com/, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Rockpick. This includes any area which has signs of recent digging. Information: The variety of rocks available for collection at this former volcanic site make it one of Utah's most popular rock hounding destinations. One of the more recent shops Ive visited. Other rocks and minerals are available in good quantities and most do not require intensive searching, although you may have to travel around the base of the mountain to discover different varieties of rock. Hundreds of dinosaur bones have been discovered here, including those of the Stegosaurus, Brontosaurus and Brachiosaurus. Showing the same rainbow cluster from the other side. Any advice as to where to look? The cracks that create the partitions are highly variable in shape and volume making each one unique. It crosses Dixie National Forest, goes by Bryce Canyon National Park, and cuts through much of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument before reaching the town of Torrey. It is all outdoors so that makes it fun. 209 State Park Rd, Murfreesboro, AR 71958, USA Phone +1 870-285-3113 Web Visit website 03 of 07 Gem Mountain, Montana Gem Mountain Gem Mountain is located in Philipsburg, Montana, a remote area in western Montana. Utah rockhounding locations. He was extremely nice and told me that there is a phone number on the door you can always call if it is outside normal business hours and he can jump right on over. Like many other shows, theyll have field trips, craft demonstrations, workshops, the whole bit! Did you know that interstate highway construction created Fremont Indian State Park? Turn right and go 1.1 miles on Silver Island Loop Road. This transparent, semi-precious mineral was designated as Utahs official state gemstone in the 1960s. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LotusStore/, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cedar-Rock-Bead-Shop-485465714840615, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltagallery, My family has a rock shop in Pangutich Utah that is not listed here. 2010 Airstream (Previous) CCD International . Even though it was a little dry reading, as a reference book when we were trying to find new places to explore, it was great. Antlerite, Bornite, Fluorite, Hematite, Limonite, Magnetite, Pyrite, Cerussite, Galena, Quartz, Barite, Chalcopyrite, Chrysocolla, Malachite. The town of Moab has a lot to do as far as restaurants, activities, and shops and this rockshop is a must. As you begin to explore the different areas in Northern Utah, please be aware of areas that may be private property and either as the owner if you can enter or stay out of it and respect the owners privacy. Its a glassy volcanic product with gorgeous multicolored bands running throughout. Rockhounding is free to the public at this geode-hunting hotspot in Utah's West Desert. We're not really rockhounds but enjoy poking around. That entire area of the Morrison Formation is rich in rockhounding sites. Gypsum (sometimes called dirty diamonds) is a common sulfate mineral that is created from salt in evaporated water. Ive found some of the best clusters even just walking the grounds. Top lid section of a smoky and calcite geode I was successfully able to chissel out from a boulder. Linda has one more spot she would like to go rockhounding and we had hoped to reach it before dark. No water is available. I'm pretty sure it's on BLM land. Youre doing it wrong if you think road trip pit stops are boring layovers on your way to more exciting destinations. Rockhounding Utah is an excellent destination for rock hounding. It is a small store, but there are some large bins outside with chunks and slabs for purchase by the pound. Rockhounding near Jordanelle Resavoir, Park City, Utah! Thanks for the information! To crack open a geode, place the rock inside a cloth sack to avoid flying shards and hit it swiftly with a hammer or large rock. Located west of the Wasatch Mountains and Skyline Drive, Interstate 15 is the north-south roadway that takes most travelers to their destinations. Rockhounders can find amphibolite, which may contain hornblende, actinolite, and plagioclase. We were up there for hours today, most of the area is now being bulldozed under for a new multi billion dollar neighborhood and equestrian project. A billion years of geological history surrounds Salt Lake City, where a modern landscape reflects ancient constraints. Information: Gypsum can be found in the mud at this site, and oolitic sand dunes can be found on the west side of the island. ST. GEORGE What is rockhounding and how would a novice rockhound get started? Utahs geodes are often a few inches in diameter and the brownish-gray shell contains white, purple, blue and occasionally pink crystals. RVs and large trailers are not recommended. Will definitely stop again! Would like to see you again. Let me know if you have any questions. Cinnabar, alunite, calcite, chlorite, fluorite, amethyst, quartz, selenite, opal, and other minerals can all be found in the area. Trilobites are small, prehistoric marine invertebrates that roamed the shallow sea which covered Utah millions of years ago. cedar ponds washington rockhounding 27 Feb. cedar ponds washington rockhounding. Sometimes, the ground has shifted and the layers wont exactly line up, but I found more success when I followed a particular layer. Box 122 Hinckley UT, 84635 435-864-8823 E-mail: anewdiginc@frontiernet.net website Apache Tears The last gas station is in Corinne, so top off your tank and take state Route 83 to the northwest. Drive six miles west on Antelope Drive to the Great Salt Lake. Top lid section of a smoky and calcite geode I was successfully able to chissel out from a boulder. So sad. It's often found underwater when the water level rises. It is a wonderful place to observe some really fantastic geology and to do some great rockhounding. Getting to Wendover can be a bumpy and dirty ride. Iron is a common mineral in Utahs biome, so wonderstone found here often features these colors. Utah rockhounding locations. Limestone shale is a type of sedimentary rock made from a compressed mixture of clay and silt. Here you may find the ruby red semi-precious gems in the rocky volcanic outcrops. He says that is where you are most likely to find a few treasures. Rockhounding near Jordanelle