Where can I hunt for rocks and minerals?

[agateboy]

I know this may seem like a stupid question but I do not want to remove anything from a place where it is not allowed. I would like to start searching for cools rocks and minerals, but do not want to get in trouble. Is there anyone else on this forum into this sort of thing?

 

[AuAL]

It will depend on your local jurisdiction, but gazetted National Parks are generally off-limits most places. (Take nothing but photos, leave nothing but footprints. And even this is too much for some. ) Private property is generally OK, but please seek permission from the owner first. If you have to climb a fence to get to it, someone wants to know. (Trespassing on mining claims can get you shot in some places. They often don’t have fences…) Public lands are OK but don’t go overboard. (Maybe don’t carry a shovel. If you can see it and pick it up, it’s generally fair game.) Also, be sensitive to local indigenous beliefs. Collecting from sacred sites is often proscribed. You may want to see if you can find a local lapidary club or association - they will often arrange fossicking trips. Welcome to the world of the rockhound.

 

[VictorR]

I agree with @AuAL that your local lapidary / rockhound club is probably a good place to start for advice specific to your area.

Also, check with your local library as many regions have books published that identify where different minerals can be found, and access rules / requirements.

In some places there are private mines which are open to the public where you pay an access fee and/or by the weight for rocks removed.

 

[Levitat0r]

Pro tip: if you hunt for mud, it's easy to hit paydirt. Dirt is a mineral, right?

 

[SusanLR]

I've been into rock hunting all my life.
Being from Arizona, it is a big hobby there.
As far as where to hunt, a lot also depends on where you live.
Dry riverbeds were good in the desert.

When I lived in Missouri, there were so many places around the Ozark mountains
and country land that no one cared if people were walking on or hunting and fishing on, it was easy to just walk and look.

Now in Florida, it isn't as easy. Most of the wild areas are swamps.
Places I've looked around here are usually around open areas next to the bay or intercoastal waters.
You can get lucky most anywhere if you keep a sharp eye for such.
I walked three feet from my back porch once after a rain and found a nice Megalodon tooth.

Rocks and crystals are a special interest and I have them all over the house.
Although I admit, some of the specialty ones that aren't native to here, I have bought at rock shops. Such as Shiva lingams and large Obsidian chunks.

 

[Neonatal RRT]

I know this may seem like a stupid question but I do not want to remove anything from a place where it is not allowed. I would like to start searching for cools rocks and minerals, but do not want to get in trouble. Is there anyone else on this forum into this sort of thing?

Yes. I am a bit of a "rockhound". The internet is a wonderful search engine. So, for me, locally, all I have to do is type in say, "Where to find agates in Michigan?", "Where to find fossils in Ohio?", "Where to find geodes in Indiana?", "Where to find gems in North Carolina?", and so on. You will have several "hits".

 

[agateboy]

Thank you very much everybody

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

My sister is a geologist and her husband a mining engineer, they go to a town called Bancroft for a yearly rock show to get rocks. Lots of rocks up there northern Ontario.

 

[Tom]

I just did casual rock hunting when young. Best place I found was in Badlands North Dakota and Black Hills South Dakota. Their are badlands areas in both North and South Dakota. Those places are amazing in that you just might stumble on dinosaur bones, which was really an ultimate dream. If you are just picking up pretty rocks, mineral samples, no one really cares, but if you find something really interesting report it and your cool I think. The university found a Triceratops in the North Dakota badlands while I was stationed there and I was just reading about a big find in the South Dakota section last week. Forget what it was though.

 

[Levitat0r]

I found some silicon dioxide deposits at the beach once.