Due to the many Wild Fires in Oregon & Washington over the last several years, some of the Field Trips below may not be accessible at this time.
The one-way miles listed in these field trips below are approximate and all start from Portland, Oregon. Click on the Lat. & Lon. coordinates below to view a Google map of the rock & mineral collecting area of interest.
As of the time these rock & mineral collecting areas below were uploaded to this page they were known public access areas. Due to changes in property ownership, some areas may no longer be open to the public. Always be mindful of not trespassing on any private property or posted mining claims.
Fossil Concretions, Jasper, Carnelian
State: Oregon
Location: Nehalem River – Clear Creek area
Lat & Lon:
One Way Miles: 35
Vehicle: Car
Amenities: No camping.
Equipment: Rock hammer, waders.
Skill Level: Novice
Directions: West from Portland on US 26 to Timber Junction. Turn north onto Vernonia Road. Drive to the bridge at Clear Creek. Search the gravel beds. Half a mile up is a bridge across the Nehalem River. Big parking lot. Search gravel beds. Further up to Vernonia, along the highway, look for concretions in sandstone outcrops.
Agates
State: Oregon
Location: Nehalem River – Spruce Run Campground area
Lat & Lon:
One Way Miles: 40
Vehicle: Car
Amenities: Campground
Equipment: Waders
Skill Level: Novice
Directions: Portland west on Highway 26 to Elsie. South on the Lower Nehalem Road. Travel south 4 miles until there are no more houses and a long straight stretch of road along the river. Also about one mile upstream from the campground. Search gravel beds.
Agates, Petrified Wood, Opal
State: Oregon
Location: Clackamas River – Memaloose area
Lat & Lon: 45.191919, -122.211697
One Way Miles: 40
Vehicle: Car
Amenities: No camping.
Equipment: Waders
Skill Level: Novice
Directions: From Highway 205, take Highway 224 to Estacada. Continue 10 miles to Memaloose Bridge. Park across the bridge. Search the gravel beds and road cuts.
Clam, Snail, Sharks Teeth, Concretions
State: Oregon
Location: Pittsburgh Bluff Formation
Lat & Lon:
One Way Miles: 40
Vehicle: Car
Amenities: limited parking
Skill Level: Novice
Equipment: Rock hammer
Directions: West on highway 36 to Nehalem highway drive past Vernonia, past Pittsburgh one mile. Just before the Scappoose-Vernonia highway and before the North Fork of the Nehalem River. Look for a sandstone bluff exposed along the highway opposite the river. The fossils occur in the bluff and roll down alongside the road. Be careful.
Agates, Petrified Wood, Bloodstone Jasper
State: Oregon
Location: Clackamas River – Fish Creek area
Lat & Lon: 45.159685, -122.153500
One Way Miles: 42
Vehicle: Car
Amenities: No camping.
Equipment: Waders
Skill Level: Novice
Directions: 15 miles south of Estacada or five miles past Memaloose Bridge is Fish Creek. Search gravel beds.
Opal, Cinnabar, Zeolites
State: Oregon
Location: Clackamas River – Lake Harriet area
Lat & Lon: 45.076147, -121.973189
One Way Miles: 48
Vehicle: Car
Amenities: Campground
Equipment: Rock hammer
Skill Level: Novice
Directions: From Estacada, head out Highway 224 south to the Ripple Brook Ranger Station. Just past the station turn left onto NF57. In 6.4 miles turn left to the lake. Drive past the camping, lake, and dam. Take the first left and park near the gate. Walk down keeping left to a bridge over a small gorge. Cross the bridge to the main location. Search tailings.
Concretions
State: Oregon
Location: Nehalem River – Jewell Quarry area
Lat & Lon: 45.999263, -123.447529
One Way Miles: 50
Vehicle: Car
Amenities: No camping.
Equipment: Rock hammer and chisel.
Skill Level: Novice
Directions: Portland east on Highway 26, north to Vernonia. North to Jewell. 0.25 miles west of Jewell, turn right on Berneke Creek Road two miles to the quarry on your right. Continue further up Beneke Creek Road for 1.2 miles to Beneke Creek access.
Amethyst Crystals
State: Oregon
Location: Shellrock Mountain area
Lat & Lon:
One Way Miles: 56
Vehicle: Car
Amenities: No camping.
Equipment: Rock hammer, chisel, and eye protection
Skill Level: Novice
Directions: I-84 past Cascade Locks to milepost 56. Look for a terraced hill. The highway department pushed the leftover rock to the canyon to the right. Look at these rocks and by the base of the cliffs.
