Rock Hounding

Oregon & Washington have lots of Minerals, Gemstones, Crystals, Fossils, & Petrified Wood to be found if you know where to look for them. Visit our Field Trips page for directions to areas to discover some of the natural resources it can offer. Here is the link to the Bureau of Land Management – Rockhounding on Public Lands website for additional information.

Oregon Rock Hounding

Sunstones

In 1987 the Oregon Sunstones became the Official State Gemstone of Oregon which are extremely rare and valuable since they can only be found in two areas in Oregon, Lake County (just north of Plush, Oregon) and in Harney County. Oregon Sunstones get their rich colors from the amount of Copper they contain with Red Suntones having the highest concentration of copper at over 200 parts per million, Green Suntones at around 100 parts per million, and Yellow Suntones at 20 parts per million.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has a Sunstone Public Collection Area (free) near to a few of the well-established commercial Oregon Sunstone mines that are open to the public for a digging fee during only part of the year (mines are closed during the winter). In Lake County just North of Plush, Oregon you will find the Dust Devil Mining, Double Eagle Mining, Sunstone Mining Company and the Spectrum Sunstone Mine.

The Ponderosa Mine in Harney County is about 100 miles North of the Sunstone Mines found in Lake County. The Ponderosa Mine is privately held by Desert Sun Mining & Gems and is NOT available for “Fee-Digging” check out their website for lots of great information about Oregon Sunstones.

The Oregon Sunstone mines are in a somewhat remote location, check the local weather & road conditions (ODOT Tripcheck website) before you head out, and check with the Sunstone mine websites you plan to visit to verify they will be open when you get there. Makes sure your vehicle is in good working order and mechanically sound and bring a good spare tire (check your spare time air pressure before heading out) and jack since some of the roads are gravel and full of potholes and sharp rocks. Also, there have been a few rattlesnakes spotted in and around these Sunstone Mine locations so take proper precautions when searching for Sunstones.

GSOC Lecture June 2021 Dr. Emily Cahoon – Oregon Sunstones Dr. Cahoon’s research explores the timing, emplacement, and petrogenetic evolution of flood basalt lavas by integrating field methods, laboratory instruments, geochemical and thermodynamic modeling. She is particularly interested in the duration of basaltic volcanism and significance of giant plagioclase crystals, which have been documented in numerous continental flood basalt provinces. This interest has led to research on ‘sunstones’, which are large plagioclase crystals that contain macroscopic inclusions of native copper. Sunstones vary in color due to the speciation of copper, and are recognized as a gemstone by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). This research aims to characterize the geologic conditions required to form sunstones, and further our understanding of crystal growth and metal enrichment processes during flood basalt magmatism.

GIA – Field Report Gems & Gemology, Fall 2013, Vol. 49, No. 3 – Three Occurrences of Oregon Sunstone

GIA – Feature Gems & Gemology, Winter 1991, Vol. 27, No. 4 – Sunstone Labradorite from the Ponderosa Mine, Oregon

GIA – Team Documents Oregon’s Sunstone Mines October 25, 2013

GIA – A Sunstone Odyssey, Part 1: The Ponderosa

GIA – A Sunstone Odyssey, Part 2: The Dust Devil

GIA – A Sunstone Odyssey, Part 3: Sunstone Butte

GIA – Dislocation Chain in Oregon Sunstone

BLM Sunstone Collection Area (open to the public, near Plush Oregon)

Oregon Thundereggs

Thunderereggs are the Oregon’s state rock and one of the best known places to get Oregon Thundereggs is at the Richardson Rock Ranch, Madras, Oregon.

Holly Blue Agate

Holly Blue Agate are found in Holly, Oregon, near Sweet Home where they were mined years ago and is now closed off to the public. You may be able to find a few in the Calyappoia River that is nearby the closed mine area.

