Check out our rockhounding page for other locations that you wont want to miss, or check out some of our other location specific resources: Hey there! My favorite was the greenish semi-transparent stuff we found on the other side of the mountain. Utah's "Dinosaurland" is an exciting destination for outdoor recreation and taking a step back into prehistory. About a mile down the road is the Golden Spike National Historic Site. The Great Salt Lake is called Americas Dead Sea. Found in: Southwestern Utah Website: https://sites.google.com/site/braunlapidaryjr/ or http://braunlapidary.blogspot.com/. Rockhounding near Jordanelle Resavoir, Park City, Utah! It is a wonderful place to observe some really fantastic geology and to do some great rockhounding. The information provided in this article by YesDirt.com is for informational purposes and is subject to change. The road then switches back and heads northwest. The garnets will usually occur as single crystals attached to small cavities in the rhyolite rock, though they may weather out of the rock, and wash downhill. U-Dig Fossils supplies the tools and know-how necessary to collect and identify trilobites and other ancient marine specimens. Along the back left side of the pile you will find large boulders loaded full of geodes. At Dinosaur National Monument, you can touch 149-million-year-old fossils and feel for yourself. It is located just below Brighton, which is another worthwhile spot to stop at. No two pieces of wonderstone are exactly alike. It changes in mass according to the rain it receives and what it receives from its tributaries. 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. In speaking with the owner, it sounds like he doesnt go out rockhounding as much as he used to, but still receives a lot of new stuff all the time. From what I understand, just about any cut or dig you come across in this area should have some type of calcite coming out of it and this proved to be true in our wanderings. Collectors should be prepared to be patient and not give up until they find their treasure trove. These geodes are primarily made of different types of quartz. Thank you for the tip. Tucked away in the rugged San Rafael Swell, Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry of Jurassic National Monument is an opportunity to learn about prehistoric animals as well as witness a working dig. Maybe you will have better luck. Hi Larry! This map was created by a user. The public is not allowed to retrieve trilobites from the rock face of the quarry, but visitors can collect fossils from the piles of loose rock pulled from the quarry by commercial collectors. Anyway, thank you all for reading. Use a shovel or pickaxe to pan through the soil in search of light, 2-4" spherical rocks. Youll want to continue up some switchbacks and across a field for about .75 miles to the dig site, 8. Accessibility guidelines and restrictions change. Any rock collector, both experienced and just starting out, will be delighted by the rocks and minerals that they can discover. He has quite a variety of gems and minerals crammed into this small room/closet. It appears you can also approach this location from the East side directly from Redwood Road through a series of roads up to the pits although I have not attempted this route yet. (3) The date of the location, which shall be the date of posting the notice. Iron is a common mineral in Utahs biome, so wonderstone found here often features these colors. Ive had mixed luck each time. If you are afraid of heights or tight squeezes, this is not the trek for you. We have an instagram page you can look at. Be sure to confirm the land status and collection rules before you travel to an unfamiliar location or collect any material. As far as the shop, they have great stuff in the back. 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. Who do you have to contact for permission? Mossy red agates and botryoidal agates, which look like clusters of bubbles can also be found in the area in colors like bronze, red, purple, blue, gold, and a variety of other brilliant colors. A unique blend of intrusions in the local quartzite have produced a striking aquamarine quartzite often complemented by fired tawny layering on seam faces. The most important thing Ive found is that once you find one, youll should find several others nearby in the same layer. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MoabRockShop. The Dinosaur Diamond Prehistoric Highway is one of the best places to see dinosaurs in Utah. ST. GEORGE What is rockhounding and how would a novice rockhound get started? In general, the best places to rockhound in Utah are the gravels of streams, washes, and draws, as well as old mining dumps and rocky outcrops. There are also many animals in this area, so you want to be prepared, should you stumble upon some animals that may not want to share their space with humans. PureRadiancePhoto / Shutterstock. It is $49 for four hours and $90 per adult for eight. Rockhounding restrictions vary based on land designations. We're not really rockhounds but enjoy poking around. The best rockhounding places in Utah include Marysvale, Topaz Dome Quarry, Dugway Geode Beds, Moses Rock & Comb Ridge, San Rafael River, Agate Town, Sunstone Knoll, Hanksville, Great Salt Lake, and Black Rock, among many others. The information provided in this article by YesDirt.com is for informational purposes and is subject to change. Getting to Wendover can be a bumpy and dirty ride. Created from 6,000 tons of black basalt rock, the jetty is 15 feet wide and 1,500 feet long. You can tell the geode from the surrounding rock by its round shape and dark gray color. You will also be able to get great views of the salt flats and Pilot Peak. The FIRST EVER Green River Rock and Mineral Festival will be held March 31st-April 2 this year! A few years back we purchased a book Rock hounding Idaho: A Guide to 99 of the State's Best Rock hounding Sites (Rock hounding Series) by Garret Romaine. 