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There are 12 volcanoes in Washington State, five active and the rest dormant, so it makes sense that there are many natural treasures beneath the soil of this state. Let’s explore Washington State’s best rockhounding spots and the various rocks, minerals, and gems you can find at each one in this article.
The best rockhounding spots in Washington State are:
| Site | Public or Private | GPS Coordinates |
|---|---|---|
| Lucas Creek | Public | 46.646999, -122.716288 |
| Pe Ell | Public | 46.569693, -123.294420 |
| Mt. Adams | Public | 46.202071, -121.490964 |
| Crescent Beach | Public | 48.159541, -123.727076 |
| Loon Lake Copper Mine | Private | 48.144409, -117.641470 |
| Tunk Creek | Public | 48.531398, -119.370244 |
| Bickelton | Public | 45.997064, -120.316470 |
| Monte Cristo | Public | 45.905683, -121.572962 |
| Shi Shi Beach | Public | 48.259469, -124.682741 |
| Mondovi | Public | 47.681008, -118.016485 |
| Chahalis River (Doty) | Public | 46.636709, -123.262185 |
| Green Creek | Public | 46.592962, -123.582484 |
Any rockhound who wants to collect a wide assortment of rocks, minerals, and gems should plan a trip to Washington State. In this state, you have a high chance of returning home with many fascinating treasures, including agate, opalized wood, gold, smoky quartz, carnelian, and turquoise. See where you can find each of these stones and more in the following sections.
If you are interested in checking out the best book about rockhounding in Washington State you can find it by clicking here (Amazon link).
Rockhounding Regulations & Laws in Washington State
As you adventure in Washington State, it’s best to make sure that you’re following the state’s rockhounding rules and regulations. Keep in mind that every U.S. state has its own unique set of rules and regulations, so some laws that might apply in one state might not apply in others. To collect rocks and minerals lawfully from the Evergreen State, review the rockhounding rules of Washington State below.
In almost every U.S. state, you will need permission to gather rocks or minerals from private property, and this applies to Washington State. With that being said, it’s entirely possible and legal to collect from private lands as long as you have the permission of the land or claim owner.
While the rules for private property are fairly simple, the laws for public land are a bit more complicated. First, you’ll need to determine whether the area you want to explore is federal land or DNR land. Let’s go over the DNR rules first.
The DNR, or Department of Natural Resources, goes over Washington State’s rules for rockhounding in detail on its website. Their website explains that you are able to collect rocks, minerals, and fossils from DNR-managed lands for recreation, research, and educational use, but not for commercial use. However, there are a few conditions to be aware of:
- “Individual recreational rock hounding/mineral collecting on State Trust lands is authorized without a permit;
- Group recreational rock hounding/mineral collecting/educational activity is authorized by a non-exclusive land-use license for a fee (Contact Kelsay Stanton for permit 360-790-8179);
- DNR must have legal access, which allows recreational use (e.g., do not block gates or roads);
- Recreational rock hounding/mineral collecting is not allowed in or near typed waters; also, the activity must avoid special habitats per DNR’s HCP (i.e., talus slopes, caves, cliffs, etc.); and
- No mechanized equipment (or explosives) is allowed for exposing, collecting, or transporting rocks/minerals to a vehicle.”
Additionally, gold panning is not allowed on State Trust lands (which are lands given to the DRN in trust to provide revenue for public institutions), but it is allowed on State-owned aquatic lands (which are lands beneath navigable bodies of water) with a permit and a copy of the Gold and Fish pamphlet from the Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW).
Moving on to Federal land, it’s important to remember that rockhounding is not allowed at national parks, national monuments, national wildlife refuges, national scenic areas, and tribal lands. It’s recommended to contact either the USDA National Forest Service or the Bureau of Land Management before rockhounding on public land if you are unsure of its rules and regulations.
And finally, the last rule to remember when rockhounding in Washington State is that it is illegal to collect meteorites, vertebrate fossils, and any archeological or historic artifacts without a permit, and permits are only granted for scientific purposes.
There’s a decent amount of rockhounding rules and regulations for Washington State, so be sure to refer back to this guide or visit the DNR’s Washington State rules for rockhounding guide to ensure that you have a fun experience in the Evergreen State.
Best Rockhounding Sites in Washington State
Now that we’ve gone over the rockhounding rules of Washington State, it’s time to dive into all the rocks and minerals you can collect from various areas of the state. If you want to add petrified wood, agates, opals, geodes, and gold to your collection, be sure to visit some of the locations mentioned in the following sections!
In case you need it, the map below shows you the exact locations for all of the best public sites mentioned below:
Lucas Creek
Lucas Creek is an easy place to find in Washington since it’s located right next to Lucas Creek Road, and this small waterway contains plenty of unique finds for rockhounds. On the shores of this creek, rockhounds can collect carnelian, agate, geodes, jasper, petrified wood, and chalcedony.
