About this site

Photo credits

Every landscape and specimen photo on this site, where it came from, and the license it is used under.

Location and specimen photos come from Wikimedia Commons. Many are U.S. government works (Bureau of Land Management, USGS) in the public domain. Others are shared by their photographers under CC0 or a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) or Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) license. Each photo carries a credit line where it appears, and the author link goes to the original file and its full license details.

Changes: all photos were resized, some were cropped, and all were re-saved as compressed JPEGs for the web. No other edits. Our resized copies of CC BY-SA photos are shared under the same license as the original.

Specimen captions: where we couldn't find a freely licensed photo from the exact site, the caption says so and names the photo's real locality.

Subject and file	Author and license	Used on
Agate Beach State Recreation Site, north of Newport, Oregon images/places/agate-beach-newport-oregon.webp · images/places/agate-beach-newport-oregon-card.webp	Finetooth CC BY-SA 3.0	Oregon beach agate rules, Oregon rockhounding: who owns the ground
Basin and Range National Monument, a BLM monument in Lincoln and Nye counties images/places/basin-and-range-nm-nevada.webp · images/places/basin-and-range-nm-nevada-card.webp	Samantha Szesciorka, BLM Nevada Public domain	Nevada rockhounding: who owns the ground, Nevada parks and monuments: can you collect?
The twin Bears Ears buttes from Utah 261 images/places/bears-ears-buttes.webp	Bigbear213 CC BY-SA 4.0	2026 Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears Monument Changes: Can You Collect Rocks There Now?, Utah monuments are not “open BLM”
The Black Hills Rockhound Area sign, BLM Safford Field Office, Arizona images/places/black-hills-rockhound-area-arizona.webp · images/places/black-hills-rockhound-area-arizona-card.webp	BLM Arizona Public domain	Arizona rockhounding: who owns the ground, Arizona BLM collecting rules
The Black Rock Desert playa in northwest Nevada, BLM Winnemucca District images/places/black-rock-desert-playa-nevada.webp · images/places/black-rock-desert-playa-nevada-card.webp	BLM Nevada Public domain	Home, Nevada rockhounding: who owns the ground
A petroglyph in Buckhorn Wash on BLM land images/places/buckhorn-wash-petroglyph.webp	Cindy Gallo, BLM Utah Public domain	Artifacts are not specimens
The Confusion Range from Skull Rock Pass, looking west toward Kings Canyon images/places/confusion-range-skull-rock-pass.webp	Qfl247 CC BY-SA 3.0	Conger Trail sunstone land status
Dixie National Forest off UT-14 east of Cedar Breaks images/places/dixie-national-forest-ut14.webp	DXR CC BY-SA 4.0	Dixie National Forest vs BLM
The Dugway Geode Beds, a BLM-designated rockhounding area in Juab County images/places/dugway-geode-beds-landscape.webp	Jeremy T. Dyer, BLM Utah Public domain	Dugway geode beds land status
The trail up into Escalante Petrified Forest State Park images/places/escalante-petrified-forest-trail.webp	Mramoeba CC BY-SA 4.0	Escalante Petrified Forest State Park: look, don’t take
A federal mining claim sign near Boreas Pass, Colorado images/places/federal-mining-claim-sign.webp · images/places/federal-mining-claim-sign-card.webp	D&RG Railfan CC BY 3.0	How to check a mining claim on MLRS, Nevada rockhounding: who owns the ground, Arizona rockhounding: who owns the ground
The BLM sign on the road in to Garnet Hill images/places/garnet-hill-road-ely-card.webp	Samantha Szesciorka, BLM Nevada Public domain	Nevada rockhounding: who owns the ground
The view from Garnet Hill, BLM's designated rockhound area west of Ely images/places/garnet-hill-view-ely.webp	Samantha Szesciorka, BLM Nevada Public domain	Garnet Hill near Ely: land status
Mahogany obsidian from Glass Buttes, Oregon (about 8 cm across) images/places/glass-buttes-mahogany-obsidian-oregon.webp · images/places/glass-buttes-mahogany-obsidian-oregon-card.webp	James St. John CC BY 2.0	Oregon BLM rockhounding rules, Oregon rockhounding: who owns the ground
Grand Staircase-Escalante from Utah Highway 12 images/places/gsenm-highway-12-view.webp	Grenzlandstern CC BY-SA 4.0	2026 Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears Monument Changes: Can You Collect Rocks There Now?
