Rockhounding on BLM Land: Rules by Place
On most BLM land you can collect reasonable amounts of rocks and minerals for personal use without a permit (43 CFR 8365.1-5). How much, and whether a given spot is open, depends on the BLM office and on mining claims.
15 places in 6 states: 13 allowed, 1 prohibited, 1 unclear (verify locally). Rules checked between and .
Federal regulation lets you collect "reasonable amounts" of rocks and minerals for noncommercial use on BLM land and sets no weight. Each BLM state office decides what reasonable means: BLM Arizona says up to 25 lb a day and 250 lb a year, while BLM Oregon/Washington describes about a car-trunk or partial pickup load under 250 lb. Petrified wood has its own federal limit, 25 lb a day plus one piece and 250 lb a year (43 CFR 3622.4).
The other thing that changes the answer from one spot to the next is mining claims. An unpatented claim is still public land, but the minerals it was located for belong in practice to the claimant, and BLM's 2024 FAQ says collecting is generally not allowed where there are active claims. Check BLM's MLRS map before you go. Collecting to sell, taking more than the office's personal-use amount, or using equipment that disturbs more than a negligible area needs a permit.
The table lists every BLM rockhounding site we've checked, with its verdict, the main condition and when we last checked it. See BLM personal-use collecting rules and mining claims for the rules in full.
ArizonaAll rockhounding rules in Arizona
| Place | Verdict | Main condition | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alamo Lake BLM Area | Allowed | Allowed on BLM land only — BLM Arizona's personal-use limit of 25 lb/day and 250 lb/year applies (the federal rule, 43 CFR § 8365.1-5(b)(2), says only "reasonable amounts") | |
| Black Hills Rockhound Area (BLM Safford Field Office) | Allowed | BLM says the site is 'open for digging by the public without fees or permits' | |
| Quartzsite BLM Open Desert | Allowed | BLM Arizona allows up to 25 lb per day and 250 lb per year of rocks and minerals for personal, non-commercial use, no permit required. The federal rule (43 CFR § 8365.1-5(b)(2)) says only "reasonable amounts"; the numbers are BLM Arizona's | |
| Vulture Mine Area | Allowed | No permit required for casual-use rockhounding and gold prospecting on open BLM land surrounding the Vulture Mine area under 43 CFR § 3809 |
CaliforniaAll rockhounding rules in California
| Place | Verdict | Main condition | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wiley Well District / Hauser Geode Beds | Allowed | Wiley Well is a BLM-designated recreational mineral collecting area — one of a small number nationwide where the agency has formally set land aside for rockhounding rather than simply allowing casual collecting on undesignated land |
NevadaAll rockhounding rules in Nevada
| Place | Verdict | Main condition | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garnet Hill — Ely BLM | Allowed | Personal-use collection of garnets and other surface minerals is allowed without a permit in "reasonable amounts" (43 CFR 8365.1-5(b)). BLM Nevada publishes no pound limit for rocks or gemstones; ask the Ely District at (775) 289-1800 if you plan to take a lot | |
| Rye Patch Reservoir BLM | Allowed | "Reasonable amounts" of rocks and minerals for personal use on BLM land (43 CFR 8365.1-5(b)(2)); BLM Nevada publishes no pound figure for rock |
New MexicoAll rockhounding rules in New Mexico
| Place | Verdict | Main condition | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness | Prohibited | Petrified wood — the material most visitors come to look for — cannot be collected anywhere in the wilderness; BLM's own visitor page states this is banned under the site's Wilderness Management Plan, separate from and stricter than the standard BLM casual-use rule |
OregonAll rockhounding rules in Oregon
| Place | Verdict | Main condition | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glass Buttes (BLM) | Allowed | Surface collection of raw obsidian is allowed in reasonable amounts for personal use (43 CFR 8365.1-5(b)(2)). BLM Oregon/Washington's 2024 Rock Collecting Guide defines a reasonable daily amount as one that fits in a car trunk or partial pickup load and weighs under 250 lbs | |
| Hampton Butte (BLM) | Allowed | Surface collection of rocks, minerals, and jasper is allowed in reasonable amounts for personal use (43 CFR 8365.1-5(b)(2)). BLM Oregon/Washington's 2024 Rock Collecting Guide defines a reasonable daily amount as one that fits in a car trunk or partial pickup load and weighs under 250 lbs | |
| Saddle Butte Lava Tubes (WSA) | Verify Locally | Saddle Butte is a designated Wilderness Study Area (WSA) — 81,380 acres of BLM land in Malheur County, not a general-access rockhounding destination — overlaid by the Saddle Butte Lava Tubes Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC), which protects the lava tube cave system as its specifically identified relevant and important value | |
| Spectrum Sunstone Public Collection Area (BLM) | Allowed | BLM designated public collecting area; no entry fee and no permit required |
UtahAll rockhounding rules in Utah
| Place | Verdict | Main condition | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dugway Geode Beds | Allowed | No permit required; personal use is free under BLM casual-use rules | |
| Mineral Mountains (Rock Corral) | Allowed | No permit required for personal-use collecting at Rock Corral Recreation Area, the BLM's own named rockhounding site in the range | |
| Topaz Mountain (BLM) | Allowed | Collect "reasonable amounts" of topaz and other minerals for personal, noncommercial use under 43 CFR 8365.1-5(b)(2). BLM's Fillmore Field Office publishes no pound limit for Topaz Mountain; call (435) 743-3100 if you plan to take more than a small bag |
The laws behind these verdicts
- BLM Personal-Use Collecting Rules: Rocks, Minerals, and FossilsMost BLM land allows collecting rocks, minerals and common invertebrate fossils for personal use, with no permit. Federal law sets no weight limit for rocks: just 'reasonable amounts'. The 25-pound figure is the federal limit for fossils and petrified wood, and some BLM state offices apply it to rocks too. Vertebrate fossils need a permit.
- Mining Claims: What Rockhounds, Gold Panners and Detectorists Need to Know (and How to Check)An unpatented mining claim is still public land, but the minerals it was located for belong, in practice, to the claimant. BLM's own guidance ranges from "collect anything but the claimed mineral" to "generally not allowed," and placer claims almost always cover the gold. Here's what a claim does and doesn't give its holder, what happens if you collect on one, and how to check BLM's MLRS map before you go.
Sources for the summary above (4)
- 43 CFR 8365.1-5 — Property and resources (collecting 'reasonable amounts' for noncommercial purposes)(accessed 2026-10-12)
- BLM — Public Collection of Rocks, Mineral Specimens, and Semiprecious Gemstones: FAQ (February 2024)(accessed 2026-10-12)
- 43 CFR 3622.4 — Petrified wood: quantity limits(accessed 2026-10-12)
- LII — 30 U.S.C. 26, Locators' rights of possession and enjoyment(accessed 2026-10-12)
Each verdict covers one hobby at one place; the sources for it are on that place's page. Rules change, so confirm with the managing agency before you go. This is not legal advice. Filter every place on the site in the explorer or download the data.