Open Ground
Emerald Hollow Mine
Fee dig · Brushy Mountains · Hiddenite, Alexander County, NC
Open groundThe prize. Emeralds, hiddenite, sapphire, 60+ gem species
Where. Hiddenite, Alexander County, NC
Status. Open ground
Where. Hiddenite, Alexander County, NC
Status. Open ground
The account
The only emerald mine in the world open to public prospecting. Dig the banks, sluice the dirt, or walk the creek where the green stones wash down from veins no one has fully traced. The town is named for the gem found here and nowhere else first, and the hollow still gives up emeralds to people who paid less for admission than for lunch.
Leads, where the trail points now
- What you can keep: Emeralds, hiddenite, sapphire, 60+ gem species. Confirm the site's current rules and any day fee before you go.
- Where: Hiddenite, Alexander County, NC. Private fee mine, admission roughly $5, $20 by method; all finds are yours.
- Best practice: record anything notable, leave the ground as you found it, and check the latest access notices before you travel.
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The starting brief, the gear, the legal picture for this exact ground, and a GPS chart pack you can load and go. The map stays free.
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