Cambrian rock on the west side of the House Range near Marjum Pass images/places/house-range-cambrian-cliffs.webp	James St. John CC BY 2.0	Fossils on Utah BLM
The northern House Range at sunset, over Tule Valley images/places/house-range-tule-valley-sunset.webp	Qfl247 CC BY-SA 3.0	House Range trilobites
An “Entering Public Lands” marker on a dirt road in Ironwood Forest National Monument, Arizona images/places/ironwood-forest-public-lands-sign-arizona.webp · images/places/ironwood-forest-public-lands-sign-arizona-card.webp	BLM Arizona Public domain	Arizona rockhounding: who owns the ground, Arizona State Trust Land: why you can’t collect there
The Mineral Mountains near Milford, Beaver County images/places/mineral-mountains-milford.webp · images/places/mineral-mountains-milford-card.webp	Bill Golladay CC BY-SA 4.0	Modena and Wild Horse obsidian, Utah rockhounding: who owns the ground
Slinkard Wilderness Study Area on Nevada BLM images/places/nevada-slinkard-wsa-blm.webp	Bob Wick, BLM Public domain	Nevada BLM collecting rules
Notch Peak in the House Range, west of Delta: about 2,200 feet of sheer limestone, set in BLM country images/places/notch-peak-house-range.webp	Matt Affolter (Qfl247) CC BY-SA 3.0	Home
Pahvant Butte, a tuff cone in the Black Rock Desert volcanic field between Delta and Fillmore images/places/pahvant-butte-black-rock-desert.webp	Jstuby CC0	Black Rock Desert obsidian
The Painted Hills unit of John Day Fossil Beds National Monument images/places/painted-hills-john-day-oregon.webp · images/places/painted-hills-john-day-oregon-card.webp	Quirkipedia CC0	Oregon parks, monuments and refuges: can you collect?, Oregon rockhounding: who owns the ground
Petrified logs on the badlands of Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona images/places/petrified-forest-logs-arizona.webp · images/places/petrified-forest-logs-arizona-card.webp	National Park Service Digital Image Archives Public domain	Arizona rockhounding: who owns the ground, Petrified Forest and petrified wood: what’s legal
Fossil log in the Morrison Formation at Escalante Petrified Forest State Park images/places/petrified-log-morrison-escalante.webp	James St. John CC BY 2.0	Utah BLM petrified wood rules
Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge, which surrounds Virgin Valley images/places/sheldon-refuge-virgin-valley.webp	Ken Lund CC BY-SA 2.0	Virgin Valley opal: land status
Saguaros under the night sky in Sonoran Desert National Monument, a BLM monument in Arizona images/places/sonoran-desert-nm-saguaros-arizona.webp · images/places/sonoran-desert-nm-saguaros-arizona-card.webp	BLM Arizona Public domain	Arizona rockhounding: who owns the ground, Arizona parks, monuments and refuges: can you collect?
