Open Ground
Jade Cove
Hand collection · Big Sur coast · Los Padres coastline, Big Sur, CA
Open groundThe prize. Monterey jade, nephrite polished by the Pacific
Where. Los Padres coastline, Big Sur, CA
Status. Open ground
Where. Los Padres coastline, Big Sur, CA
Status. Open ground
The account
The cliffs south of Big Sur bleed jade into the sea, and the sea tumbles it smooth and throws it back. After winter storms, the coves glint green. The rule is as old as it is fair: what you can lift by hand from below the high-tide line is yours, divers have brought up boulders worth a fortune, and beachcombers still pocket stones the storms deliver.
Leads, where the trail points now
- What you can keep: Monterey jade, nephrite polished by the Pacific. Confirm the site's current rules and any day fee before you go.
- Where: Los Padres coastline, Big Sur, CA. Hand collection below mean high tide only, no tools on the cliffs; Monterey Bay NMS rules apply.
- Best practice: record anything notable, leave the ground as you found it, and check the latest access notices before you travel.
The full hunt kit is in the fellowship
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.
Join the fellowshipGet the dispatch
The best of the map every week, the newest case files and the legends worth chasing. Free.