Open Ground
The Virgin Valley Opal Fields
Fee dig · black fire opal · Virgin Valley, Denio, Humboldt County, NV
Open groundThe prize. Black fire opal, the rarest and most valuable opal in North America
Where. Virgin Valley, Denio, Humboldt County, NV
Status. Open ground
Where. Virgin Valley, Denio, Humboldt County, NV
Status. Open ground
The account
In a high desert valley near the Oregon line, ancient forests turned to opal, and the wood still comes out of the bank flashing red, green, and electric blue. The Royal Peacock, Rainbow Ridge, and Bonanza mines open the ground every summer: dig the tailings cheap or pay for the fire-opal bank, and whatever you free is yours. The catch every digger learns: Virgin Valley opal can be wet, and some of it crazes as it dries. Keep your best pieces in water and watch the light move inside them.
Leads, where the trail points now
- What you can keep: Black fire opal, the rarest and most valuable opal in North America. Confirm the site's current rules and any day fee before you go.
- Where: Virgin Valley, Denio, Humboldt County, NV. Private fee mines (Royal Peacock, Rainbow Ridge, Bonanza), open roughly May, September; tailings or bank digging by day rate; 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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