2 other families visited while we were there. There is also a large area at Antelope Springs where visitors can search for fossils on the land surface. The whole front atrium of the store is a museum of priceless minerals from all over Utah. Backcountry trails beckon with the chance to discover precious gemstones, climbing routes and airy summits with expansive views across southwestern Utah. Learn how your comment data is processed. The vein itself appeared to run vertically right up the mountain. Top lid section of a smoky and calcite geode I was successfully able to chissel out from a boulder. Colors: Multi, Usually Brown & Gray Yellow calcite with small smoky quartz crystals. Travel 3.1 miles to the parking area. This location is one of the newer rock shops in Utah. Some will tell you to search in the orange colored dirt. I just stopped by Love the Art in Beaver only to find that it is empty. Rockhounding is free to the public at this geode-hunting hotspot in Utah's West Desert. Be sure to confirm the land status and collection rules before you travel to an unfamiliar location or collect any material. In 1973, three people died while digging in the area, where there was a low overhang. Rockhounding Utah is an excellent destination for rock hounding. It is difficult, however, to find a complete, unbroken fossil. Many enjoy hiking in the area, even if they are not avid rock hunters. Park City. Learn how to create your own. One of the more recent shops Ive visited. Better yet, go to one of the many outfitters in the area that can give you tips on what to look for, let you know about some good rock hunting areas, and prepare you to take on this adventure yourself. Information regarding status of state endowment trust lands can be obtained from the IDL field offices. Turn left (west) onto I-84 and drive 2 miles to the scenic viewpoint turnoff youll find just after milepost 111. Accessibility guidelines and restrictions change. What I think are delicate calcite crystals in a geode. I stopped in on a Saturday outside of their normal working hours and luckily the gentleman running the shop was dropping a few things off and said I could look around as long as I liked. Within the crystal pocket youll find yellow calcite and/or clear barite crystals or you may even find some pyrite or various fossils. Of the four rock shops in this small town, this was the one I was least impressed with. And, someone who has some. Merge onto a larger road heading Southeast and merge onto a road due east. Utah Travel Industry Website, Printable Road Trip Activity Book For Kids, Monument Valley | Highway 163 Scenic Drive, Places to Stay Near Coral Pink Sand Dunes. Thanks everyone! A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Stopped this summer at Joes rock shop! Many people choose to bring along sifters to go through their own tailings often finding even better pieces than what they had dug out. Great smoky quartz and rainbow citrine location for rockhounds. stux. See 60 traveler reviews, 133 photos and 5 blog posts . Answer 1 of 4: I'll be in the southern Utah parks next week (Bryce, Zion, Arches, Canyonlands, Torry related attractions like Escalanta Park, Little Wildhourse Canyon, Goblin Valley Park, Petrified Trail, etc). The ride itself is beautiful, but the roadway is narrow, with barely two cars fitting on the mountain at the same time. It is posted as a construction site and no trespassing. Advice? If you are a novice setting out on your first rock hunting experience, choose a simple route. Trilobites are small, prehistoric marine invertebrates that roamed the shallow sea which covered Utah millions of years ago. 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. Ive had the opportunity to visit this site a few times in the last two years. This road trip across Utah to view ancient petroglyphs and pictographs will give you an incredible window into the past. (Or A Mixture? I was super interested in the legend of a huge gold vein in Holt Canyon a few miles East of the shop, but that is a story for a different day. Any rock collector, both experienced and just starting out, will be delighted by the rocks and minerals that they can discover. It's getting late as we make our way across the lowlands of Colorado and pass the Utah state line. This 123 mile (198 km) highway connects US-89, just south of Panguitch and Torrey (intersection with Utah State Route 24). A stones throw from the Dugway Geode Beds is another mineral marvel: the aptly named Topaz Mountain. When we went, they were moving stuff around and I got the impression there had been some recent renovations. It's a remarkable resource, we use it often. Visit the park and Museum for a peek into Utahs past, plus hiking and ATV trails. Antlerite, Bornite, Fluorite, Hematite, Limonite, Magnetite, Pyrite, Cerussite, Galena, Quartz, Barite, Chalcopyrite, Chrysocolla, Malachite. 