Near Ely, Nevada is a special area the Government has set aside for rock hounds
to hunt garnets. There is no charge and the area is open to the public. The
Garnet Hill rock hound recreation area in White Pine County is located about 4
miles Northwest of Central Ely in the Eagan mountain range. The major access
road to this area joins US Highway 50 about 6.4 miles West of the traffic signal
at US 395 and US 50 junction in Ely. The area is locally referred to as Garnet
Hill and this nationally known rock hounding area is famous for its very dark
colored garnets found in a flow banded rhyolitic volcanic rock. Two square miles
of public land was designated as a public recreation area in 1970 to ensure
continued public access to the site because of its recreational and scientific
study values. There is some limited camping space for tents and small RVs at the
site - three tables are located around the road loop near the top of Garnet
Hill. Other camping opportunities are located in and around Ely. The Garnet Hill
road loop is about 3.1 miles East of US 50 and access is provided on a winding
and somewhat steep but graded road. The Garnet Hill road is a maintained dirt
road, and is suitable for use by sedans and other standard passenger vehicles.
From Garnet Hill one also has a fine view of the open pit copper mine in the
multicolored waste rock dumps at the nearby Robinson copper mining district.
The Garnet usually occurs as single crystals attached within small
cavities known as vugs. The Garnet bearing vugs seem to occur in specific
mineralized zones and areas, and these are confined to certain areas and not
randomly dispersed and even manner through the rhyolitic rock. When searching
for a zones which will contain the Garnet crystals, perhaps the best clue is the
presence of veins are cavities which are lined with sugary, sparkling light gray
tridymite, a high temperature version of Quartz. Collectors have worked at this
spot for many decades, and broken waste material and rubble completely covers
the ground in some areas, burying any potential Garnet bearing host rocks.
Often, unless one works within the established pits, a considerable amount of
work to move this rock rubble will be required.
Most rock hounds conduct
their search for garnets at this location in one of two different ways. The
first method involves visually searching the surface and nearby drainages for
the dark colored stones that have weathered from the pink to gray colored
rhyolitic rock. Small garnets which have come loose from the host rock are
spread here and there around parts of the area and their very dark color
contrasts strongly with the local rock and soil. Using this visual hunting
method usually does find some stones, and the finds come with the least amount
of work involved. The garnets collect in small gullies and drainage areas
because they are heavier than the surrounding rock in a manner much like a
placer gold deposit. The second method is used by other, more energetic rock
hounds, who will work to break open the Garnet bearing rock with hammers and
chisels. These tough workers seek to break open the hard rock and reveal any
gems hidden within. This is a popular method and is actually the best one for
locating the finest specimens of Garnet, where the stones are still attached to
the mother rock. If one seeks to use this method, it is necessary to bring sharp
chisels and heavy crack hammers to break open the hard unweathered rhyolite
stone. It is also very hard work. When I dug here, I felt the distinct flavor of
what it must have been like to break rock in the old time prisons.
The
historic old copper mining community of Ely is located a few miles south east of
Garnet Hill and for those visiting the area, Ely is the chief source of supplies
and goods. Ely is the county seat for White Pine County, and most normal
shopping and other supplies can be found there. The Ely area offers a number of
attractions, including an interesting train ride from town down to the local
copper mining area at Ruth. Great Basin National Park, which includes the
fascinating Lehman caves, is only a short drive away.
For Pictures of
the garnets and a map to the area, be sure to check out the author’s web site
at:
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
