Modoc National Forest

Rock Collecting and Areas of Geologic Interest

Most of the Modoc National Forest is covered by basaltic lava flows. Mineral materials found on the Forest include obsidian and obsidian needles, petrified wood and assorted gemstones. The Forest does not have an inventory of mineral material on the forest, but it does have a collection of historical documents that are available for viewing at:

A variety of minerals are found on the Forest that may be of interest. The east side of the Warner Mountains in particular has exposed rock up the many canyons, including finds of petrified wood and assorted gemstones and “pretty rocks.” On the west side of the mountains near West Valley Reservoir are small deposits of opal. Where available on the surface, these can be collected as general surface rock. Any areas on which claims have been filed are not open for removal of minerals. The Bureau of Land Management manages mineral claims and more information can be obtained from the their website, including their brochure.

Management of mineral materials on the National Forest is done under authority of Title 36 Code of Federal Regulations Part 228C

General surface rock collecting may be done on the Modoc National Forest to the quantity of one bucket per day.

Obsidian excavation may be done under a Free Use Authorization at any of the four designated common use areas: Lassen Creek Rainbow Mine, Needles Mine, Middle Fork Davis Creek Mine, Pink Lady Mine. (Obsidian Mines Map) Excavation is allowed at these locations only. The Free Use Authorization allows a collection of 500 lbs per year of obsidian not collected for sale or trade.

Free Use Authorizations are available at:

• Supervisor's Office - 800 West 12 th Street Alturas, CA 96101
• Warner Mountain Ranger District office - 385 Wallace St. Cedarville, CA 96104
• Davis Creek Merchantile - 41942 Highway 395 Davis Creek, CA 96108

Applications for commercial collection are only available at the Supervisor's Office.

No obsidian collecting is authorized on the Doublehead District. Glass Mountain is designated a geologic special interest area.

Public law prohibits the collection of archaeological or historical artifacts.

An artifact is defined as any object found on the National Forest that shows any sign of having been worked by a person.

Click here for mine specific travel/vehicle requirement information.

The Modoc National Forest does not issue permits for the collection of fossils. Information on paleontological resources is available on the National Forest Service-geological website.

Also of interest to many of our visitors is the Highgrade Historic Mining District . This area is almost entirely under claim to individuals or companies that precludes other mineral collection; however, a portion of the national recreation trail runs through this historic and scenic area.

The Medicine Lake area contains features of special geologic interest and, though not providing collecting opportunities, provides outstanding viewing of volcanic features. The Lava Beds National Monument is easily accessible from the Medicine Lake area. The Monument as well as U.S. Geological Survey is an excellent source of information about these areas.

Gold panning is an acceptable recreational activity on the Forest . However, in order to protect streams and streamside resources and to avoid encroaching on a mining claim, visitors are advised to talk with the Forest Minerals personnel before heading out to a likely-looking stream.