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. Incredibly friendly gentleman. Topaz, a yellowish or amber crystal, is the most common of these minerals on Topaz Mountain. Hi, great spot. Make sure that you have plenty of gas, water, food, and other necessary supplies as it is a tight drive, and you would not want to get to the top of the Canyon and find out you forgot to bring something important. Bring a rock hammer or just search the ground to locate these crystals. This elderly couple runs a rock shop right out of their basement at their house just Southeast of Marysvale Utah. Your workshop was in a building behind your home on a corner. To the west of Delta, Utah, lies a 40-acre shale quarry rich with prehistoric invertebrates called trilobites. It is the closest city to Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, and the La Sal Mountains. Fee mining sites are places where you can pay a fee to dig, pan, or search for rocks, minerals or gemstones and keep whatever you find. Check out the massive wall of necklaces and bracelets, the huge glass case full of all kinds of malachite specimens, and the cases in the room on the other side of the walkway with some of the more expensive stuff. Found in: Western Desert Items found in this area include a Graveyard and Flame agate combo, and chalcedony agate. How to Visit Rock Imagery Sites Like an Archaeologist, Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity. The fall is the best time to fetch the crystals when water is at its lowest level. Very nice people! All rights reserved. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. The Dugway Geode Beds are located southeast of Salt Lake City. Rockhounding near Jordanelle Reservoir, Park City, Utah Great smoky quartz and rainbow citrine location for rockhounds. Website: http://ordervillemine.tripod.com/. Garnet Hill is the only designated rock hounding area in the Ely District, an internationally known site for gem collectors looking for garnets. I bought a few rocks from you then. 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. 85 reviews . Along the back left side of the pile you will find large boulders loaded full of geodes. By clicking "I Agree", you consent to the use of cookies. Agate beds here are typically not marked as Wendover is not known for their rock hounding the way other areas are. Here's a link to a nearby Geocache that will get you into the area. Can anyone tell me what Im looking for? Limestone shale is a type of sedimentary rock made from a compressed mixture of clay and silt. Garnet Hill is also an excellent location to view the excavations of the massive open pit copper mines near Ruth, Nevada. Almost 70% of Utah is BLM land open for recreational rockhounding. Drive 2.13 miles on this main dirt road, (Not quite a half mile in the road splits in three and youll take the middle one that wraps around and to the left), (Note: at about 1.4 miles the road runs right through a large quarry). It's often found underwater when the water level rises. If your car is able to make it, go ahead and drive another .3 miles up and around to the top of the pits. Ive found some of the best clusters even just walking the grounds. Plus you get someone who is knowledgeable about the whole spiritual and healing side of minerals, if that is what you are into. Visited yesterday, great spot! Highway 89 is one of my favorite drives in Utah and I always enjoy being able to visit the three different rock shops all within a quarter mile of each other in the town of Orderville (as well as Joes rock shop just a mile or two North). Farmington Canyon is located in the Wasatch Mountain range, which meanders through the state and meets with the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. Website: I cant find a website for this location, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/West-Desert-Collectors/164408473584960. What I think are delicate calcite crystals in a geode. "Septarian" comes from the latin septum ("partition"). Maplewood Rock & Gem Club - Lynnwood. Rockhound State Park Campground, Deming New Mexico. They have some great stuff (even quite a few fluorescing specimens if you are into that). For more information on these and other rock hounding locations, we recommend A Collector's Guide to Rock, Mineral, and Fossil Localities of Utah by James R. Wilson and published by the Utah Geological Survey, from which some of the information below has been taken. I havent had the chance to visit this location yet. Cinnabar, alunite, calcite, chlorite, fluorite, amethyst, quartz, selenite, opal, and other minerals can all be found in the area. Add this one. Despite its troubling origins, Navajo fry bread is an inspired food of the nations people, and it can be found in many forms with various names around the southwest. Youll find lots of different information out there on how Septarians were formed so I wont go into that too much here. Utah Rock Hounding Utah is known by some as the Rock Hounding Capital of the United States! Things to note: There are four picnic sites with grills and a handicap accessible restroom available. Found lots of smoky quartz crystals and a few geodes. Northern Skyline Drive is an unimproved road that clings to the top of the mountains for over 20 miles. Rockhounding Around The WorldScience QuestionsLearn About Different Kinds of Rocks, About UsPrivacy PolicyTerms Of UseArchives. Do you need permission and is there good stuff left? These small, dense marbles'' are a conglomeration of sandstone and iron which range in size