Sunstone Knoll, the basalt hill south of Delta that gives Utah sunstone its name images/places/sunstone-knoll-utah.webp	Tiffany A. Rivera CC BY-SA 4.0	Conger Trail sunstone land status
Entrance sign at the BLM Sunstone Public Collection Area, Lake County, Oregon (May 2019) images/places/sunstone-public-collection-area-oregon.webp · images/places/sunstone-public-collection-area-oregon-card.webp	Lisa McNee, BLM Oregon & Washington CC BY 2.0	Oregon rockhounding: who owns the ground, Oregon sunstone: who owns the ground, Home
Topaz Mountain from the east, in the Thomas Range rhyolite images/places/topaz-mountain-east-panorama.webp	Tiffany A. Rivera CC BY-SA 4.0	Thomas Range and Topaz Mountain
Ground at Topaz Mountain: rhyolite talus, two-tracks and the Thomas Range beyond images/places/topaz-mountain-ground-konstantin.webp · images/places/topaz-mountain-ground-konstantin-card.webp	Phil Konstantin Public domain	Topaz Mountain, Utah rockhounding: who owns the ground
Topaz Mountain and the Thomas Range with a storm coming in behind images/places/topaz-mountain-storm-panorama-card.webp	Tweeber69 CC BY-SA 3.0	Utah rockhounding: who owns the ground
US 50, the “Loneliest Road,” across central Nevada basin-and-range country images/places/us50-nevada-loneliest-road.webp · images/places/us50-nevada-loneliest-road-card.webp	Regulator78 Public domain	Nevada rockhounding: who owns the ground, Why Nevada has no SITLA (and what state land is now)
Wild horses on BLM ground in Utah's West Desert images/places/utah-west-desert-blm.webp · images/places/utah-west-desert-blm-card.webp	Lionel Powell, BLM Utah Public domain	Home, Utah rockhounding: who owns the ground
Sandstone in Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, a BLM monument on the Arizona Strip images/places/vermilion-cliffs-nm-arizona.webp · images/places/vermilion-cliffs-nm-arizona-card.webp	BLM Arizona Public domain	Home, Arizona rockhounding: who owns the ground
Almandine garnet from Garnet Hill, Ely, in a rhyolite pocket images/specimens/almandine-garnet-hill-ely.webp	Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com CC BY-SA 3.0	Garnet Hill near Ely: land status
An Apache tear, a rounded obsidian nodule images/specimens/apache-tear-obsidian.webp	Snorchard CC0	Black Rock Desert obsidian
Bixbyite crystal on pale rhyolite, Thomas Range images/specimens/bixbyite-thomas-range.webp	Zbynek Burival CC BY-SA 4.0	Thomas Range and Topaz Mountain
Black bixbyite cubes with topaz on rhyolite, Topaz Mountain, Thomas Range images/specimens/bixbyite-topaz-thomas-range.webp	Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com CC BY-SA 3.0	Topaz Mountain
Black obsidian from Lake County, Oregon, probably Glass Buttes images/specimens/black-obsidian-lake-county-oregon.webp	James St. John CC BY 2.0	Modena and Wild Horse obsidian
Another cut Dugway geode images/specimens/dugway-geode-interior-1.webp	James St. John CC BY 2.0	Dugway geode beds land status
Cut Dugway geode with banded agate rind and a crystal-lined center images/specimens/dugway-geode-interior-2.webp · images/specimens/dugway-geode-interior-2-card.webp	James St. John CC BY 2.0	Dugway geode beds land status, Utah rockhounding: who owns the ground
A geode just dug and cracked open at the Dugway beds images/specimens/dugway-geode-split-blm.webp	Jeremy T. Dyer, BLM Utah Public domain	Dugway geode beds land status
Geodes lying on the surface at the beds images/specimens/dugway-geodes-on-surface.webp	Jeremy T. Dyer, BLM Utah Public domain	Dugway geode beds land status
Elrathia kingii from the Wheeler Shale at Antelope Springs, House Range images/specimens/elrathia-kingii-antelope-springs.webp · images/specimens/elrathia-kingii-antelope-springs-card.webp	Tortie tude CC0	House Range trilobites, Utah rockhounding: who owns the ground
