You may also need to bring along chisels, sledgehammers, sturdy gloves, and a backpack to carry everything. You can find large chunks of clear and smokey quartz throughout the area, and theyre pretty easy to pull out of the ground. Plenty of such specimens have been discovered in the western part of the state, on the Olympic Peninsula. TIP:Amber is one of my favorite gemstones because of its beautiful orange-yellow color. You can find them in Kalama, Lucas Creek, area E of Adna, Centralia, in the regional stream and river gravels, Doty, in Chehalis River gravels, the Newaukum River gravels close to Forest, or in Toledo, in the river area and stream gravels. The club can help point you towards the best digging spots, and it can provide you with tips and tricks to up your rockhounding game. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. The geodes you can expect to locate at the Walker Valley geode site are . Though there are many locations listed here, this list is far from exhaustive. This article was co-authored by Sam Lagor, MSc. Information on where to find popular specimens. Walker Valley also is known for its scenic yet bumpy 10 mile off-road vehicle trail which can make for a fun pit stop. Step 2: Keep your eyes peeled. Washington is home to a wide variety of fossils, ranging from ancient plants to mammoth bones (the mammoth happens to be the state fossil). 6 beaches for finding Agates in Washington State: 1. Their website will have all of the information needed to join. Youll have to get to the sand bars, and youll have to dig a little more than usual, but there are some impressive agate specimens ready for you to collect. Ensure the geode is lighter than other similar-sized rocks. Go online to find a gem and mineral club near you. If the rock feels lighter than that surrounding rocks, it may be a geode. In my opinion one can find much nicer specimen pieces and of greater quantity if you are prepared and have the right Tools!, Related: Where To Go Rockhounding In Washington. There are many easily accessible geode collecting sites in the western United States, including in California, Arizona, Utah and Nevada. 6: King County. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. If you get particularly lucky you might unearth something as spectacular as an 8-ton nephrite jade boulder. Besides taking in the states breathtaking natural beauties, rivers, mountains, and beaches, you may also discover a remarkable array of unusual rocks and fossils since the state has had extensive volcanic activity throughout the years. At the absolute least, bring a shovel, a pick, and a rock hammer with you. Required fields are marked *. Costs per Carat and More! Regardless of where you live in Washington, youre not far from a beautiful piece of petrified wood. The Seattle and Tacoma metro areas arent well known for their rockhounding, although you may be able to find some interesting specimens along the shores of the Puget Sound. Rossville Copper in Warrington Township, several roadcuts include azurite, malachite, and a variety of other minerals and crystals. Southwest Washington is also great for finding them, in places such as Lucas Creek, McCoy Farm near Adna, Centralia, Doty, or in the regional rivers and steam gravels of Pe Ell. If youre looking for rockhounding locations close to Seattle or Tacoma, unfortunately, your best bet will be to either check out the sites I list below in southwestern Washington or to travel to the Pacific Ocean beaches to do some beachcombing. Central Washington is home to a plethora of fantastic rockhounding destinations. However, 9 times out of 10 you will be digging through someone else tailings pile using this method. This is one of the more popular areas for finding Geodes in Washington State, and understandably so. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/b\/bc\/Find-Geodes-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Find-Geodes-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/b\/bc\/Find-Geodes-Step-1.jpg\/aid9433325-v4-728px-Find-Geodes-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"