Get Pickin

Cloquet, Minnesota
🌍 Land Type: Fee Dig (Private)
💰 Fee: $20+ fees per person for 2-hour rock picking session; additional bags $5-10; quick fill buckets $5-50
Approximate — check official site before visiting
📅 Season: Spring through early fall; Fri-Mon by appointment for regular picking; Tue-Thu for private/fresh pile sessions
📊 Difficulty: easy

A unique fee-dig attraction where visitors pick through piles of locally sourced rocks for Lake Superior agates, quartz, jasper, fossils, and other one-of-a-kind finds. The owners bring in rocks from nearby gravel pits and visitors pay to search through them. Appointments required. Bring your own rakes, shovels, spray bottles, and knee pads. Also offers Fresh Pile & Private Pick sessions for groups up to 30 people ($600) and a private campsite nearby.

Lake Superior Agate Quartz Crystals Jasper Fossils 🪨 Rockhounding

🪨 What You Can Find Here

Lake Superior Agate

Also found at:

Quartz Crystals

Clear, smoky, and rose quartz crystals are among the most common and rewarding rockhounding finds. Arkansas produces world-class quartz.

Also found at:

Jasper

Opaque, fine-grained chalcedony prized for its rich earthy colors and patterns. Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Alabama produce exceptional jasper varieties.

Also found at:

Fossils

From shark teeth in Florida to dinosaurs in Montana, the US offers world-class fossil hunting for all skill levels.

Also found at:

📍 Nearby Locations in Minnesota

Jay Cooke State Park

Carlton, Minnesota · State Park

Located along the St. Louis River near Lake Superior. Known for agates, thomsonite, and other Lake Superior gemstones in river gravels and outcrops.

AgatesThomsoniteQuartz Crystals

Lake Superior Agate Beds

Grand Marais, Minnesota · Public Land

Lake Superior shoreline and gravel pits for the prized Lake Superior agate. These banded agates were distributed by glaciers across Minnesota.

Agates

Thomsonite Beach

Grand Marais, Minnesota · Public Land

Beachcombing for thomsonite — a zeolite mineral found in beach pebbles. Unique to Lake Superior's north shore.

Thomsonite

Moose Lake Area Agates

Moose Lake, Minnesota · Public Land

Gravel pits and creek beds known for Lake Superior agates. The Moose Lake agate show is a major annual event. Agate Capital of Minnesota.

Agates

Pinehaven's Gem Mining

Wyoming, Minnesota · Fee Dig

Gem mining attraction at Pinehaven Farm where children and adults pan through treasure bags in a real sluice. Each bag is seeded with a variety of gem...

Assorted GemsMinerals

Cross Rocks at Blanchard Dam

Royalton, Minnesota · Public Land

Blanchard Dam area near Royalton and Little Falls is a well-known public collecting site for staurolite crystals (cross rocks/fairy crosses). These na...

Staurolite CrystalsFairy Crosses

⛏️ Recommended Gear

Make the most of your visit to Get Pickin with the right equipment.

Rock Hammer

The most essential rockhounding tool. Choose a hammer with both a flat striking face and a pointed pick end.

Typical: $25-45

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Safety Glasses

Mandatory protective gear. Rock chips fly unpredictably when hammering.

Typical: $10-20

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Chisel Set

Cold chisels in 3-4 sizes for precise extraction from matrix rock.

Typical: $15-30

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Geologist's Pick

A heavier crack hammer for splitting hard rock. Essential for hard rock mining areas.

Typical: $35-60

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Sifting Screen

Stackable mesh screens for sifting gravel and dirt. Essential for gem and fossil hunting.

Typical: $20-40

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UV Flashlight

Long-wave UV light for finding fluorescent minerals and Yooperlites.

Typical: $15-35

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