Located in White Pine County about 10 miles northwest from Ely in the Eagan Mountains is Garnet Hill. This gem mountain earned its name from the locals because of its popularity among rock hounds. Ely’s history is as a mining town, and this nationally known site is famous for its dark garnets found in flow-banded rhyolitic volcanic rock. This publicly-designated rock-hunting area is approximately two square miles and was designated as such in 1970. With a little luck and some persistence, both beginner and experience rock hounds can find beautifully dark garnets in this gorgeous area.
Garnet Hill is located off Hwy 50, approximately 10 miles northwest of Ely.
The stunning stones are found in banded volcanic rock like this. The entire area was once an active volcanic site having erupted approximately 32-40 million years ago. When the volcano erupted, the high-temperature gases created pockets inside the rhyolite and granite that enabled the garnets to grow.
There are two methods to find these stunning stones. The first and easiest is to simply look for the pink-to-gray colored rocks which contrast with the surrounding terrain. The second is to break open larger garnet-containing rocks with hammers and/or chisels. Make sure to bring gloves, a rock hammer, and shovel.
The garnets here range from dark maroon red to black in color and average between one-quarter to one-half inch in size; however, some garnets as large as one inch have been unearthed. The dark color is a result of these stones' high iron content.
A gorgeous spessartine garnet. These semi-precious stones will have some flaws; however, some lucky prospectors have discovered nearly flawless stones in the area.
There is limited camping space for tents and smaller campers, so rock hounds can make a weekend of garnet hunting. Public restrooms, picnic tables, and a campfire area are nearby.
