A Rockhound Roadtrip Planning Guide

8 Tips To Follow for a Successful Adventure

- SUE EYRE

1. KNOW YOUR FELLOW TRAVELERS

Planning a family road trip that includes everyone, even grandma and grandpa, can be a daunting task. The more each traveler is invested in the planning process, the more fun everyone will have in the long run.

If you have kids or adults who have never been rockhounding before, you may first want to plan a day at a local club’s rock & mineral show or a nearby mineral museum to determine everyone’s interests.

2. PICK A DESTINATION

Have a family meeting to determine your destination and the length of the trip. This can be as formal or informal as fits your family. Some literally throw a dart at a map and go. Others are more methodical, with everyone bringing their bucket list of travel ideas to the table and each pro and con being discussed.

3. RESEARCH THINGS TO DO

This can be as techy or old-school as you’d like. Online searches for “best things to do” in the areas you’ll be visiting can be a great starting point. Then you can drill down on individual attractions plus search for what minerals or fossils are found in the area and any free or fee mining or panning sites.

Old school means paper and maps are a great place to start. They often highlight parks and other points of interest, like ghost towns and natural features. Many destinations also offer free guidebooks that they will mail to prospective visitors along with downloadable online options too.

Perennially favorite rockhounding books are the Falcon Guides to Rockhounding and Gem Trails. They are available by state. Be sure to get the most up-to-date version of these books and then double-check locations online to make sure the places you want to visit are still open. Also, check that your vehicle is suited to the terrain of the sites to be visited.

4. ESTABLISH CLEAR ROCKHOUNDING DO’S & DON’TS