Minerals - Rocks

Rock, Stone and minerals may require a permit to gather.

If you wish to obtain rock from the Gifford Pinchot National Forest for personal home landscaping use, please check with your local ranger district to learn more about where you can get rock and which areas may be restricted from collecting material.

When removing rock from the forest, please obtain a permit. The cost for this permit will vary based on the quantity of material collected.

A wide variety of rocks, minerals and semi-precious gemstones is available for collecting on public land in Oregon and Washington. Most BLM and USFS lands are open to rock collecting.

Collectors should note there are some restrictions and a free or fee permit may be required, depending on the amount of material collected, how it is collected, where collected and whether the material will be used commercially.

If you are interested in learning more about rockhounding in the Pacific Northwest, check out the Oregon Department of Geology website.

Interested in panning for gold?  Most panning for fun does not require a permit, mining claim, or official permission.  However it partly depends on your potential impact to streams and fish habitat.  Start by reading the Gold and Fish pamphlet at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife website.