RocksdayRockhounding in Nevada
Nevada's state parks protect everything inside them: the Division of State Parks says collecting artifacts, fossils, rocks, plants and animals is strictly prohibited without permits or licenses. Rockhounds head to public land instead, such as BLM's Garnet Hill near Ely, or to a private fee dig like the opal mines of Virgin Valley near Denio.
This guide is for general education only. It is not legal advice. Collecting rules change and differ by parcel. Before you dig, confirm land ownership and current regulations with the land manager (BLM, US Forest Service, state lands, state parks, or the fee-dig operator). National Park Service units generally prohibit collecting. Respect mining claims, tribal lands, and private property — when in doubt, do not collect. Last verified 2026-10-28.
Where to dig in Nevada
Only sites whose land manager or operator publishes them for collecting. For recorded mineral occurrences across Nevada, see the rockhounding map; an occurrence is not permission to collect.
Garnet Hill
Public collecting area · BLM Ely District
The only designated rockhounding area in the Ely District. Dark red garnets sit in small cavities in rhyolite or weather out into the drainages; search the surface or break rock with a hammer.
Finds: Garnet
Access: No fee. From Ely, west on U.S. 50, then 3.1 miles on a graded, winding road suitable for sedans. Picnic sites and a restroom, no water; elevation 7,000 ft.
Access and fees can change. Verify on the manager's official page before you go.
Royal Peacock Opal Mines
Private fee dig · Royal Peacock Opal Mines (private)
A family-run mine in Virgin Valley near Denio that has been open for fee digging since 1981. Visitors choose between bank digging and tailings and keep what they find; the mine also has a campground, cabins and a gift shop with tools.
Finds: Black fire opal
Access: Fee to dig. The operator lists a 2026 season of May 1 to October 18, open seven days a week, weather permitting; check its site for current prices.
Access and fees can change. Verify on the manager's official page before you go.
Nevada rules
Nevada state parks
Collecting rocks, fossils and artifacts in Nevada state parks is prohibited without proper permits or licenses. Valley of Fire State Park says it is against the law to remove any rock, plant or animal life from the park, and Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park lists removing, disturbing or damaging any rock, fossil or artifact as prohibited. Metal detecting is prohibited at both.
Source: Nevada State Parks Frequently Asked Questions; Valley of Fire State Park: Park Rules; Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park: Park Rules
Federal land rules that apply in Nevada
The same federal regulations apply in every state. The full explanation is on rockhounding rules on public land.
Bureau of Land Management land
On BLM public land you may collect reasonable amounts of rocks, mineral specimens and semiprecious gemstones for noncommercial purposes, generally without a permit. This does not apply on developed recreation sites, in areas that are closed and posted, where there are active mining claims or other authorized mineral uses, or where the mineral estate is privately owned. BLM can close or limit collecting in specific areas through its land use plans.
- Noncommercial only: the collector is not selling the items for a business or financial gain.
- No explosives, motorized or mechanical devices to aid collecting, except metal detectors.
- A permit may be needed if you use certain equipment, cause more than negligible surface disturbance, or camp longer than the posted limit.
Source: 43 CFR § 8365.1-5, Property and resources; Public Collection of Rocks, Mineral Specimens, and Semiprecious Gemstones on Public Lands for Noncommercial Purposes: FAQ (Feb. 28, 2024)
BLM national monuments and wilderness
Collecting reasonable amounts for noncommercial purposes is generally allowed on BLM land inside national monuments and wilderness areas, except for rocks and minerals that a monument's proclamation, law or plan names as monument objects. In designated wilderness you may use non-motorized hand tools only, with minimal surface disturbance.
Petrified wood on BLM land
BLM land is open to free collecting of petrified wood unless a Federal Register notice says otherwise, within fixed weight limits, for personal use only.
- Up to 25 pounds plus one piece per person per day.
- No more than 250 pounds per person per calendar year; quotas may not be pooled.
- No explosives or power equipment.
- It may not be sold or bartered to commercial dealers.
Fossils on BLM and National Forest land
Casual collecting covers common invertebrate and plant fossils only: a reasonable amount for personal, noncommercial use, picked from the surface or dug with non-powered hand tools, with negligible disturbance. It is allowed on BLM land and National Forest land that is not closed to it. National monuments within the National Forest System are closed. Fossils outside that definition, such as vertebrate bones and teeth, need a permit.
- BLM: up to 25 pounds of common invertebrate and plant fossils per person per day; a larger slab may be taken with hand tools to keep an embedded fossil intact.
- Fossils from National Forest land may not be sold, including casually collected ones.
