RockHoundR

Rockhounding in Washington

Updated October 2026

100 mapped spots for rock hunting and rock collecting across 30 counties. Washington has good public access for agate, petrified wood, quartz crystals, geodes, and fossils. Saddle Mountain, Walker Valley, Hansen Creek, and the Stonerose fossil site at Republic are the names most rockhounds start with.

Where is the best rockhounding in Washington?

The best rockhounding in Washington is at Crescent Beach in Clallam County (agate, chert), Red Top Mt. and Teanaway Ridge in Kittitas County (blue agate geode), and Liberty in Kittitas County (gold). In total, 100 mapped collecting spots across 30 counties produce agate, gold, and jasper, each listed below with its land access.

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Every rockhounding spot in Washington

Washington rockhounding photos

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

5 photos

Top minerals found in Washington

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

Notable areas: Walker Valley geodes, Hansen Creek quartz and amethyst, Saddle Mountain petrified wood, and Stonerose Eocene fossils are common Washington targets.

Geology behind Washington rockhounding

Eastern Washington is largely covered by Miocene Columbia River Basalts, which buried and silicified forests now collected as Saddle Mountain and Beverly petrified wood. The Cascades expose altered volcanics with quartz pockets and geodes, including Hansen Creek and Walker Valley. In the northeast, the Republic lake beds at Stonerose produce Eocene plant and insect fossils.

Best regions to focus your search

Eastern Washington (Saddle Mountain, Beverly)

Petrified wood including Ginkgo wood (outside the state park), agate, and jasper in the Columbia Basin. Hot and dry in summer.

Western Cascades (Walker Valley, Hansen Creek)

Walker Valley geodes near Mount Vernon, Hansen Creek quartz and amethyst crystals near Snoqualmie. Wet and brushy, gloves and boots required.

Okanogan Highlands (Republic, Stonerose)

Eocene plant and insect fossils at the Stonerose Interpretive Center. Pay an entry fee, get a permit, dig the lakebed shale, and keep up to three specimens per visit.

Olympic Peninsula & Coast

Beach agates, jasper, and fossil wood along the Pacific shoreline. Olympic National Park is closed to collecting; nearby state and tribal beaches have separate rules.

Best season

East side: April–October. West side: drier May–September. Stonerose: open May 1 through October 31, weather dependent.

What to bring

Cascade locations need rain gear and waterproof boots much of the year. East-side desert spots need sun protection and water. Stonerose loans hammers but bring safety glasses and a hand lens.

Local collecting history

Washington designated petrified wood as its state gem in 1975. Near Vantage, the Ginkgo Petrified Forest preserves trees buried by basalt flows about 15 million years ago.

Rockhounding near major Washington 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.

Rockhounding near Seattle

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6 closest spots to Seattle, WA.

  • IssaquahKing County · Amber18 mi23 min drive
  • SultanSnohomish County · Gold30 mi38 min drive
  • Gold BarSnohomish County · Gold34 mi42 min drive
  • Granite FallsSnohomish County · Gold36 mi45 min drive
  • Hansen Creek Opal MineKing County40 mi50 min drive
  • Money CreekKing County · Gold41 mi51 min drive

Rockhounding near Spokane

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6 closest spots to Spokane, WA.

  • Spokane, WashingtonSpokane County1 mi1 min drive
  • Silver HillSpokane County · Cassiterite8 mi10 min drive
  • ChattaroySpokane County · Garnet, Quartz16 mi20 min drive
  • Daybreak MineSpokane County · Autunite22 mi28 min drive
  • SettersKootenai County · Opal24 mi30 min drive
  • MondoviLincoln County · Opal, Fire Opal29 mi37 min drive

Rockhounding near Yakima

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6 closest spots to Yakima, WA.

  • Cairn Hope PeakYakima County · Petrified Wood, Opalized Wood25 mi32 min drive
  • Columbia RiverKittitas County · Opalized Wood, Petrified Wood31 mi39 min drive
  • MattawaGrant County · Opalized Wood33 mi42 min drive
  • EllensburgKittitas County · Geode34 mi42 min drive
  • Petrified Forest State ParkKittitas County · Opalized Wood, Petrified Wood35 mi44 min drive
  • MabtonYakima County · Petrified Wood, Opalized Wood39 mi49 min drive

Neighboring states with rockhounding

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

Rockhounding by county in Washington

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 Washington

10 best spots

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

Fee digs and gem mining in Washington

1 place in Washington where you pay to dig and keep what you find. Prices and seasons change, so check with the operator before you drive out.

  • Hansen Creek Opal MineKing County

Rock and mineral clubs in Washington

23 clubs in Washington. Clubs run field trips, shows and workshops, and many trips go to private claims you can't reach alone.

All 23 Washington clubs →

Washington rockhounding FAQ

Is rockhounding legal in Washington?+
Yes, but rules vary by agency. BLM land generally follows the 25 lb/day, 250 lb/year recreational rule, Washington DNR sites such as Walker Valley have posted local rules, and some Forest Service units require a free-use permit. Olympic, Mt. Rainier, and North Cascades National Parks, plus Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park and other Washington State Parks, are closed to collecting.
Can I dig at Walker Valley?+
Yes. Walker Valley is a long-running geode-and-agate dig on DNR land near Mount Vernon. It's free to dig and open year-round, weather permitting. Bring gads, a pick, and rain gear, the ground is wet most of the year.
Where can I collect petrified wood in Washington?+
Saddle Mountain and the Beverly area in the Columbia Basin produce gem-grade petrified wood on BLM land under the 25 lb/day rule. The Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park itself is closed to collecting, you collect on the BLM land around it, not inside the park.
Do I need a permit for the Stonerose fossil bed?+
Yes. Stonerose in Republic charges a daily entry fee that includes a permit and tool rental. You may keep up to three significant specimens per visit, staff inspect finds and retain scientifically important specimens for the museum.
What rocks and minerals can you find in Washington?+
Common targets include petrified wood (Saddle Mountain area, Cle Elum blue agate, ginkgo wood), agate and jasper, Walker Valley geodes, Hansen Creek quartz and amethyst, beach agates on the Olympic coast, and Eocene plant fossils at Stonerose.
Where can I go rock hunting in Washington?+
Rock hunting, rock collecting and rockhounding are the same hobby under different names. 100 spots are mapped in Washington, 80 of them with public access. Clallam County, Kittitas County, and Lewis County have the most.
Is there gem mining or pay-to-dig in Washington?+
Yes. 1 fee dig is mapped in Washington, where you pay to dig and keep what you find: Hansen Creek Opal Mine. Prices and seasons change, so check with the operator before you drive out.
Where can I dig for crystals in Washington?+
11 mapped spots in Washington report quartz, amethyst, or smoky quartz, mostly in Okanogan County, Pacific County, and Clark County. Each one is in the list on this page with its land access.
Can you find geodes in Washington?+
Yes. 10 mapped spots in Washington report geodes, mostly in Lewis County, Kittitas County, and Skagit County.
Where can I go gold panning in Washington?+
22 mapped spots in Washington report gold, mostly in Snohomish County, Asotin County, and Clallam County. Check for mining claims before you pan: working someone else's claim is not allowed.

Map every Washington spot in the app

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