Rockhounding in Oregon
Oregon's volcanic geology produces thunder eggs, sunstone, agates, jaspers, and petrified wood across its diverse landscape.
10 Rockhounding Locations
Thunder Egg Capital (Richardson's Ranch)
Madras, Oregon · Fee Dig
Oregon's most famous thunderegg collecting area. Richardson's Ranch offers access to multiple collecting sites. Oregon's state rock.
Sucker Creek
Jordan Valley, Oregon · BLM Land
BLM area in eastern Oregon known for beautiful agate, jasper, and petrified wood deposits. Popular rockhounding destination.
Sunstone Basin
Plush, Oregon · public-BLM
Hunt for Oregon sunstone (state gem) — a feldspar with brilliant copper inclusions. Both free BLM areas and private fee-dig operations available.
Glass Buttes
Burns, Oregon · BLM Land
BLM area famous for mahogany, rainbow, and black obsidian. One of the best places in the US to collect obsidian. Bring collecting buckets.
Polka Dot Agate Mine
Nyssa, Oregon · Fee Dig
Fee-dig mine known for unique polka dot agate (aka orbicular jasper). One-of-a-kind patterns not found anywhere else in the world.
Priday Agate Beds
Madras, Oregon · Fee Dig
Classic Oregon collecting site for blue agate, plume agate, and thundereggs. Located in the rich agate beds of central Oregon.
Richardson Rock Ranch
Madras, Oregon · Fee Dig
Oregon's most famous thunderegg collecting ranch. Multiple dig sites on the property. Pay per bucket. Oregon's state rock.
Maury Mountain Thundereggs
Prineville, Oregon · BLM Land
BLM area in central Oregon for thunderegg collecting. Limited collecting permitted. Part of Oregon's rich thunderegg country.
White River Agate Beds
Maupin, Oregon · BLM Land
BLM area along the White River in north-central Oregon. Known for agate and petrified wood deposits.
Juniper Ridge
Brothers, Oregon · BLM Land
BLM collecting area in central Oregon. Known for thundereggs, agate, and jasper. Remote area.
⛏️ Gear for Oregon Rockhounding
Here's the essential gear recommended for rockhounding in Oregon.
Rock Hammer
The most essential rockhounding tool. Choose a hammer with both a flat striking face and a pointed pick end.
Typical: $25-45
Safety Glasses
Mandatory protective gear. Rock chips fly unpredictably when hammering.
Typical: $10-20
Chisel Set
Cold chisels in 3-4 sizes for precise extraction from matrix rock.
Typical: $15-30
Geologist's Pick
A heavier crack hammer for splitting hard rock. Essential for hard rock mining areas.
Typical: $35-60
Sifting Screen
Stackable mesh screens for sifting gravel and dirt. Essential for gem and fossil hunting.
Typical: $20-40
UV Flashlight
Long-wave UV light for finding fluorescent minerals and Yooperlites.
Typical: $15-35