from blueberry to grapefruit. No such luck as we pull off of Hwy 70 at Crescent Junction and . You will need to purchase the Benchmark Maps Utah Atlas (http://www.benchmarkmaps.com/products-page/atlases/utahroad-recreation-atlas)to accompany their guide, but they have stencils for every page of the atlas and will set it up for you once you bring it in. Although unique and interesting rocks are available throughout the state, there are several areas of Utah that attract rock hounders from around the world. Escalantes Petrified Forest is one of the greatest preserves of petrified wood in the world, although collecting here is strictly prohibited. As long as you have the right gear, you can find various rocks and meteorites in the strewn fields and national parks of Arizona. The museum also has three wonderfully preserved petrified trees and unique movie memorabilia. Maybe it is the proximity to the city or maybe it is the numerous people shooting their guns everywhere, but many pass right by without a second thought. On Utah's public lands, amateur rock hunters can search for and collect a diverse array of rocks. Here you will find an abandoned quarry on land managed by the National Forest Service. Located west of the Wasatch Mountains and Skyline Drive, Interstate 15 is the north-south roadway that takes most travelers to their destinations. You should have to pass through a gate down into a dig that wraps all the way around a hill. I'm pretty sure it's on BLM land. Usually there are one or two things that jump out at me at each shop I go to and so my collection grows ha ha ha. Amateur and professional rock and fossil hunters in Utah enjoy some of the best rockhounding sites in the country. Online: maplewoodrockclub.com. Good luck to you on your hounding and happy digging. Official websites use .gov Thousands of people visit Utah to tour its beautiful rock formations, but few realize that rockhounding northern Utah is really a thing. The basic necessities for rockhounding are the same as any other outdoor activity, such as hiking. All in all it was disappointing. The Mineral Mountains, one of Utahs most magnificent but least known natural wonders, offer superb hikes through a rugged granite wonderland of cliffs, domes and valleys. Utah Rockhounding; Vermont Rockhounding; . Spread out all over his desk and in the glass cases are lots of cut and ready to be set jewelry pieces. . Thanks for the information! Ive included a picture in this post of a Pyrite cube cluster next to a Goethite Pseudomorph cluster for your reference. I went through and tried to reply to everyone who reached out to me via the contact form over the past several months, but please hit me up again if I missed you! At the shop you can find a variety of septarians and petrified wood around the area and then piles of other great stuff as well. (Read:How to Visit Rock Imagery Sites Like an Archaeologist). Topaz Mountain in Utahs West Desert, for example, is part of Utahs rich geological history that has left astounding deposits of rocks, minerals, fossils and gemstones across the state. If fossils are more your thing, then we recommend U-Dig Fossils. Id like to get this blog back up and going again and make sure everything is current and that I am always adding to it. Just south of The Dugway Geode Beds, Topaz Mountain is a place where you can find a variety of minerals. Location: Roughly 38 miles west of Utah Highway 6 State-By-State Rockhounding Location Guides & Maps No matter where you live in the U.S., there are likely many exciting rockhounding sites nearby. Utah Septarian nodules are among the finest in the world with others being found in England, New Zealand, Morocco, and Madagascar. When we went, he was getting ready for a rock show out in California and had some great Topaz and cabs to show us. Collecting fossils is a razor's edge, like we were telling you about up in Etiquette you gotta be extra careful with this one. Ely, NV 89301. Popular finds include trilobites, gem quality topaz, red beryl, geodes and sun stones. Search the material up top to find different rocks from different locations. Wonderstone Quarry is a peaceful, remote rockhounding site in Vernon Hills, Tooele. and can be identified by their distinct head, thorax and tail segments. There are tons of great places in Northern Utah outside of the campgrounds and state parks to add to your rock collecting locales. It was a little pricey, but that might be the price to pay for it being so close to home. Colors: Gray, Brown 3902. Directions to Lake Mountains-Banded Calcite Onyx: 6. Its close by. Would like to see you again. Hes got a good collection of spheres and small shelf specimens in the middle as well as some slabs and bigger specimens in the closet. Lots of good stuff here and most of it from Utah. If you look on the map on the locations page I placed the pin right on the dig we ended up going past and coming back to. Topaz Mountain Utah Septarian nodules are among the finest in the world with others being found in England, New Zealand, Morocco, and Madagascar. We ended up driving right up a super sketchy side road only to find that we had passed the dig entirely. From here, the road can get a little nasty and I wouldnt recommend doing it in a car. Turn left (East) on the road that goes up the hill (back toward Mt. Click herefor more information about rockhounding. The best part is the kickoff bash they hold each year where they have classes, food, a raffle, and reveal