Rock Collecting at Lake McDonald, Glacier National Park, Montana
PROHIBITED
Not permitted at this location
No: taking the colored rocks from Lake McDonald is prohibited. Glacier National Park bans removing any rock or mineral (36 CFR 2.1), and its compendium allows only berries. Look, photograph, and leave them. Rules checked against primary sources in .
Key Conditions
- National Park Service rules prohibit "possessing, destroying, injuring, defacing, removing, digging, or disturbing from its natural state" any mineral resource in a park (36 CFR 2.1(a)(1)(iv)); the Lake McDonald pebbles are covered
- Glacier's 2026 Superintendent's Compendium allows visitors to gather only edible fruits, nuts and berries (one quart per person per day); it designates no rocks, minerals or other natural objects
- Selling natural products from the park is also prohibited (36 CFR 2.1(c)(3)(v)), so stones sold as "Lake McDonald rocks" can't lawfully come from the park
- Violations carry up to 6 months in jail and a fine (36 CFR 1.3; 18 U.S.C. 1865)
- You can walk the beach, pick a stone up to look at it, and photograph it — then put it back
Lake McDonald, Glacier National Park · 48.5277, -113.9932
The rocks stay in the park — every one of them
Lake McDonald is inside Glacier National Park, and the National Park Service rule is absolute: no "possessing, destroying, injuring, defacing, removing, digging, or disturbing from its natural state" any mineral resource (36 CFR 2.1(a)(1)(iv)). A park superintendent can allow visitors to gather certain fruits, berries, nuts or empty seashells, but not rocks, and Glacier's 2026 compendium uses that power only for edible fruits, nuts and berries, one quart per person per day. There's no small-pebble exception, no permit for visitors, and no difference between the beach and the lake bed.
The colored stones are Lake McDonald's draw. The National Park Service traces the colors to iron in the park's argillite, a slightly metamorphosed mudstone laid down about 1.5 billion years ago in the Belt Sea. Where those sediments were exposed to air, the iron rusted to red, maroon and purple. Where they stayed underwater without oxygen, the iron combined with silica and, under heat and pressure, became chlorite, which gives the greens and blues. Lake McDonald itself, ten miles long and nearly 500 feet deep, was carved by glaciers, according to NPS.
The rule that protects them is the same one that covers every national park, explained in our 36 CFR 2.1 guide. Glacier adds its own reason in its Leave No Trace guidance: removing rocks from waterways can alter streamflow and displace aquatic life such as mayflies and stoneflies. And because the rule also bans selling natural products from a park, any "Lake McDonald rocks" for sale either aren't from the park or shouldn't be on the market.
Where you can and can't collect rocks around Glacier
| Land | Rock collecting | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Glacier National Park (Lake McDonald, Apgar, everywhere) | Prohibited | 36 CFR 2.1(a)(1)(iv); compendium allows only berries |
| Flathead National Forest (general forest land) | Small personal amounts usually need no permit | USFS Northern Region guidance; check with the ranger district |
| Wilderness and Wild and Scenic River corridors (e.g. North and Middle Forks of the Flathead) | May be excluded | USFS Northern Region guidance; confirm before collecting |
| Montana state parks | Prohibited | ARM 12.8.802 |
| Montana state trust land | Valuable rocks need a lease or license; ask DNRC about anything else | ARM 36.25.145(11)(c) |
From 36 CFR 2.1, Glacier's 2026 compendium, the Forest Service Northern Region rockhounding brochure and Montana's administrative rules, checked October 2026.
Seeing the Rocks
From NPS Glacier's fees, reservations, hours and boating pages, October 2026.
