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BLM’s public lands offer amateur and aspiring geologists alike outstanding opportunities to explore unique landscape features and study the physical evidence of eons of earth’s processes. Scablands, badlands, cliffs, canyons, craters, pinnacles, arches, hoodoos—you name it, chances are you’ll find it on the public lands! There are also grand opportunities for rockhounding: at some BLM sites, recreational collectors may gather small numbers of rocks, semi-precious gemstones, and petrified wood specimens. (Note: be sure to contact your local BLM office for guidelines and restrictions before removing anything from public lands.)
In addition, the public lands are invaluable sources of non-energy solid minerals, such as metals, phosphate, and construction materials, which are critical to the vitality of our nation’s top industries.
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RESOURCES
BLM National Solid Minerals Program:
an overview at the national level.
http://www.blm.gov/nhp/300/wo320/index.htmlan overview at the national level.
BLM-Alaska Solid Minerals Program:
Click on “Educational” in pull-down menu to reach features such as “Celebrate Alaska’s Gold Rushes.”
http://www.ak.blm.gov/ak940/index.html
BLM-Arizona Geocaching
21st-century adventures for users of Global Positioning Systems (GPS).
http://www.az.blm.gov/geocache.htm:
BLM-Arizona
Rockhounding locations and rules
http://www.az.blm.gov/rockhnd.htm
BLM-Folsom(California), Recreational Gold Dredging
http://www.ca.blm.gov/folsom/dredgingsites.html
BLM-Ridgecrest (California), Trona Pinnacles
http://www.ca.blm.gov/caso/trona_caso.html
BLM-Montana Recreational Gold Prospecting
http://www.mt.blm.gov/faq/panning.html
BLM-Montana Rockhounding
http://www.mt.blm.gov/faq/rockhound.html
BLM-Battle Mountain (Nevada); Lunar Craters Volcanic Field
http://www.nv.blm.gov/bmountain/recreation/recreation_overview.htm#Lunar%20Crater%20Volcanic%20Field;
BLM-Elko (Nevada) Rockhounding
(click on "Rockhounding"
http://www.nv.blm.gov/Elko/recreation.htm
BLM-Ely (Nevada) Rockhounding:
(click on "Roundhounding"
http://www.nv.blm.gov/ely/recreation.htm ”)
BLM-New Mexico Geocaching
21st-century adventures for users of Global Positioning Systems (GPS).
http://www.nm.blm.gov/recreation/activities/activities_geocaching.htm
BLM-Oregon Geology, Energy, and Minerals:
http://www.or.blm.gov/gme.htm
geologic history
http://www.or.blm.gov/watchhistory.htm
BLM-Oregon Recreational Gold Panning
http://www.or.blm.gov/goldpanning.htm
BLM-Oregon Rockhounding
http://www.or.blm.gov/rockhounding.htm
rockhounding guidelines
http://www.or.blm.gov/rockhoundingguidelines.htm
BLM National Landscape Conservation System Units with unique geologic features and resources
Craters of the Moon National Monument
Central Idaho
http://www.id.blm.gov/craters/index.htm
Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument
Northwestern Arizona
http://www.az.blm.gov/parashant/parashantfctsht.htm
Vermilion Cliffs National Monument
Northern Arizona
http://www.az.blm.gov/vermilion/vermilfctsht.htm
Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area,
Southern Nevada
http://www.redrockcanyon.blm.gov/
Kasha Katuwe-Tent Rocks National Monument
North-central New Mexico
http://www.nm.blm.gov/recreation/albuquerque/kasha_katuwe.htm
printable brochure available at
http://www.nm.blm.gov/aufo/rec_brochures/TentRocksBrochureUpdate%207_03.PD.pdf
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
Southern Utah
http://www.ut.blm.gov/monument/
Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area
West-central Colorado
http://www.co.blm.gov/ggnca/index.htm
El Malpais National Conservation Area
North-central New Mexico
http://www.nm.blm.gov/recreation/albuquerque/el_malpais_nca.htm
Steens Mountain National Conservation Area
Southeastern Oregon
http://www.or.blm.gov/steens/