Copyright 2023 Utah Office of Tourism. Do you need permission and is there good stuff left? Nevertheless, many people are still able to find amazing quality cubes and clusters. Trilobites are small, prehistoric marine invertebrates that roamed the shallow sea which covered Utah millions of years ago. Directions to Muddy Creek Septarian Nodule Dig: 1. Ive included a picture in this post of a Pyrite cube cluster next to a Goethite Pseudomorph cluster for your reference. By treating Utahs rockhounding sites with care, we can help preserve them for many future generations of rock enthusiasts. We have an instagram page you can look at. He says that is where you are most likely to find a few treasures. Lots of rocks being moved around in the fill area, we found mostly agate and some calcite but very few citrine deposits. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. At N. 1300 East, turn left and follow the road as it climbs up into the foothills of the Wasatch Mountains. The access road is suitable for use by sedans and other passenger vehicles, though it is winding and somewhat steep. Speaking of rock and mineral shows, Ive updated the https://rockhoundingutah.com/miscellaneous/rock-shows/ page for 2017. Colors: Gray, Brown Garnets can be found either through careful rock breaking or searching the surface and drainages for the dark colored stones. If you are ready to start rockhounding Northern Utah, pack up and hit the road! Collectors have the opportunity to find beautiful agates, amethysts, garnets, jaspers, opals, and even the occasional nugget of gold. A stones throw from the Dugway Geode Beds is another mineral marvel: the aptly named Topaz Mountain. Rockhounders can find amphibolite, which may contain hornblende, actinolite, and plagioclase. At the end of the road, you will come to Farmington. Do not continue on the causeway to the island. With over 7,300 lift-served acres of skiable alpine terrain, it's no surprise that Park City Mountain has become a bucket list destination for skiers around the globe. Be sure to confirm the land status and collection rules before you travel to an unfamiliar location or collect any material. The lady running the shop is super nice and has some great stories of locations around the area. Learn more about the history, size and scenes that define the Monument Valley Utah experience. Mossy red agates and botryoidal agates, which look like clusters of bubbles can also be found in the area in colors like bronze, red, purple, blue, gold, and a variety of other brilliant colors. Box 122 Hinckley UT, 84635 435-864-8823 E-mail: anewdiginc@frontiernet.net website Apache Tears Make sure that you have plenty of gas, water, food, and other necessary supplies as it is a tight drive, and you would not want to get to the top of the Canyon and find out you forgot to bring something important. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. From here, the road can get a little nasty and I wouldnt recommend doing it in a car. Visitors can enjoy a variety of museums and historical sites, outdoor activities, exploring, and relaxation in rugged nature. Even though it was a little dry reading, as a reference book when we were trying to find new places to explore, it was great. Can anyone tell me what Im looking for? Here's a calcite geode with bright citrine and some light smoky crystals towards the bottom. Inside the store there is a pretty small selection so I would recommend going outside where he has additional tables and piles of stuff. Some will tell you to search the grayish dirt. If you know of any other shows Ive missed or if any of the information needs updating please let me know. I wanted to at least get this information up before Spring in case anyone reading had some trips planned out around this area. This shop is run out of the back room of a convenience store on main street in Enterprise Utah. And, someone who has some. Open full screen to view more. Recreational gold panning is a popular type of rockhounding in California and the . Every corner of the state has something unique to offer. Turn left (Southwest) after the 2.76 miles for about 640 feet to a meeting of the roads, Id recommend walking the last bit for step 8, 8. Maybe it is the proximity to the city or maybe it is the numerous people shooting their guns everywhere, but many pass right by without a second thought. From what I understand, the majority of the clay filled piles in this cut are actually the tailings from this operation. Rockhounding Utah is an excellent destination for rock hounding. Turn right (east) on I-84 and drive about 23 miles to the scenic viewpoint turnoff youll see after milepost 110. Check out the worlds densest concentration of dinosaur bones at Cleveland Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry and explore other prehistoric wonders around Utah. Keep to the right at the fork and travel to the digging area up the mountain. (Or A Mixture? Enjoy! The garnets will usually occur as single crystals attached to small cavities in the rhyolite rock, though they may weather out of the rock, and wash downhill. Theyve got a good variety of minerals. The best locations for rockhounding near Salt Lake City are: As the name might suggest, The Dugway Geode Beds are a place where you can find geodes. You can tell the geode from the surrounding rock by its round shape and dark gray color. Location: Roughly 54 miles west of Delta off of Highway 6 Utah Rockhounding; Vermont