Before You Visit
- Plan to photograph the rocks, not take them — there's no exception for small ones
- Bring a card or pass; Glacier doesn't accept cash
- Paddling? Get your boat inspected and pick up the free launch permit first
- Want a stone to keep? Look into Flathead National Forest land outside the park and call the ranger district
- Leave rocks unstacked and unpainted
Who Sets the Rules Here
- FederalNational Park Service — Glacier National Park (36 CFR Parts 1–7 and the Superintendent's Compendium)
National Park Service
Lake McDonald, its shoreline at Apgar and the lodge, and every other part of the park: no removing rocks or minerals (36 CFR 2.1(a)(1)(iv)); only berries may be gathered
- FederalU.S. Forest Service — Flathead National Forest
USDA Forest Service
National forest land outside the park, where small-quantity personal rockhounding usually needs no permit; wilderness, Wild and Scenic River corridors and other areas may be excluded
Permits & Licenses
| Permit | Required? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Permit to collect rocks at Lake McDonald | No | None exists for visitors. The compendium's only collecting permit is for research under 36 CFR 2.5. |
| Glacier National Park entrance pass | Yes | Non-US residents 16 and over pay an extra $100 per person unless admitted with an annual or America the Beautiful pass (new in 2026). The park doesn't accept cash. No vehicle reservations are required in 2026. |
Time & Seasonal Restrictions
- No removing rocks, pebbles or any other mineral from the lake, the beaches or anywhere in the park (36 CFR 2.1(a)(1)(iv))
- Don't build cairns or rock stacks, and don't paint or leave painted rocks (Glacier's Leave No Trace guidance; painting rocks is graffiti)
- Gathering is limited to edible fruits, nuts and berries, by hand, one quart per person per day; mushroom picking is prohibited (2026 compendium)
- No metal detectors anywhere in the park (36 CFR 2.1(a)(7))
- Every boat, kayak and paddleboard needs an aquatic invasive species inspection and a free launch permit before going on the lake
Equipment Notes
- A phone or camera — the colors show best on wet stones in shallow, clear water
- Water shoes for wading the cobble shore at Apgar
- A polarizing filter or sunglasses to cut glare off the water if you want to see the stones below the surface
- Nothing to carry rocks home in: there's nothing here you can take
What People Find Here
- Red, maroon and purple argillite pebbles: the National Park Service says the color comes from iron that oxidized when the Belt Sea's sediments were exposed to air
- Green and blue argillite pebbles, colored by the iron-silicate mineral chlorite that formed where the sediments stayed underwater without oxygen (NPS)
- Paler quartzite, limestone and dolomite stones, also from the Belt Supergroup, deposited about 1.5 billion years ago according to NPS
Penalties for Violations
← Scroll to see all columns
| Violation | Statute | Penalty |
|---|---|---|
| Removing or possessing rocks or other mineral resources from Glacier National Park | 36 CFR 2.1(a)(1)(iv); 36 CFR 1.3; 18 U.S.C. 1865 | Up to 6 months in jail and a fine (up to $5,000 for an individual under 18 U.S.C. 3571), plus court costs |
| Selling or commercially using natural products from the park | 36 CFR 2.1(c)(3)(v); 36 CFR 1.3 | Up to 6 months in jail and a fine |
Etiquette & Leave No Trace
- Put every stone back where you found it, ideally in the water
- Don't stack stones; Glacier's Leave No Trace guidance asks visitors not to build cairns
- Remember that moving rocks in streams displaces mayflies, stoneflies and other aquatic life, as the park notes
- If you see someone filling a bag with rocks, tell a ranger rather than confronting them
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you take rocks from Lake McDonald?
No. Lake McDonald is inside Glacier National Park, where federal rules prohibit removing any mineral resource (36 CFR 2.1(a)(1)(iv)). The park's compendium allows visitors to gather only berries, fruits and nuts, not rocks.
What about just one small rock?
The rule has no size or quantity exception, so one pebble is as prohibited as a bucket. The beaches look the way they do because visitors leave them.
Why are the rocks at Lake McDonald so colorful?
Iron. The National Park Service explains that the argillite in the park contains a lot of iron. Where the ancient Belt Sea's sediments were exposed to air, the iron oxidized to red, maroon and purple; where they stayed underwater without oxygen, the iron bonded with silica and became chlorite, which gives the green and blue stones. The sediments were laid down about 1.5 billion years ago.
Can I buy Lake McDonald rocks?
Not legally, if they really came from the park: NPS rules ban selling natural products taken from a park (36 CFR 2.1(c)(3)(v)). Stones marketed under the name may be similar Belt Supergroup rocks from somewhere else.
Where can I legally collect similar rocks near Glacier?
On Flathead National Forest land outside the park, the Forest Service says small-quantity personal rockhounding with little ground disturbance usually needs no permit. Some areas are excluded, including wilderness, Wild and Scenic River corridors such as the North and Middle Forks of the Flathead along the park, campgrounds and historic sites, so check with the ranger district first. Montana state parks ban removing rocks, and Montana's state trust land requires a license for valuable rocks.
Is skipping stones on Lake McDonald allowed?
NPS rules don't mention it. The rule against throwing or rolling rocks covers valleys, canyons, hillsides and thermal features, not lakes (36 CFR 2.1(a)(3)). But a skipped stone is still in the lake, and you can't take any home.
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Disclaimer
Information is provided for general guidance only. Regulations change frequently. Always verify current rules with the official jurisdiction before relying on this information for legal decisions. Permitted Pursuits is not a substitute for official agency guidance. Report an error.
Sources
- Glacier National Park — 2026 Superintendent's Compendium(accessed 2026-10-14)
- 36 CFR 2.1 — Preservation of natural, cultural and archeological resources (eCFR)(accessed 2026-10-14)
- 36 CFR 1.3 — Penalties (eCFR)(accessed 2026-10-14)
- 18 U.S.C. 1865 — National Park System penalties (Cornell LII)(accessed 2026-10-14)
- NPS — Glacier National Park: Geologic Formations(accessed 2026-10-14)
- NPS — Glacier National Park: Lake McDonald Valley(accessed 2026-10-14)
- NPS — Glacier National Park: Leave No Trace(accessed 2026-10-14)
- NPS — Glacier National Park: Fees and Passes(accessed 2026-10-14)
- NPS — Glacier National Park: Vehicle Reservations (2026)(accessed 2026-10-14)
- USDA Forest Service Northern Region — Recreational Prospecting, Rockhounding and Fossil Hunting in Montana National Forests (R1-10-07)(accessed 2026-10-14)
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