These are some of the most popular finds in the state, all conveniently located in a single area. If you don’t have a lot of time but still want to collect a variety of stones from the Evergreen State, Lucas Creek is the place to go!
| Rocks & Minerals | Rarity |
|---|---|
| Carnelian | Occasional |
| Agate | Common |
| Geode | Common |
| Jasper | Common |
| Petrified Wood | Occasional |
| Chalcedony | Common |
Pe Ell
Pe Ell is a small area in Washington State that’s bordered by the Chehalis River and many small creeks, including Stowe Creek and Jones Creek. There are two main routes into Pe Ell, Highway 6 or Pe Ell McDonald Road. The waterways in and around Pe Ell are prime rockhounding locations for rockhounds who want to collect geodes, jasper, agate, carnelian, chalcedony, and petrified wood.
If you want to collect high-quality carnelian for your rockhounding collection, you can gather this semi-precious gemstone from Pe Ell. This area is known for producing stunning, colorful carnelians that catch the eye of any rockhound.
| Rocks & Minerals | Rarity |
|---|---|
| Geode | Common |
| Jasper | Common |
| Agate | Common |
| Carnelian | Common |
| Chalcedony | Common |
| Petrified wood | Occasional |
Mt. Adams
Known as the “Forgotten Giant of Washington,” Mt. Adams is a volcano that has not erupted in over 1,000 years, but it is not considered extinct. However, since it hasn’t erupted for a long period of time, people tend to forget that this mountain is actually an active volcano. It’s the source of two major rivers in Washington, the Lewis River and the White Salmon River.
Volcanoes and areas with volcanic activity are hotspots for rockhounding due to the wide range of rocks, minerals, and gems that are transported or created from such conditions. At Mt. Adams, rockhounds come across geodes, quartz crystals, carnelian, agate, jasper, and chalcedony.
| Rocks & Minerals | Rarity |
|---|---|
| Geode | Common |
| Quartz | Common |
| Carnelian | Occasional |
| Agate | Common |
| Jasper | Common |
| Chalcedony | Common |
Crescent Beach
Crescent Beach and the areas around Port Crescent are great locations for rockhounds who are on the hunt for agates, jaspers, and cherts.
To reach Crescent Beach and Crescent Bay, all you have to do is take Crescent Beach Road to the area where you want to search for collectible stones.
| Rocks & Minerals | Rarity |
|---|---|
| Agate | Common |
| Jasper | Rare |
| Chert | Common |
Loon Lake Copper Mine
Located in Stevens County, Loon Lake Copper Mine was discovered in 1890 and produced prior to 1918. Today, the mine is not operational, and there are currently no plans to reopen it.
Due to its abundance of copper-based minerals, this is a very popular destination for rockhounds in Washington. At this mine, rockhounds pick up azurite, quartz, pyrite, malachite, and bornite.
| Rocks & Mineral | Rarity |
|---|---|
| Azurite | Occasional |
| Quartz | Common |
| Pyrite | Common |
| Malachite | Occasional |
| Bornite | Common |
BTW: Do you want to know more about rock and mineral identification? The books listed below are the best ones you can find on the internet (Amazon links):
- Smithsonian Handbooks: Rocks & Minerals
- Gemstone & Crystal Properties (Quick Study Home)
- Ultimate Explorer Field Guide: Rocks and Minerals (National Geographic Kids)
Tunk Creek
Tunk Creek originates from the Okanogan River, and it flows from Keystone to beyond Synarep. Tunk Creek Road travels alongside the creek, so it’s the easiest route to use to reach this waterway. Another option to reach this area is to travel into Keystone using Keystone Road.
From the banks of Tunk Creek, you can find corundum, quartz, and thulite. The corundum from this area in Washington can appear blue or pink.
| Rocks & Minerals | Rarity |
|---|---|
| Corundum (blue or pink) | Rare |
| Quartz | Common |
| Thulite | Occasional |
Bickleton
Bickleton is a small area located in Klickitat County, Washington, that contains some prized rocks and minerals for rockhounds. In the western areas of Bickleton, rockhounds discover jasper, agate, carnelian, and even opalized wood!
To reach Bickleton, you can use Bickleton Highway, but if you’re traveling from Lake Umatilla or one of its surrounding locations, then E Rd is the best route to take.
| Rocks & Minerals | Rarity |
|---|---|
| Jasper | Common |
| Agate | Common |
| Carnelian | Common |
| Opalized Wood | Occasional |
Monte Cristo
Did you know that Monte Cristo had a mining boom in the 1890s? The lead-silver ore of Monte Cristo brought thousands of miners to this area, but production ceased rather quickly in 1907 due to flooding and mining miscalculations.
