2 legal places to look for garnets in Idaho — fees, seasons, and official sources below. The historic record adds the underground story: 135 entries.
Hours, fees, and access rules change. Verify with the operator or land agency before you go.
Fernwood, ID
star garnetalmandine garnet
Forest Service collecting area · Fee, seasonal · $15 for adults, $5 for children ages 6-12, free under 6, plus a $1 recreation.gov processing fee per transaction. Online reservation only - no walk-up permits are sold on site. Book at recreation.gov or 1-877-444-6777.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
National Forest Lands in Idaho
Coeur d'Alene, ID
quartzagatejasper
Public land, rules apply · Free with permit · No charge, but Forest Service guide FS-1091 lists a free use permit for lapidary materials (agate, jasper, chalcedony, quartz crystals, geodes), mineral specimens, and petrified wood taken for hobby use. Ask the local ranger district first. No mechanical equipment, and nothing collected may be sold or bartered.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Mineral history, not an invitation. This mineral history comes from a federal record of historic mines, prospects, and occurrences. It is not a list of places to collect. Historic mine sites are usually on private land, under active mining claims, or unsafe to enter — and often all three. The places you can actually collect are in the legal-access directory below.
The federal record lists 135 historic entries involving garnets in Idaho , clustered in Valley, Idaho, Custer counties. That geography is the honest clue about which corners of the state carry the right rocks — read it as geology, then pick a legal place to test it.
Records from the USGS Mineral Resources Data System, a legacy federal database last revised August 2022 and no longer updated.
Start with the 2 legal places listed on this page — each shows what you can find, its fees, and its season, with a link to the official source. Hours, fees, and access rules change. Verify with the operator or land agency before you go.
Treat Idaho's historic mines as history, not destinations. Most sit on private land or active mining claims, and old workings are dangerous even to walk. The mineral record on this page tells you what the ground holds — the directory tells you where you are welcome to look for it.