Rockhounding Guides
Field-tested rockhounding guides: federal and state rules, gear that earns its weight, and where to dig legally without a permit.
Beginner
Land Access
- 11 min readBLM Rockhounding Rules by State: A Complete Guide to Collecting on Public LandWhat you can collect on Bureau of Land Management land, daily and annual limits, and where to check the rules for each state.Read guide →
- 9 min readNational Forest Rockhounding Rules: Where Casual Collecting Is AllowedU.S. Forest Service rules for rockhounding, gold panning, and mineral collecting — by region and ranger district.Read guide →
Where to Hunt
- 8 min readWhere to Rockhound Without a Permit in the United StatesStates and federal areas where you can collect rocks and minerals legally with no permit, plus the limits to know.Read guide →
- 10 min readEvery U.S. State Gemstone, Rock, and MineralAll 50 U.S. state gemstones, rocks, and minerals — what they are, where they were chosen, and where rockhounds can find them.Read guide →