Washington

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) – Gold and Fish: Rules for Mineral Prospecting and Placer Mining

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) – Individual Hydraulic Project Approval (HPA) Application

Washington State Department of Ecology – Mineral Prospecting and Placer Mining

Washington State Department of Natural Resources – Publications, Maps, and Data

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM)

BLM Land Status & Cadastral Survey Records – Oregon and Washington States lookup & download land surveys.

BLM Mineral & Land Records System (MLRS) Replacement for the old LR2000 mine claim lookup system listed below. The new MLRS is similar to the old BLM GeoCommunicator and uses a map to help locate your area of interest (AOI).

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) – Legacy Rehost 2000 (LR2000) is being phased out and replaced by the new (MLRS) system listed above.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), General Land Office (GLO) Records Automation website – Land Patents & Surveys

United States Geological Survey (U.S.G.S.)

U.S. Geological Survey (U.S.G.S.) Mineral Resources Online Spatial Data & Interactive maps and downloadable data for regional and global analysis.

U.S. Geological Survey (U.S.G.S.) – The Publication Warehouse provides access to over 160,000 publications written by USGS scientists over the century-plus history of the bureau.

GIS Mapping Software

QGIS A Free and Open Source Geographic Information System for viewing Free GIS data from the BLM, U.S.F.S. & U.S.G.S. websites to make your own maps. Available on PC, Mac, or Linux.

Google Earth Pro on the desktop is free for users with advanced feature needs. Import and export GIS data, and go back in time with historical imagery. Available on PC, Mac, or Linux.

Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks & Minerals The Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals in Hillsboro, Oregon is home to over 20,000 rock and mineral specimens. Each year the NorthWest Mineral Prospectors Club has a panning booth at the Summer Fest to teach kids of all ages how to pan for gold.

The Tualatin Valley Gem Club is a nonprofit organization, created for sharing educational information with a focus on the natural earth sciences, lapidary, and jewelry making skills. We offer educational resources, field trips, meeting programs, and newsletters that provide the opportunity to grow your knowledge in this area. Not only are we rockhounds, but we are lapidaries, wire wrappers, faceters, silversmiths, artists, fossil hunters, and many other things.

Mt. Hood Rock Club is a registered 501c3 educational non-profit and was founded in 1952 for the purpose of bringing together those that have an interest in the collection and identification of rocks, gems, minerals, petrified wood and fossils. Many of our rockhounds also have the lapidary skills required to cut, grind, and polish these materials into beautiful display pieces or jewelry. More than 350 members make up the club. We are a member of the Oregon Council of Rock and Mineral Clubs and Northwest Federation of Mineralogical Societies. We operate a members-only lapidary shop, a large annual rock show, a very active field trip program, and much more.

Portland Regional Gem & Mineral Show we are a group of 5 area non-profit clubs (Columbia-Willamette Faceters’ Guild, Mt. Hood Rock Club, North America Research Group, Oregon Agate & Mineral Society, Tualatin Valley Gem Club) coming together every October to promote our show of lapidary arts, geology, paleontology, and mineralogy with one of the largest Gem & Minerals shows in the Portland metro area.

Willamette Agate and Mineral Society (WAMSI) The Willamette Agate and Mineral Society, Inc. (WAMS) is a nonprofit organization and an Oregon Corporation, founded November, 1947. WAMS is affiliated with the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies (AFMS), the Northwest Federation of Mineralogical Societies (NFMS), the Oregon Council of Rock and Mineral Clubs, the American Lands Access Association (ALAA), and the Special Congress Representing Involved Bulletin Editors (S.C.R.I.B.E.).

American Federation of Mineralogical Societies (AFMS) To promote popular interest and education in the various Earth Sciences, and in particular the subjects of Geology, Mineralogy, Paleontology, Lapidary and other related subjects, and to sponsor and provide means of coordinating the work and efforts of all persons and groups interested therein; to sponsor and encourage the formation and international development of Societies and Regional Federations and by and through such means to strive toward greater international good will and fellowship.

