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Can you take rocks from national parks?

Updated . Rules come from federal regulations and the National Park Service; sources are at the end of the page. This is a guide, not legal advice.

No, as a rule

No. Federal regulation 36 CFR 2.1 prohibits removing, digging or disturbing minerals and fossils in national parks, and the National Park Service says collecting and rockhounding are generally prohibited in all of its units. The rule sets no minimum size, so it covers a single pebble too.

The rule
36 CFR 2.1: no removing minerals, fossils or artifacts
Penalty
Criminal: up to 6 months in prison, a fine, or both
Exceptions
Limited gold panning at Whiskeytown; hand collecting in some Alaska parks
Legal alternative
BLM land: reasonable amounts for personal use

What the rule covers

  • Rocks and minerals: possessing, removing, digging or disturbing a mineral resource or cave formation, or any part of one.
  • Fossils and artifacts: fossilized and nonfossilized paleontological specimens, and cultural or archaeological resources.
  • Throwing rocks: tossing or rolling rocks into caves, valleys, canyons, down hillsides or into thermal features is prohibited too.
  • Metal detectors: possessing or using one is prohibited, except for authorized work.
  • Classrooms and research: no collecting for classroom use; scientific research needs a Scientific Research and Collecting permit.
  • What a park may allow: a superintendent can designate fruits, berries, nuts or empty seashells for gathering by hand. Rocks are not on that list.

Penalties

  • Criminal penalties. The National Park Service says violators are subject to them.
  • Up to 6 months in prison, a fine, or both, under the federal law that the park rules point to.
  • Artifacts bring separate, higher penalties under the Archaeological Resources Protection Act. See rockhounding laws.

The only exceptions

  • Whiskeytown, California: limited recreational gold panning in the Whiskeytown unit of Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area, under its own regulation.
  • Some Alaska park units: surface collection by hand, including hand-held gold pans, for personal recreational use only. No silver, platinum, gemstones or fossils; no shovels, pickaxes, sluice boxes or dredges; and the rocks may not be sold.
  • Superintendents can still say no: if collecting would harm park resources or visitors’ enjoyment, the superintendent will restrict or prohibit it.

Petrified Forest National Park

Taking petrified wood from Petrified Forest is against the law, like any other natural or cultural resource there. The park explains that although the supply seems endless, it is limited: the park protects just over 20% of the original deposit, and it could be picked clean within a few years if collecting were allowed. The park lists a minimum fine of $325 for removing or damaging petrified wood. What you can take, in the park’s own words: “Pictures and memories!”

The petrified wood sold in nearby gift and rock shops comes from private land outside the park, whose owners have the right to collect, mine and sell it.

A large petrified log on gravelly ground, its broken end showing red, yellow, gray and blue quartz
Leave it where it lies: a petrified log in Petrified Forest National Park. Photo: Jon Sullivan, public domain.

Where to collect legally instead

  • BLM land: reasonable amounts of rocks, mineral specimens and semiprecious gemstones for noncommercial use, except where collecting is closed or posted.
  • Petrified wood on BLM land: up to 25 pounds plus one piece a day and no more than 250 pounds a year, not for sale to dealers. In Arizona, the BLM says petrified wood occurs on land of its Hassayampa, Safford, Yuma and Arizona Strip field offices.
  • Rock shops: Petrified Forest itself suggests local gift and rock shops for souvenir pieces.
  • Find a place: public places to collect, on a map.

Find legal spots in the app

The Capyhound app will show who manages the land and whether you can collect there, before you pick anything up.

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Where you can collect

Questions

Can you take rocks from national parks?

No, as a rule. Federal regulation 36 CFR 2.1 prohibits removing, digging or disturbing a mineral resource, and fossils, in park areas, and the National Park Service says collecting and rockhounding are generally prohibited in all units of the National Park System.

Even a small rock or pebble?

Yes, even a pebble. The regulation covers a mineral resource or cave formation “or the parts thereof”, and the text sets no minimum size or amount.

What is the penalty for taking rocks from a national park?

The National Park Service says violators are subject to criminal penalties. Its penalty rule points to a federal law that allows up to 6 months in prison, a fine, or both. Taking artifacts can bring separate, higher penalties.

Are there any national parks where collecting is allowed?

Only narrow exceptions: limited recreational gold panning in the Whiskeytown unit in California, and in some Alaska park units, surface collection by hand for personal recreational use, excluding silver, platinum, gemstones and fossils and without shovels, sluices or dredges. Rocks collected there may not be sold.

Can I take a piece of petrified wood from Petrified Forest National Park?

No. The park says it is against the law to remove any natural resource, petrified wood included, or any cultural resource, and it lists a minimum fine of $325 for removing or damaging petrified wood.

Where does the petrified wood sold near the park come from?

From private land outside the park. The park says the owners of those lands have the right to collect, mine and sell their wood.

Where can I collect rocks legally instead?

Petrified Forest points visitors to local rock shops and to the BLM’s collecting rules. On BLM land you may collect reasonable amounts for noncommercial purposes, and up to 25 pounds of petrified wood plus one piece a day, with no more than 250 pounds a year.

Sources

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