Elrathia kingii (3 cm) with a healed bite mark, Wheeler Formation, House Range images/specimens/elrathia-kingii-healed-bite.webp	James St. John CC BY 2.0	House Range trilobites
Elrathia kingii in Wheeler Shale, with a 5 mm scale bar images/specimens/elrathia-kingii-wheeler-shale.webp	Wilson44691 Public domain	House Range trilobites, Fossils on Utah BLM
Dark garnet in Garnet Hill rhyolite, about 5 cm across images/specimens/garnet-in-rhyolite-garnet-hill.webp	James St. John CC BY 2.0	Garnet Hill near Ely: land status
A garnet still in its rhyolite at Garnet Hill images/specimens/garnet-in-rock-garnet-hill-blm.webp · images/specimens/garnet-in-rock-garnet-hill-blm-card.webp	Samantha Szesciorka, BLM Nevada Public domain	Garnet Hill near Ely: land status, Nevada rockhounding: who owns the ground
Fossil wood replaced by precious opal, Virgin Valley images/specimens/opal-replaced-wood-virgin-valley.webp	James St. John CC BY 2.0	Virgin Valley opal: land status
Colorful petrified wood in the park, probably Araucaria (a conifer) images/specimens/petrified-wood-escalante-araucaria.webp · images/specimens/petrified-wood-escalante-araucaria-card.webp	Mramoeba CC BY-SA 4.0	Escalante Petrified Forest State Park: look, don’t take, Utah rockhounding: who owns the ground
Log of petrified wood in the park, Morrison Formation images/specimens/petrified-wood-escalante-sp.webp	Aneta Kaluzna Qbek CC BY-SA 3.0	Escalante Petrified Forest State Park: look, don’t take
Petrified wood on BLM land in the Kanab–Escalante planning area images/specimens/petrified-wood-kanab-escalante-blm.webp	Harry Barber, BLM Utah Public domain	Utah BLM petrified wood rules
Silicified wood, cut and polished images/specimens/petrified-wood-polished.webp	Shannon Heinle CC0	Utah BLM petrified wood rules
Precious opal from the Virgin Valley Formation images/specimens/precious-opal-virgin-valley.webp · images/specimens/precious-opal-virgin-valley-card.webp	James St. John CC BY 2.0	Nevada rockhounding: who owns the ground, Virgin Valley opal: land status
Ptychagnostus gibbus, a 5 mm agnostid trilobite from the Wheeler shale, House Range images/specimens/ptychagnostus-gibbus-house-range.webp	Dwergenpaartje CC BY-SA 3.0	House Range trilobites, Fossils on Utah BLM
Red beryl from the Wah Wah Mountains, Beaver County images/specimens/red-beryl-wah-wah-mountains.webp	Géry Parent CC0	Thomas Range and Topaz Mountain
Snowflake obsidian from northeast of Milford, Beaver County, with pink-tinged spherulites images/specimens/snowflake-obsidian-milford-utah.webp	DaveC1 CC BY-SA 4.0	Modena and Wild Horse obsidian
Snowflake obsidian from Millard County, the Black Rock Desert side of the state images/specimens/snowflake-obsidian-millard-county.webp · images/specimens/snowflake-obsidian-millard-county-card.webp	Mike Davis CC0	Black Rock Desert obsidian, Utah rockhounding: who owns the ground
Utah sunstone: a large labradorite crystal from Sunstone Knoll near Delta images/specimens/sunstone-crystal-sunstone-knoll.webp · images/specimens/sunstone-crystal-sunstone-knoll-card.webp	Tiffany A. Rivera CC BY-SA 4.0	Conger Trail sunstone land status, Utah rockhounding: who owns the ground
Cognac-colored topaz from Topaz Mountain, Thomas Range images/specimens/topaz-cognac-topaz-mountain.webp	Géry Parent Public domain	Thomas Range and Topaz Mountain, Topaz Mountain
Topaz crystals from Topaz Mountain, with a centimeter ruler images/specimens/topaz-crystals-topaz-mountain.webp	Tiffany A. Rivera CC BY-SA 4.0	Topaz Mountain
Wood opal from the Virgin Valley district, Humboldt County images/specimens/wood-opal-virgin-valley.webp	Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com CC BY-SA 3.0	Virgin Valley opal: land status