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Best Rockhounding Spots in New Hampshire (2026): 10 Places With Verified Access
Ten places in and near New Hampshire where collecting is publicly documented, each checked against the managing agency or operator on Oct 26, 2026. We left out sites we could not confirm from a primary source.
Fees, seasons and rules change. Anything we could not confirm is marked “check before you go.”
Moat Mountain Mineral Site
Conway, NH · White Mountain National Forest · Map
Known for smoky quartz in miarolitic cavities where the Conway granite meets the Moat volcanics. Get a no-fee, one-day permit at the trailhead. From West Side Road in Conway, take Passaconaway Road 1.2 miles, turn right onto High Street (dirt), pass the gate at 1.4 miles, bear left at 1.7 miles and go 0.7 miles to parking; the site is a 0.9-mile hike. No restrooms or drinking water. Limit 50 lb or one 5-gallon bucket.
Source: USDA Forest Service, Moat Mountain Mineral Site Trailhead
Verified on Oct 26, 2026 against the source linked.
Deer Hill Mineral Collecting Area
Stow, Maine (just over the NH line) · White Mountain National Forest · Map
Amethyst, feldspars, beryl, garnet, columbite, pyrite and muscovite. From Route 113, take Deer Hill Road (FR 9) 2.2 miles. Two permit areas are each 0.4 miles from a fork 0.1 miles up the trail. Permit at the trailhead, no fee, valid one day. The Forest Service suggests a shovel and sifting screen.
Source: USDA Forest Service, Deer Hill
Verified on Oct 26, 2026 against the source linked.
Lord Hill Mineral Collecting Area
Stoneham, Maine (near the NH line) · White Mountain National Forest · Map
A former feldspar mine with more than 50 minerals reported, including feldspar, quartz, topaz, phenakite and garnet. North access is via Deer Hill Road (FR 9, closed seasonally) 4.7 miles from NH 113 to the Horseshoe Pond Trail, then the Conant and Mine trails. Permit at the site, no fee.
Source: USDA Forest Service, Lord Hill
Verified on Oct 26, 2026 against the source linked.
Wild Ammonoosuc River (gold panning)
Pemigewasset Ranger District · White Mountain National Forest · Map
The Forest Service notes a history of gold recovery in the Ammonoosuc basin, especially the Wild Ammonoosuc River. You need a WMNF gold panning permit (from any district office, good for one calendar year, required for ages 18 and up). Pan and small trowel only, personal use only. Exact open stretches and office hours: Check before you go.
Source: USDA Forest Service, Gold Panning
Verified on Oct 26, 2026 against the source linked.
Tunnel Brook (gold panning)
Benton area · White Mountain National Forest · Map
Named by the Forest Service alongside the Wild Ammonoosuc for past gold recovery. Same permit and pan-and-trowel rules. Access and open stretches: Check before you go.
Source: USDA Forest Service, Gold Panning
Verified on Oct 26, 2026 against the source linked.
Ruggles Mine
Grafton, NH · privately operated fee dig · Map
Admission is $30 per person, kids under 10 at no charge, with up to one 5-gallon bucket per paid admission. Camping is $20 per site per night (tents or self-contained RVs, no hookups). Digging is allowed, but hammers, chisels and power tools are not for the public, and pets must be leashed. The operator says the 2026 season is over and it will reopen in spring 2027. Hours and opening date: Check before you go. 286 Underhill Rd, Grafton, NH 03240 · (603) 691-4057.
Source: rugglesmine.net (operator)
Verified on Oct 26, 2026 against the source linked.
Tripp and Clark Mines (Green Maple Farms)
Alstead, NH · privately operated · Map
The owners describe two mines with aquamarine, beryl, feldspar, mica and garnet. Mineral club trips are $35 per adult and $20 per child, for groups of 6 to 150, and clubs need federation insurance. Smaller groups are pointed to the owners’ Hipcamp listing. Individual prices, hours and season: Check before you go. Contact trippandclarkmine@gmail.com.
Source: Green Maple Farms (operator)
Verified on Oct 26, 2026 against the source linked.
Chickering Mine
Walpole, NH · Pierre W. Hoge Conservation Base · Map
A former feldspar mine on Scouting America New Hampshire property, listed as a reservable “Mine Rental” in the council’s reservation system (Eaton Road, Walpole). Price, rules and who may book: Check before you go.
Source: Scouting America NH reservation page (owner)
Verified on Oct 26, 2026 against the source linked.
Surface finds elsewhere in the WMNF
White Mountain National Forest · Map
Outside the three permit sites, you may pick up a loose rock without digging, except in alpine zones, experimental forests, on the Appalachian Trail and in Research Natural Areas. Any hand tool counts as digging.
Source: USDA Forest Service, Rockhounding
Verified on Oct 26, 2026 against the source linked.
Mineral club field trips
Statewide · Map
Many New Hampshire collecting sites are reached through club trips. NH DES lists the Capital Mineral Club, Keene Mineral Club, Presidential Gem and Mineral Society, Saco Valley Gem and Mineral Club, Southeastern NH Mineral Club and Micromounters of New England. Trip schedules and dues: Check before you go.
Source: NH Department of Environmental Services, Education Resources
Verified on Oct 26, 2026 against the source linked.
Collecting rules in New Hampshire
- White Mountain National Forest: picking up a rock without digging needs no permit, except in alpine zones, experimental forests, on the Appalachian Trail and in Research Natural Areas. Using any hand tool counts as surface disturbance, which is allowed only with a permit at the Deer Hill, Lord Hill and Moat Mountain mineral sites. The permit has no fee, comes from the site kiosk, and allows 50 lb or one 5-gallon bucket (USDA Forest Service; verified Oct 26, 2026).
- Gold panning in the WMNF: needs a permit from a WMNF district office, valid for one calendar year; pan and small trowel only, no sluices, rocker boxes, dredges or mechanized equipment (USDA Forest Service; verified Oct 26, 2026).
- NH state parks and other Department properties: mineral exploration and collecting with hand tools or mechanized equipment is not allowed unless granted by special use permit, deed, or property management plan, and is not allowed at all at geologic sites, natural preserves, historic sites or above tree line (NH Admin. Rules Ncr 731.21; verified Oct 26, 2026).
- BLM land: we could not confirm from a BLM source whether any BLM-managed public land exists in New Hampshire. Check before you go.
- Private land, including most of the USGS-recorded sites on our county pages, needs the owner’s permission.
No photos: we did not find openly licensed images we could confirm for these sites.