Est. on the Olympic Peninsula · USA
The American rockhounding field guide.
Where to find rocks, minerals and fossils — site by site, state by state. Real coordinates, access notes, collecting law, and the clubs that know the ground.
50States
400+Dig sites
120Clubs
02 — Learn the craft
Field guides & how-to
BEGINNER
How to start rockhounding
Gear, etiquette and reading the landscape before your first hunt.
ID IN THE FIELD
Agate vs. jasper vs. chert
Tell common silica rocks apart with your hands and a loupe.
LAW & ETHICS
Where collecting is legal
BLM land, national parks and private property — the U.S. rules.
03 — Field card
Featured locality
OLYMPIC PENINSULA · WA
Beach agates of the Strait of Juan de Fuca
◎ 48.15° N, 123.50° W · public beach · low-tide access
Wave-polished agate, jasper and carnelian wash up along the northern Olympic Peninsula — a classic Pacific-Northwest hunt, best on a falling tide after a winter storm.
What you’ll findAgate · Jasper · Carnelian
DifficultyEasy · surface
Best seasonOct–Mar