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MINES AND �EGON WELCOMES rock hunters to ROCKHOUND . R,ULES 1ate State.... . Oregon is a collector's paradise, but !lectors of every age enjoy the thrill of even in a paradise it is wise to follow a few 9ring a flawless gem or a rare fossil, and simple rules ...certainly they will tend to n is the place·w find them. assure the best possible success. me on out and try your luck in one or he state's many rich deposits. wever, dori'-t be disappointed if you fail I. Select several sites within a ike it rich " 6n your first outing ...it took fairly small area to avoid spreading idents of Canyon City, in central ­ valuable collecting time too thin ... ) years to discover they had paved their become informed on the material with -bearing gravel! available and its exact location. 2. Don't hesitate to ask local col­ lectors for information about se­ lected sites ... check with rockhound clubs wherever they are found. 3. Bring along the proper tools and equipment-including boots and sturdy clothing-for field work ... depending on the material sought, you may find use for a rockhammer, shovel, prybar, sledge and chisel, or light pick mattock. 4. Make special preparations for seasonal weather conditions-can­ teens, caps and sunglasses for the desert, warm jackets for the moun­ tains, etc. 5. Obtain perm1s s1on of land owners before entering private property ... don't leave campsite debris scattered about and BE CAREFUL WITH FIRE. 6. Take care in entering aban­ doned mine shafts-you enter at your own risk. 7. Don't throw rocks from cliffs and endanger persons who might be below ... use proper care in handling tools. 8. Take only the material you will use and leave the rest for other col­ lectors.

Published by TRAVEL INFORMATION SECTION OREGON STATE HIGHWAY DIVISION SALEM, OREGON OREGON'S ... CLUBS, SOCIETIES & SPECIAL INFORMATION The state's metallic mineral wealth may Listed below are some members of the Northwest Federation of be Mineralogical Societies. The members welcome inquiries from out­ measured-at least in terms of collecting­ of-state collectors. For tips contact any of the listed clubs, or the by both the abundance and diversity of avail­ local Chamber of Commerce. able types. Topping the list are gold, , e Beach Society, e Newport Agate Society, , lead, zinc, mercury and iron. In addi­ Agate Beach, Oregon Newport, Oregon e Albany Rock Gem Club, • North Lincoln Agate tion, the only nickel mine in the United States Albany, Oregon& Society, Oceanlake, Oregon e North Marion Gem Mineral operates in southwestern Oregon. Commercial e Blue Mountain Gem Club, & La Grande, Oregon Society, Woodburn, Oregon grade uranium ore was discovered in south­ Oregon Agate Mineral e Clackamette Mineral Gem • Society, Portland,& Oregon central Oregon in 1955 and is known to exist Society, Oregon City,& Oregon e Oregon Trail Gem Mineral Columbia Gorge Rockhounds, in other parts of the state. The list of metals e Society, Pendleton, &Oregon Corbett, Oregon Philomath Rock Mineral includes , molybdenum, cobalt, anti­ Columbia • Rock Gem Club, Club, Philomath,& Oregon mony and chromium. • St. Helens, Oregon& • Polk County Rockhound e Coos County Mineral Gem Society, Monmouth, Oregon & GEMS ... Club, North Bend, Oregon e Portland Earth Science _ORING OREGON'S GEOLOGIC PAST • Coquille Valley Gem Organization, Portland, Oregon Oregon is famous for its semi-precious Mineral Club, Coquille,& Oregon e Prineville Mineral Society, gems. , petrified wood, , e Corvallis Rock Gem Club, Prineville, Oregon OREGON ABOUNDS with geologic & and thunder eggs are found in quantity in Corvallis, Oregon e Rockamites, Forest Grove, jers, rangirtg in size from the towering e Deschutes Geology Club, Oregon ·-capped peaks of the Cascade Range to many areas of the state. Also to be found in Bend, Oregon e Rogue Gem Geology Club, ' Grants Pass, &Oregon gem quality are , , , e Eugene Mineral Club ' fossilized seeds and plant spores of the Eugene Oregon e Roxy Ann Gem Mineral · Club, Medford, &Oregon no deposit. These features form a visible and , rhodonite, chrysocolla, Far W;st Gem e & South Douglas Gem