Fraser River Gravels: Rockhounding in Fraser Valley Regional District, British Columbia

About Fraser River Gravels

The gravel bars of the Fraser River near Agassiz and Chilliwack are among British Columbia's best-known rockhounding grounds, producing agate, jasper, soapstone and nephrite jade. The jade is alluvial: the Bridge River drains in situ nephrite sources in the Cadwallader Range and carries the material into the Fraser, which spreads it along bars far downstream. Fraser agates are typically translucent rather than boldly banded. The bars shift with every flood, and searching is a low-water activity, with fresh material exposed after the spring freshet recedes and through late summer, fall and winter.

Rockhounding the Fraser River →

Quick details

Access

Public area

County

Fraser Valley Regional District

Province

British Columbia

Postal code

V2R 0B5

Coordinates

49.11223, -121.95017

Land & collecting status

Generally open to casual rockhounding

Most public-tagged spots in Canada sit on Crown land or public foreshore where casual hand collecting is generally allowed in reasonable amounts for personal use. Confirm posted rules and local bylaws before you dig.

Collecting rules in Canada are set provincially and by land owner. Crown land and many public beaches allow casual hand collecting, while provincial and national parks are off-limits. Confirm the rules for this site before you dig.

Found at Fraser River Gravels

• ChalcedonyEncyclopedia →
• QuartzEncyclopedia →