Best Children's Gem Fossicking and Mining Sites
Fee-mining and fossicking sites let children dig, sift and keep what they find. They are among the best family-friendly entries into mining heritage.
Crater of Diamonds State Park, Arkansas
The only diamond field in the world open for keep-what-you-find digging.
Spencer Opal Mines, Idaho
Family fee-mining for precious opal in the American west.
Anakie Sapphire Gemfields, Queensland, Australia
Public fossicking grounds with hire equipment.
Herkimer Diamond Mines, New York
Double-terminated quartz crystals open for amateur extraction.
Cowee Valley, North Carolina
Ruby-and-sapphire fee-mining streams.
Wegel Tena Gem Walks, Ethiopia
Specialist guided opal walks in northern Ethiopia.
Saint-Cybardeaux, France
Trilobite fossil-collecting in old quarries.
Coober Pedy Public Noodling, Australia
Free opal-sifting at marked public sites.
Cherokee Ruby Mine, North Carolina
Family-oriented ruby fee-mining.
Diamond Hill, Antreville, South Carolina
Quartz-crystal fee-mining.
Plan your visit
Every site mentioned is plotted, with opening hours and accessibility notes, on our interactive map.
Explore on the map
Use the interactive map to filter by country, mineral and accessibility — or to find the closest mining heritage site to wherever you happen to be.