BLM public land
Reasonable personal amounts are allowed. Big loads, power tools or selling need a permit.
The rockhounding app that knows where you can dig
Find public collecting spots, see who manages the land and what you are allowed to keep, and save every find with its photo and the place you found it.
Looking for a place to dig?
Can you collect here?
It depends on who manages the land. Capyhound shows it for every spot.
Usually yes
National forests
Rules differ from forest to forest. Ask the ranger district before you collect.
National parks
Taking rocks, minerals and fossils is generally prohibited.
Private land and mining claims
Ask the owner or the claim holder first. Claims are not always marked.
Everything for the trip, in one app
Coming to iPhone. Built for places with no signal.
- Map of public spotsWhat people find there, how to get there, and who manages the land.
- Rules for any spotWhat you can keep, how much, and where collecting is closed.
- Land status offlineSee who manages the land you are standing on, even with no signal.
- Your collectionLog each find with a photo, place and notes. Works offline.
Start with a state
- Rockhounding in ArizonaDesert agates, fire agate and turquoise country. Best in the cooler months.
- Rockhounding in CaliforniaHome of benitoite, the state gem, and gold, the state mineral.
- Rockhounding in NevadaBlack fire opal and turquoise are both official state gems here.
- Rockhounding in OregonSunstone, obsidian and the thunderegg, the state rock.
Featured spot
Glass Buttes, Oregon
High-desert buttes covered in obsidian, on land the Bureau of Land Management has set aside for rock collecting.
Open the spot guideQuestions
Is rockhounding legal?
On most land managed by the Bureau of Land Management, yes, for reasonable personal amounts. National parks generally prohibit collecting, national forest rules vary, and private land or mining claims need the owner’s permission.
How much can I take from BLM land?
BLM guidance for Oregon and Washington describes a reasonable daily amount as one that fits in the trunk of a car or weighs under 250 lb and is not for sale. Petrified wood has its own limit: 25 lb plus one piece per day, no more than 250 lb per year.
Can I take rocks from national parks?
Generally no. Federal rules for the National Park System prohibit removing rocks, minerals and fossils, with very narrow exceptions.
When will the Capyhound app be available?
The iPhone app is in the works. Join the waitlist and we will email you once, when it is on the App Store.
Rules checked on October 19, 2026 against the BLM Oregon and Washington rock collecting guide and 36 CFR 2.1.