and rock crystal. Native gold Soc1ety, • C oos B ay, regon . between the present day and a history and e M"lnera S· lc" (t ' & eFir Oak Mineralogists,0 h ca yonI te, Iregon spans 400 million years. cinnabar, when found in matrices suitable for Oakridge, Oregon � �' Spnng f1e ld Roc k Clu b , polishing, are used as gem stones. Oregon's e Hat �ock Gem Club, • Springfield, Oregon THE OLDESTROCKS found on the sur­ Herm1ston, Oregon annual gem production is estimated at e The Stonecrafters, are the schists of southwestern Oregon e High Desert Gem Mineral Enterprise, Oregon $1 ,000,000. & Society, Bend, Oregon Sweet Home Rock Mineral the limestone formations of central Ore­ e Hood River Valley e & FOSSILS ... Agate Society, Sweet Home, Oregon Among the newest are the scattered Club, Hood River, Oregon e Stinkingwater Rock Relic e Illinois Valley Mineral Club, Burns, Oregon& �r cones and lava flows of recent volcanic \ Prolific fossil beds are located in many & Hobbies Club, e Sundowners Rock Mineral, 'aval ... one eruption occured no more sections of the state. Of special interest are Cave Junction, Oregon Boring, Oregon & 250 years ago-a "fraction of a second" the John Day beds, first explored by Dr. eJohn Day Basin Gem Mineral e Tek Rock Club, Society, John Day, Oregon& Portland, Oregon �ologic time. Thomas Condon, the "Father of Oregon eJuniper Rock Club lncor- e Tillamook Rockhounds, Geology." Fossils of plants and animals which porated, Redmond, Oregon Tillamook, Oregon OREGON'S CLIMATE has ranged be­ e Klamath Mineral Club, e Trails End Gem Mineral existed 30 to 40 million years ago are taken Klamath Falls, Oregon Club, Astoria, Oregon& ,n glacial and semi-tropical, and as a result Lebanon Geological Society, from these beds. Clarno formation fossils, in­ • e Treasure Valley Rock �ossilized remains of such dissimilar crea­ Lebanon, Oregon Gem Club, Nyssa, Oregon& cluding many varieties of nuts and semi-tropi­ e Madras Gem Mineral e Tualatin Valley Gem Club, as the wooly mastodon and the crocodile & . cal plants, have become world famous. Marine Society, Madras, Oregnn Forest Grove, Oregon be found today. e Mineral Minors e Tyee Mineralites, beds in western Oregon contain an abundance Salem, Oregon The Dalles, Oregon SEMI-PRECIOUS GEMS are found in of fossil sea shells and occasional shark teeth e Morrow·County Gem Mineral e Umpqua Mineral Club, Society, Heppner, Oregon& Roseburg, Oregon y section of the state, from the beaches and whale bones. Mollusks and rare specimens e Mt. Emily Gem Mineral e Vernonia Gem Fossil Club, 1e eastern border ... Oregon gems are of marine reptiles occur in Oregon's rocks of Club, Brookings, &Oregon Vernonia, Oregon& eMt. Hood Rock Club, e West Lane Rock Mineral ,less", in that they are found among the the Mesozoic era (I 00 to 200 million years Gresham, Oregon Society, Veneta, Oregon& ; of many geologic periods. ago). e Newberg Gem Mineral e Willamette Agate Mineral Society, Newberg,& Oregon Society, Salem, Oregon& MINERALS, FOSSILS

0 Agates Opals & b -banded Petrified wood c - � � crystals - I IriS m -moss 0 Thunder eggs p -plume ¢3 Plant fossils s -sagenitic = Animal fossils Jaspers • � 1\.�arine fossils C Obsidian

® Garnet, Oregon ""

0 Metal minerals, � A -antimony � AI -aluminum � c -copper Cb -cobalt Ch -chromium G -gold I -1ron L -lead M -mercury Md -molybdenum N -nickel s -silver T -tungsten u -uran1um

z - ZinC 0

AND WHERE TO FIND THEM ... similar to the "wonderstone" of Utah-in thunder eggs 0 SOUTHERN OREGON BEACHES-Gem quality provides easy access to the creek bed ... the Medford ...directions may be obtained at the Prineville Chamber agate, , petrified wood, serpentine, Oregon "jade" Chamber of Commerce has a listing of other locations. of Commerce. Bl (grossularite garnet) ... Merchant's Beach and Whiskey D GREEN SPRINGS MOUNTAIN-Banded blue­ GLASS BUTTES-Obsidian ...this site is found grey agate, crystal-lined geodes ...best locations are on on Highway between Bend and Burns ... black, Run produce agatized myrtle and other woods, blue and 20 Highway about nine miles east of Ashland ... nodules variegated and silver sheen volcanic glass is found just