Oregon Agate & Mineral Society (OAMS) Oregon Agate & Mineral Society (OAMS) was formed in 1933 with twelve rock hobbyists in the laboratory of one of its founders. The club’s charter was to promote the rock hobby and educate those interested in learning about the lapidary arts, collecting, and in just enjoying Earth’s many natural geological treasures.

Rock and Arrowhead Club of Klamath Falls General Objectives of the Club: To promote popular interest, knowledge and understanding in the various earth sciences, as in Geology, Mineralogy, Paleontology and Lapidary and other related subjects. To sponsor and provide means of coordinating the work and efforts of all persons interested therein.

Gold Mining Clubs & Associations

Gold Prospectors Association of America (GPAA)

Southwest Washington Gold Prospectors Vancouver, Washington chapter of the Gold Prospectors Association of America (GPAA). Each year the NorthWest Mineral Prospectors Club has a panning booth at the GPAA Gold & Treasure Show in Portland, Oregon to teach kids of all ages how to pan for gold.

Portland Gold Prospectors is the Portland, Oregon chapter of the Gold Prospectors Association of America (GPAA).

Willamette Valley Miners gold mining club in Salem, Oregon.

Waldo Mining District gold mining club in Southern Oregon.

Affiliated & Miscellaneous Links

Pacific Northwest Sportsmen’s Show in Portland, Oregon at the Portland Expo Center is where the largest hunting and fishing show in the Pacific Northwest is each year and is presented by O’Loughlin Trade Shows. The NorthWest Mineral Prospector’s Club has had an educational Gold Panning booth at this show for over 20 years.

Oregon Ag Fest in Salem, Oregon is a place where families can touch, taste, and experience the incredible world of Oregon agriculture, in a fun-filled, festive environment. Our two-day event, aimed to help families better understand where their food, fiber, and flora come from, is a unique learning experience, where hands-on exhibits make learning about Oregon’s vast agricultural industry educational and entertaining. The NorthWest Mineral Prospector’s Club has had an educational Gold Panning booth at this show for over many years.

Clackamas County Fair in Canby, Oregon is where the NorthWest Mineral Prospector’s Club has had an educational Gold Panning booth in the Pioneer Village for many years.

Ponderosa Sunstone Mine is operated by Desert Sun Mining & Gems Inc.. The Ponderosa Sunstone Mine is a PRIVATE mining claim and is closed to the public. You may view some of their faceted Sunstones at their Blue Heron Gallery located at 76 SE Hwy 101 Depoe Bay, Oregon 97341.

Gator Girl Rocks is America’s best rock-hounding resource. Welcome. I’m Zoe Tolbert, the chief adventurologist and founder of Gator Girl Rocks. This website provides thousands of rock hounding resources for rock, mineral, gemstone, and fossil collectors and includes rock hounding information for every state in America.

Online Database of Luminescent minerals more than 1000 pictures and 400 spectra of luminescent minerals.

Crystal Rainbow has an amazing selection of high quality of healing crystals & minerals at great prices, be sure to check out their new store located in Vancouver, WA and their hours are Wed & Thur 12–4 pm, Fri & Sat 12–5 pm, Sun & Mon 12–4pm, Tues Closed.

Prospector’s Treasure Trove has a great selection of Gold Prospecting and Metal Detecting equipment in stock today. We also have a monthly open house or gathering called Pros and Cons. “Come learn how to deal with your cons (concentrates) from the Pros”. Some months we will have a guest speaker in to talk about Gold Prospecting or Metal Detecting.

The Rock Pile Lapidary Arts your local Portland, Oregon area supplier of all types of rocks, fossils and minerals. Come meets us at our booth at one of the many rock & minerals shows in the Pacific Northwest we attend.

Castro’s Minerals located at 8700 NE Vancouver Mall Drive #241, Vancouver, WA. Stop by an check out a great selection or crystals, gems & minerals from around the Northwest and the World. Castro Minerals also mines some of the minerals that they have for sale from their own mining claims.

Revision Date: 03-13-2025

Washington

GIS Mapping Software

Mineral Clubs & Associations

Affiliated & Miscellaneous Links