Gem Mountain Gemstone Mine

"The nicest folks work here and truly knowledgeable. Great experience, 4 generations in our family stopped to mine and every one of us had a great time. Found several nice pieces. Prices are comparable to other facilities. The flume area is nice and warm, so you're not freezing. Thanks for a wonderful time!"

"Went here for a work gathering. It was fun to sift for gems. I haven’t done it since I was a kid. We got ice cream after and spent time outside. The staff were all friendly and helpful. Would definitely go back with my husband or some friends."

"Great time here at the mine with my 9 yr old son. Drove 3.5 hrs to get here! Definitely bring a cart or wheel borrow! Take your time! I got confused as it said to stay away from the red clay but it meant at the river not on the side of the mountain as thats where you want to be is in the red clay in the mountain side! Cost was $25 for me and $10 for my son, he found dozens or pieces of gems and rocks and moon stone, found an emerald (not super valuable as it was small) but we had fun together. I was really beat after pushing the wheel borrow to and back with 3 5 gal buckets! I noticed the buckets people were buying from the counter that were full of dirt already, they were definitely “enriched” with gems that were not local! They state that they dont add anything tk the buckets but the kids working there straight up told me that they bring lots of the colored crystals in from AZ and i forget where they said. So if you want your kids to find the purple geodes then buy a 5 gal bucket from the counter and dont bother busting your butt digging your own cuz you will never pull out what is in those buckets in the middle of the wash out sluices! Double up on bug spray, cold water and drinks, fruit and snacks because if your like me you will need it through out the day! The river mining was fun and nice and cool, i wish we spent more time here then losing cups of sweat to be disappointed like we were by trying to dig up our own gems. Great experience however! Dont get me wrong we had fun, it was just misleading that they say prefilled buckets arent enriched when they have huge chunks of purple geodes sitting right on top of them and you see them as you walk by to go pay for your mining fee and then get nothing even close to whats laying on the top of the buckets visible to all the kids who walk by who think they will be digging up the same type gems- not at all true! Just tell your kids its rare to find what you see on the too of the buckets, but tell them thats for older people who cant dig up gems their selves and so they get rewarded with extra pretty gems because they arent physically able yo do the work to dig and whatever. Have fun!"

"My husband booked the van ride to one of the mine sites for our family. We had a wonderful time and the day exceeded our expectations. Josh gave us a tour of Two Hoots as well, and he was very knowledgeable with the background of the area. We really enjoyed learning the history. I highly recommend making the trip."

"I went here with my brother, mom, and dad, and we all had an absolute blast! The tour guide that brought us, I wish I could remember his name but was amazing. He was digging and walking around with us, telling us what we had found and where to look and even giving out any cool gems he had found to everyone. You can bring a little cooler with some lunch and there are plenty of spots to have a nice little snack, brunch or lunch lol not only that but we found so many cool gems, aquamarine galore and much more. Also, the sights and history of the old mines were stunning and amazing to see and learn about in person. I would highly recommend bringing extra cold drinks and nice sturdy sneakers or hiking shoes, also if it's gunna be hot to wear light comfy clothing and a hat to protect your fave from the sun but still be able to see the good stuff! I would love to go back and get a just a bucket and go to the sluice and find some stuff that isn't local, but overall, I had such a great family time."