Field habit

Before you leave pavement

Five checks. The wash will still be there if you turn around at the cattle guard.

Owner. BLM, SITLA, private, park, forest — on the exact parking spot and the slope. Ownership map. Screenshot it.
Overlay. Monument, ACEC, wilderness / WSA, seasonal closure. BLM on the base layer is not a yes. ACEC and wilderness.
Claim / lease. If there are posts, workings, or the mineral layer is busy, treat collecting as no until you know. Claims.
Cap and tool. Personal use, hand tools, 25 + one / 250 on ordinary open BLM. SITLA needs their permit. Parks are almost never. BLM limits · SITLA permit.
Exit. Water, spare, offline map, someone who knows when you are due back. Offline maps.

If any of the first three is fuzzy, do not start a hole. Call the field office with a legal description, not a nickname.

Informational only. Rules change. The checklist is a habit, not a permit.