Opals

Opals are the birthstone for people born in the month of October and can be found in Australia and several other countries around the world including in Oregon & Washington. Australian Opals as seen on the Discovery Channel (Outback Opal Hunters) TV show are known for their Black Opal, Crystal Opal, Dark Opal, Boulder Opal, White Opals, Opal Doublets & Triplets which are some of the most expensive Opals in the World.

Petrified Wood

Petrified wood can be found all over Oregon and comes in lots of different types and colors. Here are some of the basic types of Petrified wood Agatized wood, Opalized wood, Silicified wood and Limb Casts.

At the BLM Bear Creek Rockhounding Area near Prineville Oregon, you can find both agatized, and jasperized Petrified wood.

The BLM Hampton Butte collection site is about half way between Bend, Oregon and Burns, Oregon off of Highway 20 is where you can find green Petrified wood.

The BLM Ochoco National Forest & Crooked River National Grassland Paulina (Dendrite Butte/Congleton Hollow) rock hounding location is where you can find limb casts with blue, pink, and green shades of opalized wood.

Obsidian

Dig your own Obsidian at the BLM Glass Butte Rockhounding site near Glass Butte, Oregon where you can find Mahogany, Silver Sheen, Rainbow, Black, Pumpkin, Midnight Lace, Gold Sheen, Fire, and Double Flow varieties.

Jasper

Oregon Fire Opals

Oregon Fire Opals can be found in Lake County about 60 miles West from Lakeview, Oregon on Juniper Ridge. All of the Oregon Fire Opal claims are private claims with no public access. Contact the Fire Opals links here for additional information.

Outlaw Rocks, LLC Mining Company in southern Oregon has the Opal Queen Mine where they mine Oregon fire opal, Oregon chocolate opal, Oregon caramel opal, Oregon pink opal and Oregon white opal. All of their gems are mined responsibly.

All rough and polished opal sold on this website is mined by Outlaw Rocks at one of our privately owned mines. Outlaw Rocks YouTube Channel has some great videos about Oregon fire opal mining so be sure to check them out. All jewelry is one of a kind and handcrafted by Michelle of Outlaw Rocks.

Terrapin Rocks in southern Oregon has the Red October 2 opal mine that has some great quality Oregon fire opals. You can watch some very interesting videos about Oregon fire opal and the mining process on the Terrapin Rocks YouTube Channel.

Augite Crystals

To find Augite crystals, head approximately 60.5 miles west of downtown Portland along Highway 6 toward Tillamook, Oregon. Take the Cedar Butte Road exit from Highway 6, then drive about 5.6 miles up a gravel road to reach the Cedar Butte Trailhead parking lot.

There are two parking options: the main trailhead parking lot and an upper parking lot closer to the old logging road, which takes you almost to the known Augite collection area at a rock slide near the ridge line.

You can also find Augite crystals along the road near the Cedar Butte Trailhead parking lot, particularly in the bare dirt areas. Look for exposed soil, especially along the ridge line extending southeast from the lower parking area, and you’ll likely spot them once you know what to look for.

Owyhee Blue Opal

Owyhee Blue Opal can be found at or near these locations Owyhee Dam, Lake Owyhee State Park, in Malheur County, Oregon.

Washington Rock Hounding

Ellensburg Blue Agate

Kittitas County is the only place on earth you’ll find the Ellensburg Blue Agate which is the third rarest gemstone in the world. The Rock N’ Tomahawk Ranch located near Thorp, Washington is a 160-acre stretch of land where the Ellensburg Blue Agate is found but is now CLOSED to mineral collecting according to the Rock N’ Tomahawk Facebook page.

Hansen Creek Crystals

Noble Serpentine

Noble serpentine is a magnesium aluminum silicate mineral that comes from the Wild Turkey Mine in northeast Washington State. Noble Serpentine is a very unique type of a serpentine-calcite blend, that is rich in magnesium and aluminum.  We find it in a variety of colors and patterns.  

Disclaimer: Rock Hounding can be hazardous to your health proceed with caution. Due Not Trespass on any mining claim. Check with all government agencies that manage the land you plan to visit for their current rock hounding regulations & rules!!!

Revised 10-21-2024