white banded agates, flower jaspers: located off Seven 66 are found in place in a basalt seam exposed by a highway short of mile post south of the highway ...red and Devils Road, between Bandon and Charleston ...Oregon 79, "jade" and serpentine are found in the gravel bars of cut, on the left side of the road going uphill ...various gold sheen material in great abundance may be located cuts near Ashland contain fossil shells of Cretaceous by continuing east to mile post turning south toward the Rogue and Illinois rivers, and on the beaches near road 81, Gold Beach ... Eocene marine fossils are found in the marine life. cinnabar mine and driving two to three miles on the right­ sea cliffs at Cape Arago State Park, near Coos Bay ... IJI CLACKAMAS RIVER-Cinnabar, petrified wood, hand fork of the road ... prized rainbow and double Pliocene-Pleistocene fossils are found in the cliffs south of jaspers ...the river bed above Estacada produces gem flow1mJ also are found. the Cape Blanco lighthouse, near Port Orford. quality cinnabar, a variety of petrified woods and dark LAKEVIEW-Thunder eggs, agate, jasper, nod­ 0 CENTRAL OREGON BEACHES-Quality agate, green bloodstone, often associated with common ules, agatized wood ... Bullard Canyon and parallel jasper, Oregon "jade", petrified wood ...beach at .. -....9.9od to fair roads parallel the river for many miles. Deadman Canyon, on the east outskirts of town, produce Road's End produces colorful jaspers . . . excellent 11!1 SUNFLOWER FLATS-Banded agate, crystal­ blue and purple agate, agatized wood, jasp-agate and tumbling material is found from Oceanlake south to New­ lined geodes, jaspers ... area is located on the Wapinitia orbicular jasper ...highly prized blue agate is found cut-off southeast of Bear Springs Forest Camp, between near U.S. Highway from two to five miles south of port ... prized sagenitic agates (containing needle-like 395, inclusions), bloodstones, and other jaspers and agates are the Maupin road and the Warm Springs Indian Reserva­ Lakeview ...the Crane Creek area south of town con- picked up on the beaches between Yachats and Heceta tion9.0_ ... hillsides and creek beds produce fine material ... tains agate-filled thunder eggs ...Kelly Creek produces Head-especially near the mouths of Big, China, Cum­ dig g is necessary in most spots. agate, jasper and thunder eggs ... agates are found in mings, Tenmile and Squaw creeks ... Miocene marine m CLARNO-Fossil nuts, leaves and prehistoric q.uant�ty in the vast Dry Creek area west of town ... d1rect10ns fossils, including shells and the bones of whales and sea mammals, blue agate nodules, petrified wood, jaspers, at Chamber of Commerce in Lakeview. lions, are found in the cliffs at Beverly Beach State Park, zeolites, barite crystals ...the world-famous Clarno fossil m HART MOUNTAINS-Quality agate nodules, near Newport. beds are located a few miles east of the John Day River, fire opal, crystals of various kinds, , jasp-agate 10 NORTHERN OREGON BEACHES-Variety of off the road between Antelope and Fossil ... amateurs similar to Morrisonite ... sunstone locations are on the 'jaspers and agates, petrified wood, Oregon "jade" ... may collect specimens in the vicinity of the Oregon desert flats west of the mountains ... nodules and jasp- beaches near Oceanside contain fine material, including Museum of Science and Industry's Camp Hancock, but agate are found in mountain canyons ... fire opal is colorful jaspers and sagenitic agates ...large specimens the mammal beds are reserved for scientific exploration found on the high peaks of the west rim ... inquire at are found on Tillamook County beaches ...cliffs border- . .. an outcrop behind the high school at Fossil contains Plush or at Chamber of Commerce in Lakeview. ing Tillamook-Bayocean road contain Miocene fossil shells. excellent imprints of cones, leaves and Metasequoia liD OPAL BUTTE-Opal-filled nodules ... area is B needles. located about miles south of Heppner, via State High­ CLEAR CREEK-Carnelian and plume agates, 35 liD ANTELOPE-Moss agate, jasp-agate, massive way and forest roads. jaspers ... Clear Creek is located near the Nehalem 207 River