Garnet Hill
Rockhounding / fossil site · White Pine County, NV
Garnet Hill is a rockhounding area listed by the Bureau of Land Management. BLM rules generally allow collecting reasonable amounts of rocks and minerals for noncommercial use; check the BLM page for current rules.
| Type | Rockhounding / fossil site (BLM rockhounding area) |
|---|---|
| Location | White Pine County, Nevada |
| Coordinates | 39.28510, -114.95123 (map) |
| Managed by | Bureau of Land Management |
| Fees | No fee (per BLM) |
| Hours | Call to confirm |
| Phone | 775-289-1800 |
| Website | https://www.blm.gov/visit/garnet-hill |
About this site
Garnet Hill is the only designated rock hounding area in the Ely District, an internationally known site for gem collectors looking for garnets. Here you may find the ruby red semi-precious gems in the rocky volcanic outcrops. Garnets can be found either through careful rock breaking or searching the surface and drainages for the dark colored stones. The garnets will usually occur as single crystals attached to small cavities in the rhyolite rock, though they may weather out of the rock, and wash downhill. Bring a rock hammer or just search the ground to locate these crystals. Although most of the garnets found here are not of perfect gem quality, most people go home happy with their finds. …
Description from Bureau of Land Management.
Directions
From Ely, travel west on U.S. Highway 50. Drive ј mile north of the Ruth turnoff, and turn right onto the graded access road. The access road is suitable for use by sedans and other passenger vehicles, though it is winding and somewhat steep. Travel 3.1 miles to the parking area.
Verify before visiting. Hours, fees, access and collecting rules change, and some listings come from community-edited data. Call or check the operator's official page before you go. Details we could not confirm are marked "call to confirm".
Nearby sites
- Topaz Mountain Rockhound Recreation Area – Juab County, UT, 101 mi
- Dugway Geode Beds – Juab County, UT, 105 mi
- Mammoth Consolidated Gold Mine – Mammoth Lakes, CA, 248 mi
- Ponderosa Mine Tour – Virginia City, NV, 251 mi
- Willow Placer Campground – Mariposa County, CA, 297 mi
Source: BLM: Garnet Hill. Data retrieved 2026-11-04.