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Rockhounding in Montana

Updated July 2026

87 mapped spots across 30 counties. Montana is known for sapphires, Yogo and otherwise, and for Montana moss agate along the Yellowstone River. Fossils, garnet, quartz, and mine-dump minerals round out the main collecting list.

Where is the best rockhounding in Montana?

The best rockhounding in Montana is at Calvert Hill Mine in Beaverhead County (scheelite, garnet), Rock Creek in Granite County (quartz, sapphire), and Ruby River in Madison County (almandine garnet). In total, 87 mapped collecting spots across 30 counties produce gold, agate, and sapphire, each listed below with coordinates and land access notes.

Montana rockhounding photos

Representative spot and material photos from locations in this state, shown where verified public image records are available.

5 photos

Map showing 87 rockhounding spots in Montana

Top minerals found in Montana

Counts reflect how many spots in this list mention each mineral.

Notable areas: Yellowstone moss agate, Rock Creek and Gem Mountain sapphires, Crazy Mountain agate, and Madison County garnet are common Montana targets.

Geology behind Montana rockhounding

Four big collecting stories shape Montana: the Yogo dike and surrounding sapphire-bearing alluvials (Rock Creek, Dry Cottonwood, Eldorado Bar), the Yellowstone River moss agate gravels east of Billings, the Crazy Mountains agate beds, and the Cretaceous fossil country of the Hell Creek Formation (vertebrate fossils are federally protected — invertebrates and plant fossils are mostly collectible).

Best regions to focus your search

Sapphire country (Rock Creek, Gem Mountain, Eldorado Bar)

Pay-to-dig sapphire mines around Philipsburg and Helena. The Yogo dike near Utica is patented and closed to the public; surrounding gravels are sometimes open.

Yellowstone River corridor

Montana moss agate in gravel bars along the Yellowstone from Custer County to the North Dakota line. Surface collecting on BLM and unposted river bars.

Crazy Mountains & central Montana

Bridger Range fossils, Crazy Mountains banded agates, and quartz crystals in pockets. USFS land covers much of the higher country.

Hell Creek country (eastern Montana)

Cretaceous fossils — vertebrate finds are federal property and not collectible; ammonites, leaves, and petrified wood are legal in personal-use amounts on BLM.

Best season

May–October. The Yellowstone gravels are easiest in late summer when river levels drop and expose fresh bars. Sapphire mines open Memorial Day to late September.

What to bring

Sapphire digs: the mines supply concentrates and screens; bring a tray and tweezers. Yellowstone moss agate: a small backpack and a stiff rake for working pebble bars. Eastern Montana: 4WD and full water — services are far apart.

Local collecting history

Yogo sapphire was discovered in 1894 by prospectors who first thought the cornflower-blue stones were worthless. The Yogo dike has produced more than $25 million in sapphires; it is currently inactive but the deposit is patented private property and closed to public collecting.

Rockhounding near major Montana cities

Day-trip range. Each section lists the closest mapped rockhounding spots within about 150 miles of the city — most are inside a 2 to 3 hour drive.

Neighboring states with rockhounding

Geology rarely respects state borders. These states share mapped rockhounding country with Montana — useful when Montana is the start, not the whole trip. Each card links to the closest county across the line.

Rockhounding by county in Montana

County pages are linked once we have at least 3 mapped spots for a focused guide with coordinates, mineral notes, and nearby spots.

Top picks in Montana

10 best spots

Hand-picked standouts from the Montana list, chosen for unusual mineralogy, documented public access, or both. Each card links to coordinates, access notes, and what to look for.

Every rockhounding spot in Montana

Sorted by county. Tap coordinates to open in Google Maps, or open RockHoundR for the full map view with land overlays and weather.