southwest of Vernonia ...fine material is found botryoidal agate, geodes, agatized woods ... the Ante­ ID GREENHORN-Fossils, variety of gem material in the gravel bars of the creek bed and on the hillsides lope area is one of the best known producers of gem­ . sections and fragments of fossi Cretaceous fern above the creek. grade agate in Oregon ... large boulders of moss agate "trunks" (Tempskya) may be uncovered about a mile north­ II WILLAMETTE RIVER-Gem quality agates ... in vivid shades of red, blue, green and yellow are found in east of the ghost town of Greenhorn-several miles north the creek bed at the east edge of town ...agatized of U.S. Highway from Austin .. . best location is the best material comes from river bars and gravel 26 company dredgings, especially from north of Salem to wood is found four miles east of town on the hillside to east of the abandoned IXL mine, toward Olive Creek ... south of Corvallis ...agates may be found even in the the right of the road ...obtain permission to collect on clearly defined fossils are usually golden in color, some­ metropolitan Portland area. private land. times red ...Greenhorn fern is jasper-hard and polishes 1!1 SWEET HOME-Petrified wood, banded agate, Ill PRIDAY RANCH (COMMERCfAL)-Thunder well ...agate and other gem material is found in creek carnelian agate, jasper, crystal-lined geodes ...the area eggs containing blue agate, plume agate, green and red beds and gold dredge +railings down river from Bates around Sweet Home was the location of a vast prehistoric moss agate, opals; polkadot ...this famed location is to B+JSusanville ...digging is necessary in most areas. forest, and an abundance of silicified fossil wood-some reached by driving approximately miles northeast of WARM SPRINGS RESERVOIR-Black dendritic 15 beautifully colored with clearly marked grain and Madras on U.S. Highway turning right on the old and white plume agate ... gem material is found along 97, structure-is found here ...places to look include Ames Highway and driving for two miles to [unction of road the west shore of the reservoir, located 18 miles south of 97 Creek and the Calapooya River south of town, Crabtree to Ashwood, and following this road for almost nine U.S. Highway from mile post ... best time to 20 171 Creek and the hills north of town ... the fields, woods miles ...attendants will direct you to the diggings, and hunt here is when the water is low, from late August into and streams of the area hold banded agates, crystal- a Rer-oound fee is charged for gem material. winter .. . fossils of Pliocene plants are found in a road ID PRINEVILLE-Thunder eggs, plume, carnelian and cut on U.S. about eight miles west of Juntura ... lined geodes and fire-engine red jasper .... Chandler 20 �11ountain is the location of large ... prized moss agate, nodules, petrified wood ... the Eagle Rock Pliocene animal fossils are found on the north side of the Holley purple or Calapooya blue agates are found near area miles southeast of Prineville produces outstanding highway just west of Drinkwater Pass. 15 . m Holley, southwest of town ...fossil leaves may be taken red and black plume agate ... the Maury Mountain area SUCCOR CREEK-Thunder eggs, jaspers, petri­ frow..the railroad cut on the hill above town. beyond Eagle Rock produces green, red, brown and fled �woods ... the area south of Adrian along Sucker IU MEDFORD-Moss and dendritic agate, jaspers, golden moss agate and white plume agate, both "float" Cree to Rockville is an extremely productive rock hunting milky ...many square miles of land in the and "in place" .. . the Bear Creek area south of town locat1on ... thunder eggs may contain Pastelite or agate area of Camp White and Eagle Point produce an a­ produces red and green moss agate, nodules and agatized with inclusions of black dendrites, green moss or golden bundance of gem material .. . a county road crosses wood sections ... the Wildcat Mountain area northeast plume ... excellent site i� 19 miles south of Adrian, Antelope Creek a short distance east of Eagle Point and of town produces Morrisonite-a hard jasper-like material where the road and the creek converge.