Rockhounding; . One area on your route between (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? This fine family owns the claims at the U-Dig trilobite site as well as the Dugway geode beds. You would think this stuff would be pretty soft (and honestly some of the chucks did actually just break apart in our hands), but the stuff you really want to go after are those chunks that are super solid, heavy, and thick. * BLM and National Forest lands cover a large percentage of the state and permit free rockhounding in many areas. Like many other shows, theyll have field trips, craft demonstrations, workshops, the whole bit! Information: Antelope Springs is a world-famous location for the collection of trilobite fossils. Jim specializes in opals (hes got several cases of different opals from all over the world). for a little bit of heavy/dirty work to get the bigger pieces. To use our mobile site, please enable JavaScript. The Park City Mining District is home to many mines and dump sites, both active and abandoned. Turn left (South) onto Redwood Road and drive another 8.3 miles to the Dyno Nobel plant turnoff, 5. Garnet Hill is the only designated rock hounding area in the Ely District, an internationally known site for gem collectors looking for garnets. Website: http://thebughouse.net/ or http://www.u-digfossils.com/, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Bug-House/150966084945032. Yellow calcite with small smoky quartz crystals. Mines in these mountains (closed to the public) have yielded opal, pyrite, gold, silver, obsidian and blue beryl one of the worlds most prized gems. Website: http://ordervillemine.tripod.com/. An official website of the United States government. A high-clearance, 4-wheel drive vehicle is best, since you may be going over rocks and down into ruts making it a bumpy ride. As we begin to explore some great places to collect rocks, fossils, and stones, bond with nature, and return with some great memories and tangible treasure, here are some great places to start. Park City Mountain Resort is a ski resort, so if you are interested in that, you will need to book accommodations. Box 146100, Salt Lake City, UT 84114-6100 info@utahpaleo.org Have you found any other good geode locations around the area? You'll want sturdy shoes and plenty of water. Enjoy! The Main Street Historic District is one of the best Park City attractions for those interested in visiting the heart and soul of the region. All rights reserved. Utah rockhounding locations. Alternatively, you may use, Super 8 by Wyndham Salina / Scenic Hills Area, Best Western Plus Bryce Canyon Grand Hotel. Website: I cant find a website for this location, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/West-Desert-Collectors/164408473584960. And he even manages to find the time to run a shop in the meantime! No water is available. With the help of an excavator, he was able to dig deep enough to find some rather large pieces. Great smoky quartz and rainbow citrine location for rockhounds. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Trilobites are extinct marine invertebrates that lived over 550 million years ago. One of the best deposits of dendrites occurs up the top left of the main rock pile. North Seattle Lapidary & Mineral Club. Devils Slide is named for the large rock formation that looks like a childs slide. Cost: $10/Adults per year (plus $12 one time initiation fee); Youth are Free with a paying adult. The George S. Eccles Dinosaur Park is the place to bring that dream to life, with 100-plus exhibits and realistic, full-sized dinosaur replicas, capturing the imagination of young and old alike. I do not know of the sites near there, but collecting vertebrate fossils on public lands is illegal in the United States, including Utah state lands.. Also all rock collecting is illegal in National Parks and Monuments. Take a photo, note the location and contact your local BLM office. The time it takes to get there is worth the fun you'll have digging for sapphires. It is all outdoors so that makes it fun. 2. The road up the hill is very narrow, in many places, there is barely enough room for two cars to squeeze through. Types of rocks/minerals: Geodes Ive seen really tiny ones up on top where the road first comes onto the pits so I can only imagine that larger ones exist. Within the crystal pocket youll find yellow calcite and/or clear barite crystals or you may even find some pyrite or various fossils. Rockhounding restrictions vary based on land designations. Youll want to continue up some switchbacks and across a field for about .75 miles to the dig site, 8. We broke two chisels trying to get one of the larger pieces out. Drive 3.5 miles in a Northwest direction until a turnoff veers off to the right, 7. It is $49 for four hours and $90 per adult for eight. The whole geode is the size of a softball and filled with smoky and calcite clusters like the one above. Miles west of Delta off of Highway 6 Utah rockhounding ; Vermont rockhounding ; Vermont rockhounding ; Vermont ;! And he even manages to find amazing quality cubes and clusters a calcite geode with bright citrine and calcite. Speakers of English in the Ely District, an internationally known site for gem looking! It in a car this operation outdoors so that makes it fun into the foothills of larger! The claims at the fork and travel to an unfamiliar location or collect any material you. 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