RocksdayRockhounding in Washington
Washington's state geology agency lists agates, amethysts, garnets, jaspers, opals and the occasional gold nugget among the finds, with petrified wood as the state gem. Its first piece of advice is that each landowner sets its own rules and that fines for collecting without permission can be hefty. The one designated fossil-collecting area it names is the Stonerose Interpretive Center.
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 Washington
Only sites whose land manager or operator publishes them for collecting. For recorded mineral occurrences across Washington, see the rockhounding map; an occurrence is not permission to collect.
Stonerose Interpretive Center
Private fee dig · Stonerose Interpretive Center (as listed by Washington DNR)
The Washington Geological Survey describes Stonerose as a designated area for fossil hunting where, for a small fee, visitors can likely take home fossil specimens of their own.
Finds: Fossils
Access: Fee. The geological survey's page gives no hours or prices, so check with the center before you go.
Access and fees can change. Verify on the manager's official page before you go.
Washington rules
Washington DNR-managed land
The Department of Natural Resources page says personal collecting is for the most part allowed on state and federal land, but its own list of lands where rockhounding and fossil hunting are not permitted includes State Trust lands, and it tells collectors to contact the DNR State Lands Mining & Minerals Program Manager about rockhounding on State Trust land. The two statements are not reconciled, so ask DNR first. Gold panning is not allowed on State Trust lands.
Source: Rockhounding
Where Washington says rockhounding is not permitted
The Washington Geological Survey lists National Parks, National Monuments, National Wildlife Refuges, National Scenic Areas, tribal lands and State Trust lands as places where rockhounding or fossil hunting is not permitted. Meteorites, vertebrate fossils and archaeological or historic artifacts cannot be collected without a permit, which is granted only for scientific purposes.
Source: Rockhounding
Gold panning in Washington streams
A Hydraulic Project Approval from the Department of Fish and Wildlife is not required for recreational panning and prospecting with a gold pan, mini-rocker box or small nonmotorized sluice box, but it is required for sluicing and dredging. Panners must carry the department's Gold and Fish pamphlet and follow its rules.
Source: Rockhounding
Federal land rules that apply in Washington
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)
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 Washington FAQ
What can you find rockhounding in Washington?
At the sites in this guide, the land managers list fossils.
Where can you rockhound in Washington?
This guide lists one site that land managers or operators publish for collecting: Stonerose Interpretive Center (private fee dig).
Is rockhounding allowed on Washington state land?
It depends. DNR says personal collecting is for the most part allowed on state and federal land, yet it also lists State Trust lands among places where rockhounding is not permitted and says gold panning is not allowed there. Contact DNR's Mining & Minerals Program before collecting.
Sources
We cite primary sources (federal regulations, state rules, and land-manager sites). Third-party listicles are not used as citations.
- Rockhounding — Washington Department of Natural Resources, Washington Geological Survey (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.