Nevada · parks & monuments
Nevada parks and monuments: can you collect?
Short version: state parks no, national parks no, BLM monuments ask first, and never anything cultural or fossil.
Nevada State Parks: no
NRS 407.250 prohibits removing “natural specimens such as petrified trees, petroglyphs” and relics from state parks; violations are at least a misdemeanor. NAC 407.103 bars metal detectors unless the park supervisor authorizes one. Park pages for Berlin-Ichthyosaur and Ice Age Fossils post: “Removing, disturbing or damaging any historic structure, artifact, rock, plant life, fossil or other feature is prohibited.”
- Valley of Fire: petrified logs and petroglyphs. Look only.
- Berlin-Ichthyosaur: ichthyosaur fossils (Nevada's state fossil, protected by NRS 407.170) and the Berlin ghost town. Metal detecting is prohibited too. Park phone 775-427-9332.
- Ice Age Fossils State Park (North Las Vegas): Pleistocene fossil beds. Look only.
National Park Service: no
Great Basin National Park and Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument are NPS units. 36 CFR 2.1 bars collecting rocks, minerals, fossils and artifacts, and 43 CFR 49.800 rules out casual fossil collecting on NPS land. Great Basin: 775-234-7331.
BLM national monuments: ask first
| Monument | Established | Status for rockhounds |
|---|---|---|
| Basin and Range | Proclamation 9297, July 10, 2015 (704,000+ acres) | BLM's FAQ says collecting any historic or prehistoric feature is prohibited. Interim guidance (Dec. 13, 2024); the Ely RMP applies. Ask the Caliente Field Office (775-726-8100) about rocks. |
| Gold Butte | Proclamation 9559, Dec. 28, 2016 (296,937 acres) | No final monument plan. Ask the Las Vegas Field Office (Southern Nevada District, 702-515-5000). |
| Avi Kwa Ame | Proclamation 10533, Mar. 21, 2023 (506,814 acres) | BLM's interim management memo (posted early 2025; verify with the Southern Nevada District): rockhounding is generally allowed but may be restricted to protect monument objects. Ask first. |
BLM's national rock-collection FAQ says collecting inside a monument is generally allowed unless the item is an object the monument protects. Artifacts, rock art and vertebrate fossils are never collectible. In September 2026 local news reported concern that Nevada monuments could be reduced; no boundary change had been announced as of October 16, 2026. Verify before you go.
Utah side: Utah monuments are not open BLM · 2026 GSENM and Bears Ears changes.
Sources: NRS 407; NAC 407; Nevada State Parks; 36 CFR 2.1; Great Basin laws and policies; BLM Basin and Range; BLM Gold Butte; BLM Avi Kwa Ame; KSNV, Sept. 25, 2026.
Informational only — not legal advice. Rules, boundaries and seasons change. Confirm with the managing agency for the exact parcel before you collect. Last verified October 16, 2026.