SpotCountyMineralsCoordinatesAccess
ArgentaLong John RoadBeaverhead County45.3068, -112.8866Public
Calvert Hill MineCalvert Loop RoadBeaverhead County45.8489, -113.1524Public
Crystal ParkBeaverhead County45.4864, -113.0999Paid / fee
Frying Pan BasinBeaverhead County45.2933, -112.7336Public
Grasshopper CreekPioneer Mountains Scenic BywayBeaverhead County45.3648, -113.1244Public
Big Horn CanyonRoute 211Big Horn County45.3130, -107.9604Permission
Pryor MountainsBad Pass RoadBig Horn County45.2386, -108.2675Permission
Confederate GulchDuck Creek RoadBroadwater County46.4745, -111.3944Public
RadersburgKeating Gulch RoadBroadwater County46.1921, -111.6645Public
WinstonWeasel Creek RoadBroadwater County46.4379, -111.6981Public
Bear CanyonBear Canyon RoadCarbon County45.0818, -108.5258Public
FrombergCarbon County45.3930, -108.9316Public
AlzadaMT 323Carter County45.0293, -104.4064Public
MonarchTrail 122Cascade County47.0973, -110.8161Public
Narrow Gauge GulchSouth Main StreetCascade County46.9197, -110.7241Public
NeihartRock Creek RoadCascade County46.9458, -110.7240Public
VaughnSunnyside AvenueCascade County47.5691, -111.5511Public
Custer CountyCuster County46.3963, -105.8981Public
Cracker Box CreekRoad 253Dawson County46.9131, -104.9209Public
GlendiveI 94Dawson County47.1149, -104.6650Public
Sand CreekDawson County46.9279, -104.8178Public
Dry Cottonwood Creekcdt-alt LeyDeer Lodge County46.2206, -112.6851Public
French CreekDeep Creek RoadDeer Lodge County45.9474, -113.0605Public
GeorgetownCable Mountain RoadDeer Lodge County46.1999, -113.2176Public
Lost CreekLost Creek RoadDeer Lodge County46.2087, -113.0032Permission
GiltedgeMaiden RoadFergus County47.1459, -109.2354Public
Bakers HoleConservation LaneGallatin County44.7108, -111.0956Permission
Horseshoe HillsGallatin County46.0223, -111.2712Public
ManhattanHorseshoe Cottonwood RoadGallatin County45.9093, -111.4056Public
Mount BlackmoreBlackmore TrailGallatin County45.4447, -111.0035Public
SalesvilleGateway South RoadGallatin County45.5881, -111.2086Public
Black Pine MineFS 678Granite County46.4478, -113.3669Public
Gem Mountain Sapphire MineGranite County46.2467, -113.5922Public
Gem Mountain Sapphire MineGranite County
    		46.2468, -113.5917Paid / fee
    PhillipsburgGranite RdGranite County46.3193, -113.2805Public
    Rock CreekRock Creek RoadGranite County46.3912, -113.6830Public
    Bear Paw MountainsHill County48.2371, -109.5820Public
    BasinJefferson County46.2960, -112.2327Public
    CorbinPowder House RoadJefferson County46.3927, -112.0831Public
    Elkhorn MountainIron Mountain RoadJefferson County46.2909, -111.9359Public
    Jack CreekJack Creek RoadJefferson County46.3725, -112.2872Public
    PipestoneCamp Caroline RoadJefferson County45.9555, -112.3869Public
    WhitehallPaul Gulch RoadJefferson County45.9179, -112.0411Public
    Wickes & ClancyPowder House RoadJefferson County46.3925, -112.0829Public
    Yogo GulchYogo TrailJudith Basin County46.9219, -110.4548Public
    American BarLewis and Clark County46.8131, -111.9292Public
    HelenaMRL Service RoadLewis and Clark County46.6539, -112.1266Public
    Magpie GulchMagpie Gulch RoadLewis and Clark County46.6629, -111.6610Public
    Missouri RiverDanas Point DriveLewis and Clark County46.7284, -111.8746Public
    Spokane Bar Sapphire MineCastles RoadLewis and Clark County46.6646, -111.8111Public
    LibbyNational Forest Development Road 618Lincoln County48.3039, -115.5964Public
    SylvaniteYaak River RoadLincoln County48.7082, -115.8751Public
    Bismark MineMammoth South Boulder RoadMadison County45.6129, -112.0490Public
    EnnisMadison County45.1931, -111.9394Public
    Finnegan RidgeMadison County45.5038, -111.3832Permission
    Gem MountainMadison County45.3430, -112.3560Paid / fee
    Gravelly RangeGravelly Range RoadMadison County45.0917, -111.8567Public
    Jefferson RiverPrimrose LaneMadison County45.6902, -112.2745Public
    Mill CanyonMadison County45.6968, -112.1247Public
    Pole CreekMadison County45.5769, -111.5247Permission
    Ruby RiverUpper Ruby RoadMadison County45.2615, -112.0996Public
    South Boulder RiverSouth Boulder RoadMadison County45.7263, -111.9747Public
    Virginia CityGrant MineMadison County45.2758, -111.9512Public
    White Creek30007Meagher County46.6277, -111.4134Public
    Cedar Creek and Trout CreekMineral County47.1738, -114.8783Public
    Ninemile CreekNinemile RoadMissoula County47.1357, -114.5190Public
    CarbellaRock Creek Road SouthPark County45.2175, -110.9273Public
    GardinerSin Nombre RoadPark County45.0443, -110.6063Public
    JardineCrevice Top RoadPark County45.0472, -110.5953Public
    LivingstonTrail's EndPark County45.6802, -110.6214Public
    MinerTom Miner Creek RoadPark County45.1918, -110.9271Public
    Yellowstone RiverMyers LanePark County45.6285, -110.5678Public
    LanduskyRitch StreetPhillips County47.9154, -108.6127Public
    Brown’s LakeBrowns Lake RoadPowell County46.9502, -113.0155Permission
    GoldcreekI 90;US 12Powell County46.5945, -112.9434Public
    PioneerPowell County46.5139, -112.9638Public
    FallonRiver RoadPrairie County46.8530, -105.0782Public
    Hatchet CreekPrairie County46.8704, -105.0726Public
    TerryBroadview Bench RoadPrairie County46.7727, -105.2599Public
    Crystal Mountain MineFS 74919Ravalli County46.0066, -113.8881Public
    SulaRavalli County45.8688, -113.9820Public
    White Cloud MineEight Mile Creek RoadRavalli County46.6526, -113.9371Public
    Brown’s GulchSilver Bow County46.0144, -112.6848Public
    ButteClark StreetSilver Bow County46.0206, -112.5463Public
    Old Nye Picnic AreaMountain View RoadStillwater County45.3883, -109.9005Public
    HyshamTreasure County46.1774, -107.1790Public
    Yellowstone River (Billings area)Highway 312Yellowstone County45.9054, -108.3174Public