Today, there are plenty of collectible minerals left over that bring rockhounds to Monte Cristo. The most popular finds from this area among rockhounds are azurite, malachite, pyrite, and chalcopyrite.
| Rocks & Minerals | Rarity |
|---|---|
| Azurite | Occasional |
| Malachite | Occasional |
| Pyrite | Common |
| Chalcopyrite | Common |
Shi Shi Beach
For all metal-loving rockhounds, Shi-Shi Beach is a dream come true. In the sands and gravels of this location, you can find gold, platinum, and iridosmine. It’s one of the only places in the state where you can find multiple types of collectible metals, so it’s a fan favorite among local rockhounds.
To reach Shi Shi Beach, take Makah Passage down to Tsoo Yess Beach Road, then turn left onto Fish Hatchery Road. The Makah Passage is the only route that leads to the beach, so as long as you are able to make it to this road, you’ll be able to reach Shi Shi Beach.
| Rocks & Minerals | Rarity |
|---|---|
| Gold | Occasional |
| Platinum | Occasional |
| Iridosmine | Occasional |
Mondovi
Who wouldn’t love to add a Washington State opal to their collection? Both precious and fire opals exist in Washington, and you’ll have the opportunity to unearth both types in Mondovi. The majority of these gems are discovered in the lava outcrops that are in the northwest areas of Mondovi.
The two routes you can take to reach Mondovi are Sunset Highway or 4 Corners Road. Both of these roads intersect with Mondovi Road, which will lead you straight into Mondovi.
| Rocks & Minerals | Rarity |
|---|---|
| Precious opal | Occasional |
| Fire opal | Rare |
Chehalis River (Doty)
While the last few areas mentioned in this article contain a few select rocks or minerals, the Chehalis River does not fit this pattern since it’s overflowing with a variety of stones. Petrified wood, agate, carnelian, geodes, jasper, and chalcedony all lie hidden in the gravels of the Chehalis River, specifically the part of the river that crosses through Doty.
Since the Chehalis River surrounds three sides of Doty, it isn’t too difficult to find once you’re in the area. Stevens Road, Doty-Dryad Road, and Elk Creek Road are the main routes into the town.
| Rocks & Minerals | Rarity |
|---|---|
| Petrified wood | Common |
| Agate | Common |
| Carnelian | Rare |
| Geode | Occasional |
| Jasper | Common |
| Chalcedony | Common |
TIP: Rivers in Washington State are full of beautiful rocks. Do you know what rocks you can most often find in and near rivers? Check out the most common types of rocks you can find in rivers in the article below:
Ten Most Common Types of Rocks You Can Find In Rivers
Green Creek
If you want to gather a nice variety of minerals, head on over to Green Creek. From this location, rockhounds bring home carnelian, agate, jasper, and chalcedony. To be more specific, you’ll want to explore the area of Green Creek that’s north of Holcomb because stones from this area are high-quality finds.
If you start at Holcomb, you’ll want to travel north on Highway 6 until you take a right onto Green Creek Road. This road travels alongside Green Creek, so you can use it to reach different areas of the waterway.
| Rocks & Minerals | Rarity |
|---|---|
| Carnelian | Rare |
| Agate | Common |
| Jasper | Common |
| Chalcedony | Common |
Other Notable Rockhounding Spots in Washington State
As you might have noticed, most of the areas in Washington State contain the same types of rocks and minerals, including petrified wood, carnelian, agate, jasper, and chalcedony. If you want to collect some other types of rocks and minerals, use this table and its locations to seek out some unique treasures.
| Site | Public or Private | GPS Coordinates | Common Rocks/Minerals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pullman | Public | 46.725243, -117.171331 | Obsidian, opal, rhodonite |
| Red Top Mt | Public | 47.301057, -120.760144 | Blue agate geode |
| Chattaroy (Little Spokane River) | Public | 47.888867, -117.356087 | Garnet, quartz |
| McCoy Farm | Private | 46.617138, -123.141567 | Petrified wood, carnelian |
| Washougal | Public | 45.572880, -122.346648 | Amethyst, moss agate |
Rockhounding Clubs in Washington State
Any rockhound who enjoys going on group expeditions will be delighted to find out that there are many rockhounding clubs in Washington State. Some of these clubs focus on educational meetings and lapidary work, while others focus on identifying rocks and going on rockhounding adventures.
There are many clubs to choose from, and your choice will probably depend on what type of club you are looking for, its location, membership dues, and a few other factors. To get you started on your search, here’s a sample of some top-notch rockhounding clubs in the Evergreen State.
Yakima Rock and Mineral Club
The Yakima Rock and Mineral Club is located in Yakima, Washington, and it focuses on rockhounding trips and lapidary work.
This rockhounding club has been active for 77 years, and it’s a part of the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies, the NW Federation of Mineralogical Societies, and the Washington State Mineral Council. They do not list membership dues on their website, but they welcome guests to join their monthly meeting and become acquainted with the group.