Reservoir, Park City, Utah Great smoky quartz and rainbow citrine location for rockhounds. From what I understand, the current owners are actually trying to sell this rock shop (as well as the septarian claim that goes along with it) so that they might spend more time with their family. Fossils of Brachiopods, sponges, worm tracks, and phylocarids can also be found. It is difficult, however, to find a complete, unbroken fossil. I'm happy to share this new rockhounding spot with everybody and hope you all find something outstanding. We have an instagram page you can look at. The metamorphic structure of this quartzite . This quarry contains (you guessed it) wonderstone. Here's a calcite geode with bright citrine and some light smoky crystals towards the bottom. Spiral Jetty is on the northern shore of the Great Salt Lake. This 123 mile (198 km) highway connects US-89, just south of Panguitch and Torrey (intersection with Utah State Route 24). Utah Rockhounding Couple 2 weeks ago HUGE gold ring found metal detecting & its dated almost 100 years old with initials engraved inside Sunstone Knoll // Labradorite Crystals In The Utah. In 17.7 miles, turn left onto 7200 N Road/W Golden Spike Drive N. In 6.6 miles, turn left (south) on 22000 W Road/Golden Spike Road. These include amethyst, garnet, hematite, opal, and Topaz. Two rock hounding areas lie on Arizona's far eastern edge, within an hour's drive of Safford. Birdeye Marble Quarry is about a 73-mile drive from Salt Lake City. With median home value at $868,100, there is an affluent feel to the area. A 4-wheel drive vehicle is needed to get to and around the site. The unusual landforms are the result of weathering, mass wasting, and erosion . Rockhounding Utah: A Guide To The State's Best Rockhounding Sites (Rockhounding Series) $19.59 Completely updated and revised Full color images Each description of the 86 state's sites includes concise information on the material to be found there, the tools to bring, the best season to visit and what type of vehicle to drive. Whole and split, as well as conjoined and misshapen, Moqui Marbles can be found embedded in Southern Utahs sandstone walls or covering the ground and pooling in shallow divots. Gypsum can be collected with a rake and shovel. Im excited because Green River is one of my favorite locations in Utah to hound. Turn right (South) onto US-89 and drive 10.1 miles into the town of Panguitch, 4. Take a photo, note the location and contact your local BLM office. G.K. Gilbert Geologic View Park. They had some great cut and polished septarians and some cool fossils, but there was a lot of touristy stuff. . As long as you have the right gear, you can find various rocks and meteorites in the strewn fields and national parks of Arizona. Maplewood Rock & Gem Club - Lynnwood. Bowenite vs Nephrite: What Are They, And Whats The Difference? Arizona's National Parks. Large rock shop. It is a picturesque area; the slide is 40 feet high, and each side is 25 feet apart. A sledgehammer might be required to break apart the rhyolite to get to the gems in these cavities. Look for a Mormon heritage historical pillar on your right marking the dirt road turnoff leading West into the Muddy Creek area and turn onto this road, 6. These crystals are found in cavities in light or dark grey rhyolite. And he even manages to find the time to run a shop in the meantime! If you are feeling adventurous, the Golden Spike Connection, where the first transcontinental railroad was completed, is just 15.5 miles away from the jetty. Guardsman Pass is just another great spot to stop and try your luck searching for rocks and stones. They also offer free rockhounding excursions right from their store (notifications of any upcoming trips are usually just handwritten on a note on the door of their shop or you can always give them a call to find out more). Federal lands, such as BLM and U.S. Forest Service lands, generally permit recreational rockhounding in reasonable quantities. Septarian comes from the latin septum (partition). **Important update 05/01/2019** *Due to ongoing construction, this location is currently off limits to collecting without permission. This shop is run out of the back room of a convenience store on main street in Enterprise Utah. This behemoth resort, the largest in the United States, is just one of Utah's multiple world-class mountain resorts. Location: West of Delta off of Highway 6 I do not know of the sites near there, but collecting vertebrate fossils on public lands is illegal in the United States, including Utah state lands.. Also all rock collecting is illegal in National Parks and Monuments. Thousands of people visit Utah to tour its beautiful rock formations, but few realize that rockhounding northern Utah is really a thing. Yellow calcite with small smoky quartz crystals. It is adjacent to the business where they cut the headstones for the cemetery (and rightfully sothey probably have some large rock saws in the back). No such luck as we pull off of Hwy 70 at Crescent Junction and . Utah Septarian nodules are among the finest in the world with others being found in England, New Zealand, Morocco, and Madagascar. Rockhounding Around The WorldScience QuestionsLearn About Different Kinds of Rocks, About UsPrivacy PolicyTerms Of UseArchives. Southern Utah is a veritable playground for rockhounds, offering a wide variety of location types including old mining dumps, stream and river gravels, washes, draws, and placer deposits. https://rockhoundingutah.com/miscellaneous/rock-shows/, Lake Mountains-Goethite Pseudomorph After Pyrite. Spread out all over his desk and in the glass cases are lots of cut and ready to be set jewelry pieces. Be mindful of collecting rules. They run a rock shop out of one of the buildings behind their house and the actual shop where they work their magic is at the end of the driveway even further back. Plus you get someone who is knowledgeable about the whole spiritual and healing side of minerals, if that is what you are into. State-specific rockhounding books (including the books listed here as well as other books), regional rockhounding site guides, and other helpful rockhounding resources are identified - by category - in the Books & Gear section of Gator Girl Rocks with a link to the Gator Girl Rocks Amazon Store where you may easily browse selected resources and .