- No casual collecting of any fossil on National Park Service or Fish and Wildlife Service land.
Source: 43 CFR §§ 49.800–49.810, Casual collecting of paleontological resources; 36 CFR §§ 291.11–291.12, Casual collecting on National Forest System lands
National Forest land
Forest Service mining rules list collecting mineral specimens with hand tools, gold panning, metal detecting and non-motorized hand sluicing among activities that need no notice of intent when they cause no significant surface disturbance. Forest Service rules also prohibit damaging or removing any natural feature, and individual forests set their own closures, so ask the ranger district before you collect.
Source: 36 CFR § 228.4, Plan of operations and notice of intent (National Forest mining rules); 36 CFR § 261.9, Property (National Forest prohibitions)
National parks and other NPS units
National Park Service rules prohibit possessing, removing or disturbing minerals, rocks, cave formations and fossils in park areas. Possessing or using a metal detector is prohibited too, unless it is broken down and packed away.
Source: 36 CFR § 2.1, Preservation of natural, cultural and archeological resources (National Park Service)
Mining claims
BLM says collecting is generally not allowed where there are active mining claims. Claim boundaries are not always marked on the ground, and some designated collecting areas have private claims around or inside them. Search the BLM Mineral & Land Records System, or ask the field office, before you dig.
Source: Public Collection of Rocks, Mineral Specimens, and Semiprecious Gemstones on Public Lands for Noncommercial Purposes: FAQ (Feb. 28, 2024); Sunstone Collection Area; Mineral & Land Records System (MLRS)
Artifacts and historic sites
Removing or disturbing archaeological, historic or cultural resources is prohibited on BLM, National Forest and National Park land. Leave arrowheads, tools and old structures where they are.
Source: 43 CFR § 8365.1-5, Property and resources; 36 CFR § 261.9, Property (National Forest prohibitions); 36 CFR § 2.1, Preservation of natural, cultural and archeological resources (National Park Service)
Collecting to sell
Collecting from BLM land for sale or barter to commercial dealers requires a contract or permit from the BLM first.
Abandoned mines, desert heat, flash floods, and wildlife are real hazards. Share a trip plan, carry water, and never enter unstable workings.
Rockhounding in Nevada FAQ
What can you find rockhounding in Nevada?
At the sites in this guide, the land managers list garnet and black fire opal.
Where can you rockhound in Nevada?
This guide lists 2 sites that land managers or operators publish for collecting: Garnet Hill (public collecting area) and Royal Peacock Opal Mines (private fee dig).
Can you collect rocks in Nevada state parks?
No. Nevada State Parks says collecting artifacts, fossils, rocks, plants and animals is strictly prohibited without proper permits or licenses.
Sources
We cite primary sources (federal regulations, state rules, and land-manager sites). Third-party listicles are not used as citations.
- Garnet Hill — Bureau of Land Management (accessed 2026-10-28).
- Royal Peacock Opal Mines — Royal Peacock Opal Mines (accessed 2026-10-28).
- Nevada State Parks Frequently Asked Questions — Nevada Division of State Parks (accessed 2026-10-28).
- Valley of Fire State Park: Park Rules — Nevada Division of State Parks (accessed 2026-10-28).
- Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park: Park Rules — Nevada Division of State Parks (accessed 2026-10-28).
- 43 CFR § 8365.1-5, Property and resources — Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (accessed 2026-10-28).
- Public Collection of Rocks, Mineral Specimens, and Semiprecious Gemstones on Public Lands for Noncommercial Purposes: FAQ (Feb. 28, 2024) — Bureau of Land Management (accessed 2026-10-28).
- 43 CFR § 3622.4, Petrified wood collection rules — Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (accessed 2026-10-28).
- 43 CFR §§ 49.800–49.810, Casual collecting of paleontological resources — Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (accessed 2026-10-28).
- 36 CFR §§ 291.11–291.12, Casual collecting on National Forest System lands — Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (accessed 2026-10-28).
- 36 CFR § 228.4, Plan of operations and notice of intent (National Forest mining rules) — Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (accessed 2026-10-28).
- 36 CFR § 261.9, Property (National Forest prohibitions) — Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (accessed 2026-10-28).
- 36 CFR § 2.1, Preservation of natural, cultural and archeological resources (National Park Service) — Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (accessed 2026-10-28).
- Sunstone Collection Area — Bureau of Land Management (accessed 2026-10-28).
- Mineral & Land Records System (MLRS) — Bureau of Land Management (accessed 2026-10-28).
Last verified 2026-10-28. Corrections welcome: if a rule or site has changed, tell us and we'll re-verify.