Where to find agates in the US
Updated . Sources are at the end of the page.
Agates turn up on ocean and lake beaches, in river gravel and in desert lava country. The easiest public places are Oregon’s beaches, where you may take a gallon a day, the North Shore of Lake Superior in Minnesota, and Bureau of Land Management land in Arizona, where fire agate can be dug without a fee or permit.
- Oregon coast
- Up to 1 gallon a day and 3 gallons a year per person
- Lake Superior
- Rocky beaches of Minnesota’s North Shore
- Arizona fire agate
- BLM Black Hills Rockhound Area: no fee, no permit
- Other BLM land
- Reasonable amounts for personal use
What an agate is
An agate is banded chalcedony, a variety of quartz whose crystals are too small to see, deposited layer by layer inside a cavity. The Minnesota DNR tells the story of Lake Superior agates this way: more than a billion years ago, lava poured out of a huge crack in the middle of the continent; water later seeped into its air pockets and left chalcedony in colorful bands, usually turned red by small amounts of iron. About 15,000 years ago, a glacier spread the agates south, and many ended up along the North Shore of Lake Superior. The Lake Superior agate has been Minnesota’s state gemstone since 1969.
Where to look
Oregon’s ocean shore
- What you may take: agates and other non-living items loose on the ground, such as shells and stones, in small quantities for personal use.
- Limit: no more than a one-gallon container per person per day and three gallons per calendar year, and each person uses their own container.
- Exceptions: Oregon State Parks can restrict collecting by area, amount and time of year, and marine reserves and marine protected areas have their own rules.
- Selling: collecting for commercial use needs a permit.
Lake Superior’s North Shore, Minnesota
- Where: rocky Lake Superior beaches are a favorite hunting place, and agate hounds also search gravel pits, lakes and rivers in northeastern and north-central Minnesota.
- Private land: always ask permission first, including for gravel pits.
- Moose Lake State Park: home of the Agate and Geological Center, but taking agates from the park is prohibited.
Arizona deserts (BLM)
- What’s there: BLM Arizona lists agates, fire agates, jasper, onyx and Apache tears among the state’s semiprecious gemstones, with fire agate on land of its Kingman and Safford field offices.
- Black Hills Rockhound Area: open for public digging without fees or permits, about 18 miles north of Safford off US 191, just east of milepost 141. Camping is allowed for up to two weeks, and summers can top 100°F. See fire agate in Arizona.
- Limits: BLM Arizona’s brochure sets up to 25 pounds a day and 250 pounds a year for personal use.
- Not on State Trust Land: rockhounding is not allowed there.
Nevada (BLM)
BLM Nevada allows gemstones and common rock specimens to be collected for private use on unclaimed sites. Wilderness areas, wilderness study areas, and areas such as Stewart Valley near Gabbs and the Red Rock Canyon and Sloan Canyon National Conservation Areas are excluded. We did not find a named agate site in official sources.
Montana moss agate
Montana’s tourism office calls the Yellowstone River between Custer and Sidney a popular spot for moss agates, quartz and jasper. It advises staying on public land unless you have permission, and notes that most fishing access sites and wildlife management areas require a Conservation License.
How to spot one
- Small: most agates weigh just a few ounces.
- Rich color when wet: look after a wave or a rain shower.
- See-through layers: in sunlight the bands can look almost clear.
More tests: how to identify agates. Rules everywhere else: rock collecting rules by type of land.
See agate spots on the map
The Capyhound app will keep public agate spots, their limits and the map on your phone, even with no signal.
Questions
How many agates can I take from an Oregon beach?
Up to a one-gallon container per person per day and three gallons per calendar year, each person in their own container. Commercial collecting needs a permit, and Oregon State Parks can restrict collecting in specific areas.
Where are Lake Superior agates found?
Glaciers spread them across northeastern and north-central Minnesota, and many ended up along Lake Superior’s North Shore. Rocky beaches, gravel pits, lakes and rivers are the usual hunting grounds; ask permission on private land.
Can I collect agates in a Minnesota state park?
Not at Moose Lake State Park, home of the Agate and Geological Center: the Minnesota DNR says taking agates from the park is prohibited. Check the rules of any state park before you collect.
How did Lake Superior agates form?
More than a billion years ago, lava poured out of a huge crack in the middle of the continent. Water later filled its air pockets and left behind banded chalcedony, a kind of quartz, colored red by small amounts of iron.
Where can I find fire agate on public land?
The BLM’s Black Hills Rockhound Area, about 18 miles north of Safford, Arizona, is open to public digging without fees or permits. BLM Arizona also lists fire agate on land of its Kingman field office.
How much can I collect on BLM land in Arizona?
BLM Arizona’s brochure sets personal-use limits of up to 25 pounds per day and 250 pounds per year, for non-commercial use only. Arizona State Trust Land is closed to rockhounding.
Where is Montana moss agate found?
Montana’s tourism office points to the Yellowstone River between Custer and Sidney, and advises staying on public land unless you have permission.
Sources
- Minnesota DNR: Agate Hounds, Minnesota Conservation Volunteer (July–August 2011)
- Minnesota Secretary of State: state gemstone, the Lake Superior agate
- Iowa Geological Survey: Geode, Iowa’s State Rock (EM-3, 1995), definition of chalcedony
- OAR 736-021-0090, Oregon ocean shore natural products (Oregon Secretary of State)
- BLM: Rock Hounding in Arizona, BLM/AZ/GI-14/009 (2014)
