The closest place to go rockhounding near Salt Lake City, UT is Dugway Geode Beds, about 89 miles southwest in Juab County, UT (quartz geodes). Within 150 miles of Salt Lake City there are 8 places you can visit: 7 fee-dig or privately run sites and 1 on public land. 8 are Ready and 0 need something first, such as a fee, a permit or the right season.
These 8 are places checked for visiting. For the full picture, the Salt Lake City rockhounding map guide also counts historical USGS mine and mineral records: 10,135 within 115 miles of Salt Lake City, 3,152 of them Ready.
Day trips from Salt Lake City (75 to 150 miles)
8 more places are within a long day trip. Distances are straight-line miles to the site, or to the centre of its county where no exact point is published.
| Place | Distance | What you can find | Status | Area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dugway Geode Beds | 89 mi southwest | Quartz geodes | Ready | Juab County, UT |
| U-Dig Fossils Trilobite Quarry | 122 mi southwest | Cambrian trilobites | Ready | Millard County, UT |
| American Fossil — Private Green River Formation Dig | 124 mi northeast | Eocene fossil fish, plants and rare vertebrates | Ready | Lincoln County, WY |
| Fossil Lake Safari — Private Fossil Dig | 124 mi northeast | Eocene fossil fish, plants and other Green River Formation fossils | Ready | Lincoln County, WY |
| In Stone Fossils — Private Fossil Dig | 124 mi northeast | Green River Formation fossils | Ready | Lincoln County, WY |
| Nature’s Treasures — Fossil Fish Adventures | 124 mi northeast | Green River Formation fossil fish | Ready | Lincoln County, WY |
| Tynsky’s Fossil Fish — Private Quarry Dig | 124 mi northeast | Green River Formation fossil fish | Ready | Lincoln County, WY |
| Ulrich’s Fossil Gallery — Quarry Dig | 124 mi northeast | Eocene fossil fish | Ready | Lincoln County, WY |
What you can find near Salt Lake City
The most common activity is fossils, offered at 7 places, the nearest being U-Dig Fossils Trilobite Quarry (122 miles). Quartz and crystals can be found at 1 place, the nearest being Dugway Geode Beds (89 miles). Geodes can be found at 1 place, the nearest being Dugway Geode Beds (89 miles).
Fee sites or public land?
Most places near Salt Lake City 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 Dugway Geode Beds at 89 miles, and the nearest fee site is U-Dig Fossils Trilobite Quarry at 122 miles. Rules differ by agency; read rockhounding rules by land type before you collect.
Questions about rockhounding near Salt Lake City
Where can I go rockhounding near Salt Lake City, UT?
The closest place on our map is Dugway Geode Beds, about 89 miles southwest of Salt Lake City. There are 8 places within 150 miles that you can visit, each listed with distance, status and what you can find.
Is there free rockhounding near Salt Lake City, UT?
The nearest public-land option is Dugway Geode Beds, about 89 miles away (Ready). Hobby collecting on public land is free but limited to small amounts for personal use, and the rules vary by agency.
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 Utah rockhounding guide, Wyoming rockhounding guide, or use rockhounding near me to search from your exact location.