Agates, Jasper, Zeolites
State: Oregon
Location: Short Beach area
Lat & Lon: 45.474015, -123.970182
One Way Miles: 58
Vehicle: Car
Amenities: No camping.
Equipment: Waders
Skill Level: Advanced due to long stairs to the beach.
Directions: Tillamook east on Netarts Highway. Past Netarts. At Oceanside, continue on the Cape Meares loop. In 1.5 miles find the sign to Short Beach at the Radar Road sign. Head down the stairs. Search gravel beds.
Agates, Blue Agates, Jasper, Petrified Wood
State: Oregon
Location: Cape Meares North Beach
Lat & Lon: 45.498087, -123.961334
One Way Miles: 70
Vehicle: Car
Amenities: No camping
Skill Level: Novice
Directions: Tillamook west on highway 131, Right to Bayocean Rd to the town of Cape Meares. Left. on 4th St, Right on Pacific Avenue NW. Park at end of the road. Search long gravel beds at low tides.
Fossils, Gold, Agate, Jasper
State: Oregon
Location: Beverly Beach area
Lat & Lon: 44.737709, -124.057122
One Way Miles: 76
Vehicle: Car
Amenities: Campground
Equipment: Waders
Skill Level: Advanced due to long beach hike to gold creek 2/3 mile north.
Directions: Beverly Beach State Park on Highway 101. Agates in creek beds. Gold in black sand.
Tourmaline
State: Oregon
Location: North Santiam Mining District
Lat & Lon: 44.859753, -122.264877
One Way Miles: 90
Vehicle: Car
Amenities: No Camping
Skill Level: Some Skills & Hiking
Equipment:
Directions: I-5 South to Salem, take Hwy 22 East to the Town of Gates. Turn Left going North on Gates Hill Road. Turn Right onto North Fork Road which will turn into NF-2209 and will take you to the Opal Creek Trailhead next to the Little North Santiam River.
Petrified Wood, Blue Agate
State: Oregon
Location: Ames Creek area
Lat & Lon: 44.37735, -122.6974667
One Way Miles: 105 miles
Vehicle: Car
Amenities: Car no camping.
Equipment: Waders
Skill Level: Novice
Directions: Albany to Highway 20 west to Sweet Home. Take 18th Avenue south to Ames Creek Road. 1.6 miles to river access. Search the gravel beds.
Holly Blue Agate, Jasper, Petrified Wood, Gold
State: Oregon
Location: Calapooia River area
Lat & Lon: 44.311161, -122.709592
One Way Miles: 110
Vehicle: Car
Amenities: No camping
Equipment: Waders
Skill Level: Novice
Directions: Albany to US 20 to US 228 to Holly. Take the Upper Calapooia River Road to the end of the pavement (5.6 miles). Access for the next 5.2 miles. About 15 more miles is the Calapooia River recreational mining area.
Tourmaline Crystals
State: Oregon
Location: Bohemia City area
Lat & Lon: 43.579430,-122.653427
One Way Miles:136
Vehicle: Car
Amenities: No camping.
Equipment: Rock hammer, chisel, and eye protection
Skill Level: Novice
Directions: From Cottage Grove, take Row River Road. Turn right on Sharps Creek Road and follow signs to Bohemia City (14 miles). From the Bohemia Saddle, find tourmaline in the road cuts going up to the lookout.
Agates, Petrified Myrtle Wood, Jasper, Gold
State: Oregon
Location: Whiskey Run Wayside area
Lat & Lon:
One Way Miles:174
Vehicle: Car
Amenities: No camping.
Equipment: Gold pan and sluice, metal detector
Skill Level: Novice
Directions: From Coos Bay head south on Highway 101 to the Seven Devils Road. At 2.8 miles turn left to Whiskey Run Road. The wayside is 1.4 miles. Whiskey Run Wayside is where the 1850 gold rush town of Randolph was. It was on a bluff above the wayside.
Beach Gold
State: Oregon
Location: Beverly Beach State Park
Lat & Lon: 44.7377377,-124.0570721
One Way Miles:107
Vehicle: Car
Amenities: camping at Beverly Beach State Park
Equipment: Gold pan and sluice
Skill Level: Novice
Directions: From Portland, Oregon on Hwy 99 to Hwy 18 and head to Lincoln City and Hwy 101. Driving South on Hwy 101 to Beverly Beach State Park. Park your vehicle at the State Park and walk under the Hwy 101 Bridge and head North on the Beach for about 1/2″ mile to Johnson Creek, there you will find the Heavy Black Sand that contains the Flour Beach Gold.
Revised 3-4-2022
Disclaimer: Rock & Mineral collecting can be hazardous to your health proceed with caution!!!