Disclaimer
Last updated: April 15, 2026
Riffle is a reference tool, not a permit or a guide to safe travel. Please read the following before heading into the field.
Verify land status yourself
Riffle does not independently verify land ownership, access rights, or legal status for any location listed in the catalog. Land status changes constantly: mining claims get filed, areas get withdrawn for conservation, parcels get swapped between agencies, and local offices issue new rules. Before you visit, it is your responsibility to confirm the current status and collecting rules with the agency or owner that controls the parcel you intend to be on.
Collecting rules vary
On BLM and Forest Service land, casual non-commercial collection of common rocks, minerals, and invertebrate/plant fossils is generally allowed up to 25 pounds plus one specimen per person per day, and up to 250 pounds per person per year. Those limits, and what counts as “casual,” vary — and some areas (wilderness, National Monuments, developed campgrounds, archeological sites) are off-limits entirely.
Vertebrate fossils(bones, teeth, tracks) on federal land are protected by the Paleontological Resources Preservation Act and generally require a scientific research permit. If you think you've found a vertebrate fossil, photograph it, note the location, and leave it in place — then tell a paleontologist or the land manager.
Archeological resources (arrowheads, pottery, historic cabins) are protected by ARPA and NHPA. Look, photograph, leave it.
Private land requires explicit written permission from the owner. We try hard not to catalog sites on private land, but boundaries drift. When in doubt, assume private and turn around.
Safety
Rockhounding has real, non-trivial hazards. Before any trip:
- Tell someone your plan— where you're going, what route, when you'll be back.
- Carry more water than you think you need. Desert sites in UT and NV can be fatal in summer.
- Don't enter abandoned mine shafts or adits. They are not maintained, gases pool in them, and timbers rot. Collect at the dumps, not underground.
- Watch for unstable highwalls, loose talus, and undercuts.
- Bring a first-aid kit, a spare tire, and a way to navigate without cell service.
- Check weather, especially flash-flood risk in slot canyons and washes.
- Know your rattlesnake, scorpion, tarantula, and mountain lion basics.
Accuracy of site information
Coordinates, access notes, and specimen descriptions come from published sources, agency maps, member field reports, and other third-party material. We do not independently verify site listings and we don't re-visit them. Assume the information is a starting point, not ground truth.
No professional advice
Nothing on Riffle is legal advice, geologic advice, or safety certification. If you need those, talk to a lawyer, a geologist, or a guide respectively.
Your own risk
Any trip you make based on information from Riffle is made entirely at your own risk. Riffle and its operators accept no responsibility for injury, death, property damage, citations, fines, or other losses arising from your use of the Service. See our Terms of Service for the full legal version.
Help us keep this honest
If you find a site listed that's closed, claimed, private, dangerous, or just wrong, please tell us. We correct fast.