the list of field trips for the upcoming year. Rockhounders can find amphibolite, which may contain hornblende, actinolite, and plagioclase. Gypsum can be collected with a rake and shovel. At any rate, I hope that when you do go that you run into the same success we ended up having. The Park City Mining District is home to many mines and dump sites, both active and abandoned. To reach the southern part of Skyline Drive, drive north from Salt Lake City to Bountiful on I-15. cedar ponds washington rockhounding 27 Feb. cedar ponds washington rockhounding. Two rock hounding areas lie on Arizona's far eastern edge, within an hour's drive of Safford. Natural rainbow citrine side by side with smoky quartz. Tons of dinosaur fossils have been found in Utah, and plenty of them are on display in museums in the Utah Valley area. Once you start your quest, you are committed to it as there is no place to turn around in the mountain area. UFOP, c/o Utah Geological Survey, P.O. Great guy! 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. Just like in old times, Main Street is always where the action is. Lots of rocks being moved around in the fill area, we found mostly agate and some calcite but very few citrine deposits. Collectors have the opportunity to find beautiful agates, amethysts, garnets, jaspers, opals, and even the occasional nugget of gold. 801-537-3300 (phone) 801-537-3400 (fax) Mailing Address: PO BOX 146100 Top to bottom: Rainbow citrine, citrine quartz mix, white quartz, and light smoky quartz all together. Explore Red Fleet State Park's cleverly built trail that crosses sandy washes, ribs of exposed stone and a dinosaur trackway. We are plannong to be through there again 8/20 or 21. 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.. Garnet Hill Recreation Area Copyright 2023 Utah Office of Tourism. 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. Speaking of rock and mineral shows, Ive updated the https://rockhoundingutah.com/miscellaneous/rock-shows/ page for 2017. Layers of sediment preserved these arthropods as fossils which can now be found in layers of shale throughout the state. Make sure to ask to see the three displays where he keeps a lot of the miscellaneous stuff. This fine family owns the claims at the U-Dig trilobite site as well as the Dugway geode beds. From what it sounded like he does go to shows and is able to bring in new stuff occasionally which is something I really like in a rock shop. 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. This shop is run out of the back room of a convenience store on main street in Enterprise Utah. When we were coming back down the main road, we parked at a little pullout where there was a for sale sign and saw digs and cuts all over the place. They had a lot of my favorite stuff. Like the other shops, they have a small display case with some of the more expensive stuff at the front. The old route into this area is now closed. Geodes, like topaz, are a result of volcanic activity. Federal lands, such as BLM and U.S. Forest Service lands, generally permit recreational rockhounding in reasonable quantities. Laws are updated. 7. From the southern I-15/I-80 interchange in Salt Lake city: drive 11.3 miles east on I-80 to exit 134 (Mountain Dell Recreation exit). Drew us a map of local places to rockhound and chatted with us for quite a while!! Collaborative Action and Dispute Resolution. Follow Nine Mile Canyon Road into the rugged and remote Book Cliffs, where messages from the ancients interface with settlers of the West and modern ways of thinking. Since almost everything at this location is encrusted in a brownish or whitish clay, it is quite easy to lose track of these little specimens as you shovel and dig and explore about. Traverse Creek Rockhounding (California) Tips (For First Time Visitors). From Kamas, travel Utah Highway 150 (the Mirror Lake Road) east for 3 miles; make a right turn at the Willow Springs Trout Farm. The owner is very nice and seems to do a lot of everything: counseling, writing, wire wrapping, tarot/crystal readings, etc. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/White-Winds-Stone-Jewelry/154198026598. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Crystal-Ray-117209715011966. Its a glassy volcanic product with gorgeous multicolored bands running throughout. Colors: Purple, Blue, White Be careful never to undermine the walls of a hole, as cave-ins represent a significant threat. A car with 4-wheel drive is recommended but not required to access the area. Use a shovel or pickaxe to pan through the soil in search of light, 2-4 spherical rocks. Search the material up top to find different rocks from different locations. Stone from this quarry is in the Utah State Capital Building, The Mormon Chappel in Washington D.C., and the Lincon Memorial, as well as other buildings. Sundance Institute. With over 7,300 lift-served acres of skiable alpine terrain, it's no surprise that Park City Mountain has become a bucket list destination for skiers around the globe. Do not continue on the causeway to the island. There are tons of great places in Northern Utah outside of the campgrounds and state parks to add to your rock collecting locales. They had some great cut and polished septarians and some cool fossils, but there was a lot of touristy stuff. 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). Along the way, Dan takes us through some of his favorite landscapes on the drive to and from Salt Lake City.