    Montana rockhounding FAQ

    Is rockhounding legal in Montana?+
    Yes on BLM and USFS land under the BLM 25 lb/day, 250 lb/year rule. Yellowstone, Glacier, all Montana State Parks, and tribal lands are closed. Vertebrate fossils are federally protected on public land — only collect plant and invertebrate fossils.
    Where can I dig sapphires in Montana?+
    The pay-to-dig sapphire mines around Philipsburg (Gem Mountain, Sapphire Gallery) and Helena (Spokane Bar, Castles Gold and Sapphire) are the easiest legal access. Rock Creek deposits are mostly patented. The original Yogo dike near Utica is closed to public collecting.
    Can I keep dinosaur bones I find in Montana?+
    Not on federal land. The Paleontological Resources Preservation Act makes vertebrate fossils on BLM, USFS, and NPS land federal property. On private ranchland with the owner's permission, vertebrate fossils belong to the landowner — many ranches in the Hell Creek country lease dig rights.
    Where can I collect Montana moss agate?+
    On BLM-managed gravel bars along the Yellowstone River from roughly Forsyth east to the North Dakota border, plus public-access fishing sites. Avoid private ranchland on the river — much of the bank is posted.
    What rocks and minerals can you find in Montana?+
    Common targets include Montana moss agate, sapphires (fee-dig), Madison County garnet, Crazy Mountains agate, ammonites, petrified wood, and mine-dump copper and silver minerals in Butte and Philipsburg.

    Map every Montana spot in the app

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