Land status before the shovel.
RockhoundTrails is the independent field guide to legal rock, mineral, crystal, and fossil collecting across public lands in the United States around one honest insight: the best collecting sites are not secret, they are legal. We map BLM, USFS, and state land status rules.
The Core Truth
"The best sites are not secret, they are legal: land status, not luck, decides where you can dig."
Research & Guidance Hubs
Select a category for in-depth regulations, checklists, and field guides.
State Guides
Public collecting sites, geographic formations, and target minerals by state.
View Category Guides →Minerals & Fossils
Agates, geodes, quartz crystals, petrified wood, and invertebrate fossils.
View Category Guides →Public Land Rules
BLM 25-pound personal use limits, National Forest collecting rules, and active mining claims.
View Category Guides →Field Tools & Gear
Estwing rock picks, safety glasses, UV shortwave lamps, and 10x hand loupes.
View Category Guides →Specimen Identification
Mohs hardness tests, streak plates, cleavage planes, and specific gravity.
View Category Guides →Interactive Diagnostic Tools
Free client-side decision helpers and calculators with zero registration walls.
Public Land Status & Regulation Decoder
Determine collecting legality across BLM, USFS, State Trust, National Parks, and BLM Wilderness.
Launch Tool →Field Trip Safety & Equipment Checklist
Essential field gear, personal protective equipment, and field safety protocols.
Launch Tool →Mohs Hardness & Identification Helper
Step-by-step diagnostic tree to narrow down rock and mineral specimen identities.
Launch Tool →