RockHoundR

Gem Mining and Fee Dig Sites in the US

112 pay-to-dig gem mines, ranches, and sluice operations across 28 states, every one mapped with coordinates. You pay for access, you keep what you find.

Fee digs are the easiest legal entry into rockhounding: the ground is proven, the access question is settled, and most operations rent screens and tools on site. They range from world-famous operations like diamond and opal digs to small family ranches that open a field after each plow. Fees, hours, and seasons change often and are set by the operators, so confirm details with the site itself before driving out.

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Every fee dig and gem mine in the US

New York (13 fee digs)

  • Ace of Diamonds MineHerkimer CountyHerkimer Diamond
  • Crystal DazeFulton CountyHerkimer Diamond
  • Crystal Grove Diamond MineFulton CountyHerkimer Diamond
  • Diamond Acres MineMontgomery CountyHerkimer Diamond, Quartz
  • Diamond Acres MineMontgomery County
  • Diamond Mountain MiningHerkimer CountyGarnet, Epidote, Quartz
  • Herkimer Diamond MinesHerkimer County
  • Herkimer Mountain Diamond MineMontgomery CountyHerkimer Diamond
  • Hidden Gem MineHerkimer CountyHerkimer Diamond
  • Mohawk ValleyMontgomery CountyHerkimer Diamond
  • Russell Family MineHerkimer CountyHerkimer Diamond
  • Soul Phamily FarmMontgomery CountyHerkimer Diamond
  • Treasure Mountain MineHerkimer CountyQuartz, Fluorite, Calcite, Galena

Arkansas (11 fee digs)

Nevada (9 fee digs)

  • Bonanza Opal MineHumboldt CountyOpal
  • Bonanza Opal MinesHumboldt County
  • GemfieldEsmeralda CountyChalcedony
  • Kokopelli Opals MineHumboldt CountyOpal
  • Pleiades MineLander CountyFluorite
  • Rainbow Ridge Opal MineHumboldt County
  • Royal Blue MineNye CountyTurquoise
  • Royal Peacock Opal MineHumboldt CountyBlack Opal, Fire Opal
  • Royal Peacock Opal MinesHumboldt CountyOpal

North Carolina (9 fee digs)

Oregon (9 fee digs)

  • Blue Mountain MineMalheur CountyJasper
  • Double Eagle MineLake CountySunstone
  • Lucky Strike MineCrook CountyThunderegg
  • Outlaw Rocks Mining CompanyKlamath County
  • Priday Agate BedsJefferson CountyAgate, Chalcedony, Jasper, Opal
  • Richardson's Rock RanchJefferson CountyThunderegg
  • Spectrum Sunstone MineLake CountySunstone
  • Spectrum Sunstone MineKlamath CountyOregon Sunstone
  • Wheeler High School Fossil BedsWheeler CountyFossil

California (6 fee digs)

Maine (6 fee digs)

Montana (5 fee digs)

  • Blaze N GemsLewis and Clark CountySapphire
  • Crystal ParkBeaverhead CountyAmethyst, Smoky Quartz
  • Gem MountainMadison CountySapphire
  • Gem Mountain Sapphire MineGranite County
  • Red Rock Mine & Garnet GalleryMadison CountyGarnet

New Hampshire (5 fee digs)

Arizona (4 fee digs)

Florida (3 fee digs)

Georgia (3 fee digs)

Minnesota (3 fee digs)

  • Airport PitCarlton CountyAgate
  • Moose Lake Agate PitCarlton CountyAgate
  • Soo PitCarlton CountyAgate

New Mexico (3 fee digs)

South Carolina (3 fee digs)

Utah (3 fee digs)

  • Azurite BlueberriesSan Juan CountyAzurite
  • Topaz Dome QuarryJuab County
  • Trilobyte Me! QuarryMillard CountyTrilobite Fossil

Colorado (2 fee digs)

Massachusetts (2 fee digs)

  • Betts MineHampshire CountyRhodonite
  • Bolton Lime QuarryWorcester CountyScapolite

Michigan (2 fee digs)

  • Caledonia MineOntonagon CountyNative Copper, Datolite
  • Howard City Gem MineKent County

Missouri (2 fee digs)

  • Haunted Ridge RocksWashington County
  • Hawks Bluff Farm Rocks and DrusyWashington County

Wyoming (2 fee digs)

  • Eden ValleySweetwater CountyPetrified Wood
  • Fossil SafariLincoln County

Alabama (1 fee dig)

  • BrilliantMarion CountyPetrified Wood, Quartz

Idaho (1 fee dig)

  • Spencer Opal MineClark CountyFire Opal

Iowa (1 fee dig)

  • Geode FestLee CountyKeokuk Geode

Ohio (1 fee dig)

  • Nether's Flint FarmMuskingum CountyFlint

Virginia (1 fee dig)

Washington (1 fee dig)

  • Hansen Creek Opal MineKing County

Wisconsin (1 fee dig)

  • Wisconsin Moonstone MineMarathon CountyMoonstone

Fee dig FAQ

What is a fee dig site?+
A privately run mine, ranch, or quarry that charges for access and lets you keep what you find. Formats vary: digging your own holes in a marked field, screening pre-dug bucket material at a flume, or surface picking after a fresh plow. The fee buys you something public land cannot guarantee: certain legal access to proven ground.
Do you really keep what you find at a pay-to-dig mine?+
At nearly all fee digs, yes, everything you find within your paid session is yours. A few operations reserve museum-grade finds in their posted terms or offer to buy exceptional pieces back. Read the rules board before you start digging, not after you hit something good.
Are fee digs worth it compared to collecting on public land?+
They solve different problems. Public land collecting is free but you carry the burden of land status, claims, and regulations, and most easy surface material near roads is picked over. Fee digs cost money but put you on managed, productive ground with tools available and zero legal questions. For a first trip with kids, a fee dig is the higher-percentage day.
What should I bring to a fee dig?+
Sun protection, water, closed shoes, and gloves cover most sites. Many operations rent or provide screens, shovels, and buckets; call ahead or check their site so you do not haul gear you cannot use. Bring small bills, a cooler, and newspaper or boxes for wrapping finds.
How current is the information on this page?+
Each entry links to a detail page with coordinates and what the site produces. Fees, hours, and seasons change at the operator's discretion and are not listed here; always check the operation's own posted information or call before driving out.

Prefer digging with a group?

Rock & mineral clubs run member field trips to private ground, often the same kind of sites, without the per-visit fee.

Rock & mineral clubs →

Plan the whole trip, not just the dig

RockHoundR maps these fee digs next to free public-land spots, so you can stack a paid morning with a wild afternoon on the same drive.

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