The closest place to go rockhounding near Portland, ME is Mount Apatite Park — Quarry & Mine-Dump Mineral Collecting, about 37 miles north in Androscoggin County, ME (apatite, tourmaline, quartz and pegmatite minerals in designated quarry/dump areas). Within 150 miles of Portland there are 24 places you can visit: 18 fee-dig or privately run sites and 6 on public land. 16 are Ready and 8 need something first, such as a fee, a permit or the right season.
Closest places to Portland (under 75 miles)
11 places are within about 75 miles. Distances are straight-line miles to the site, or to the centre of its county where no exact point is published, so driving distances will be longer.
| Place | Distance | What you can find | Status | Area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Apatite Park — Quarry & Mine-Dump Mineral Collecting | 37 mi north | Apatite, tourmaline, quartz and pegmatite minerals in designated quarry/dump areas | Ready | Androscoggin County, ME |
| Jellystone Lakes Region — Managed Gem Mining | 47 mi southwest | Seeded gems/minerals in purchased mining bags | Ready | Strafford County, NH |
| Jellystone Glen Ellis — Managed Gem Mining | 52 mi west | Seeded gems/minerals in purchased mining bags | Ready | Carroll County, NH |
| Moat Mountain Mineral Collecting Site | 52 mi west | Smoky quartz, feldspar, topaz and Conway-granite cavity minerals | Ready | Carroll County, NH |
| Bethel Outdoor Adventure — Maine Gems & Minerals Sluice | 65 mi north | Maine mine material with beryl, amethyst, tourmaline, quartz and other minerals | Ready | Oxford County, ME |
| Coos Canyon Rock & Gift — Managed Gem Screening | 65 mi north | Gemstones, crystals, fossils and seeded/pay-dirt materials | Ready | Oxford County, ME |
| Dig Maine Gems — Authorized Mt. Mica Sunday Field Trip | 65 mi north | Tourmaline and other pegmatite minerals at active Mt. Mica mine | Ready | Oxford County, ME |
| Dig Maine Gems — West Paris Tailings Dig Site | 65 mi north | Tourmaline, beryl, quartz, feldspar, mica | Ready | Oxford County, ME |
| Maine Mineral & Gem Museum — Sluice Days Seasonal Program | 65 mi north | Gemstones and minerals in prepared mine-tailings sluice bags | Ready with conditions | Oxford County, ME |
| Swift River / Coos Canyon — Independent Hand Gold Panning Context | 65 mi north | Placer gold in stream gravels | Ready with conditions | Oxford County, ME |
| White Mountain National Forest (Maine) — Rock/Gold Context | 65 mi north | Common rocks/minerals and recreational gold prospecting where federal rules allow | Ready with conditions | Oxford County, ME |
Day trips from Portland (75 to 150 miles)
13 more places are within a long day trip.
| Place | Distance | What you can find | Status | Area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts Non-DCR Coastal Beaches — Beach-Stone Collection Context | 77 mi southwest | Beach stones, quartz, jasper, glacial cobbles and non-cultural natural material | Ready with conditions | Several counties, MA |
| Ruggles Mine — Public Mineral Collecting | 77 mi west | Mica, feldspar, beryl, quartz, garnet and associated pegmatite minerals | Ready | Grafton County, NH |
| Twin River Campground — Controlled Wild Ammonoosuc Gold Panning | 77 mi west | Placer gold in river gravels | Ready | Grafton County, NH |
| Okemo Adventure Zone — Managed Gem Mining | 115 mi west | Seeded gems/minerals in purchased mining rough | Ready | Windsor County, VT |
| Jellystone Cranberry Acres — Gem Mining | 120 mi south | Seeded gems/minerals in managed campground activity | Ready | Plymouth County, MA |
| Davis Farmland — Gem Mining | 124 mi southwest | Seeded gems/minerals in managed family attraction | Ready | Worcester County, MA |
| Great Wolf Lodge New England — Oliver’s Mining Co. | 124 mi southwest | Seeded gemstones in managed mining rough | Ready | Worcester County, MA |
| Southwick’s Zoo — Elk Mine & Gemstone Panning | 124 mi southwest | Seeded gems/minerals in managed panning attraction | Ready | Worcester County, MA |
| Smugglers’ Notch Resort — Gem Mining | 136 mi northwest | Seeded gems/minerals in managed resort activity | Ready with conditions | Lamoille County, VT |
| Killington Resort — Roaring Brook Mining | 139 mi west | Seeded minerals/gems in managed mining rough | Ready | Rutland County, VT |
| Rock Fossil & Dinosaur Shop — Mining/Panning Program | 140 mi southwest | Seeded gemstones/fossils in mining sluice and dig activities | Ready with conditions | Franklin County, MA |
| Iron Mine Hill Cumberlandite — Permission-Gated Context | 141 mi southwest | Cumberlandite and associated iron-titanium minerals | Ready with conditions | Providence County, RI |
| Mount Hope Bay Shore — Mineral/Beach-Gravel Context | 144 mi south | Quartz, jasper, chalcedony-like cobbles, hematite and glacial beach gravel | Ready with conditions | Bristol / Newport County, RI |
What you can find near Portland
The most common activity is gem mining, offered at 17 places, the nearest being Mount Apatite Park — Quarry & Mine-Dump Mineral Collecting (37 miles). Quartz and crystals can be found at 8 places, the nearest being Mount Apatite Park — Quarry & Mine-Dump Mineral Collecting (37 miles). Mica and pegmatite minerals can be found at 6 places, the nearest being Mount Apatite Park — Quarry & Mine-Dump Mineral Collecting (37 miles). Gold panning can be found at 3 places, the nearest being Swift River / Coos Canyon — Independent Hand Gold Panning Context (65 miles).
Fee sites or public land?
Most places near Portland are fee-dig mines and privately run sites, where you pay to dig or buy a bucket of material and keep what you find. The nearest public-land option is Mount Apatite Park — Quarry & Mine-Dump Mineral Collecting at 37 miles, and the nearest fee site is Jellystone Lakes Region — Managed Gem Mining at 47 miles. Rules differ by agency; read rockhounding rules by land type before you collect.
Questions about rockhounding near Portland
Where can I go rockhounding near Portland, ME?
The closest place on our map is Mount Apatite Park — Quarry & Mine-Dump Mineral Collecting, about 37 miles north of Portland. There are 24 places within 150 miles that you can visit, each listed with distance, status and what you can find.
Is there free rockhounding near Portland, ME?
The nearest public-land option is Mount Apatite Park — Quarry & Mine-Dump Mineral Collecting, about 37 miles away (Ready). There are 6 public-land places within 150 miles. Hobby collecting on public land is free but limited to small amounts for personal use, and the rules vary by agency.
Where can I pan for gold near Portland, ME?
The nearest gold panning on our map is Swift River / Coos Canyon — Independent Hand Gold Panning Context, about 65 miles from Portland. There are 3 gold panning places within 150 miles.
Before you go
Open each place for its source and last checked date, and confirm opening days, fees and closures with the operator or land manager. See how map statuses work, what to bring and field safety.
For research sites, protected places and the full map, see the Maine rockhounding guide, New Hampshire rockhounding guide, Massachusetts rockhounding guide, Vermont rockhounding guide, Rhode Island rockhounding guide, or use rockhounding near me to search from your exact location.