COLLECTING ROCKS IN THE NORTHWEST

A wide variety of rocks, minerals and semi-precious gemstones is available for collecting on public land in Oregon and Washington. Most BLM and USFS lands are open to rock collecting. Some areas, such as Glass Buttes obsidian area and a public sunstone area in the BLM Lakeview District, have been specifically set aside for this purpose.

Collectors should note that there are some restrictions and a permit may be required, depending on the amount of material you collect, how you collect it, where you collect, and whether the material will be used commercially.

Learn more about rockhounding on the Oregon Department of Geology web site.