North Seattle Lapidary and Mineral Club
The North Seattle Lapidary and Mineral Club is an excellent choice for rockhounds who are looking to travel around Washington and other states for rockhounding outings. While most of the trips are day trips, some involve overnight stays, and all the trips are child-friendly.
Founded in 1953, this club focuses mainly on lapidary work, rockhounding, and education. The membership dues are $10 per year plus a one-time $10 application fee for a name tag, and children are free with an adult membership.
Bellevue Rock Club
The Bellevue Rock Club’s mission is, “To foster, promote and develop the interests and education of our members and others in geology, mineralogy, lapidary, gemology and related sciences and subjects and in the pursuit of such as a hobby for social, recreational and educational purposes.
And, to have fun while doing it!” This club is affiliated with the Washington State Mineral Council, the NW Federation of Mineralogical Societies, and the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies. The dues are $7 per year, and rockhounds of all ages and skill levels are welcome.
TIP: If you want to know more about gold prospecting in Washington state, check out the complete guide in the article below:
Gold Prospecting in Washington: 6 Best Locations & Laws
State Rock, Mineral, Gem, and Fossil of Washington State
Even though Washington doesn’t have a state rock or state mineral, it does have a state gem, petrified wood, and a state fossil, the Columbian mammoth. We’ll go into more detail on these state treasures in the following sections.
State Gem
As you looked through the locations and gems of Washington State, you probably noticed plenty of petrified wood scattered all throughout the state. The Evergreen State holds more than enough petrified wood for rockhounds, and you can view some of the most ancient pieces in the Ginkgo Petrified Forest.
State Fossil
During the Pleistocene age, Columbian mammoths roamed the lands of North America, feasting on grasses, rushes, and other vegetation. Sadly, these magnificent creatures are now extinct, and their fossilized remains were discovered on the Olympic Peninsula. In 1998, the Columbian mammoth was designated the official state fossil of Washington, thanks to the efforts of students from Windsor Elementary School.
Recommended Rockhounding Gear
While special gear is not required to find nice rocks and fossils, having the right tools will help you find more than what’s simply laying around on the open ground. Here are some of the more basic tools and safety gear for interested rockhounds.
Geological Hammer
This 22oz Pointed-Tip Rock Pick by Estwing (Amazon link) is recommended for its durability and shock-reducing grip.
A rock pick is essential when collecting mineral specimens from a hard substrate such as stone. The pick’s handle is shock-resistant, making it more comfortable for use for longer times in the field.
Geology Pick
The Geology pick by Estwing (Amazon link) is a good choice for those starting out in the hobby as well as seasoned professionals.
The hammer comes with a pointed tip on one side of the head and a chiseled end on the other. This pick is good for excavating interesting mineral and fossil specimens.
Mini Shovel
The Mini D-Handle Round Point Shovel by Stanley (Amazon link) pairs convenience with durability. Especially in areas of soft material such as sand or clay, it is nice to have a sturdy shovel that is easy to carry.
The D-shaped handle gives you more leverage when digging on your knees, which is something that similarly sized standard-handled shovels wouldn’t provide.
Heavy Duty Work Gloves by Ironclad
Working with your hands in rockhounding environments can be rough; it is easy to get cuts or abrasions when in the field. Protecting your hands is important, especially while working with sharp or abrasive rocks.
The Heavy Duty Work Gloves by Ironclad (Amazon link) protect your hands from sharp rocks and tools. They are machine washable, highly abrasion resistant, and durable.
Safety Glasses
Eye protection is a must when breaking up a rock or any sort of work where debris could cause injury to your eyes.
The 3M Safety Glasses (Amazon link) are anti-fog and have a corded earplug system, as well as a removable foam gasket. The clear, scratch-resistant lenses shield the eyes against harmful ultraviolet light as well as prevent eye injury from flying rock chips.
First Aid Kit
With its 299 pieces, the Only Emergency First Aid Kit (Amazon link) is a good one for rockhounds. Of course, it’s best to avoid injuring yourself but if things go wrong it’s good to be prepared.
Some of the items found in the kit include fabric and plastic bandages, painkillers, gauze and pads, cold packs, wound closers, and many more.
Conclusion
Washington is truly an extraordinary state for rockhounds, especially those who enjoy gathering agates, carnelians, geodes, jaspers, or petrified wood. From its beaches to its mountains, this state contains a vast wealth of rocks and minerals just waiting to be discovered. If you’re currently searching for your next rockhounding destination, look no further than the Evergreen State!
TIP: There’s a wide variety of rocks, minerals, and gems in Washington state, as you’ll soon discover in this guide. Check it out in the article below:
10 Common Rocks & Minerals You Can Find in Washington State