Rockhounding in Oregon: beach gallons, BLM obsidian and sunstone, and the rest

Oregon splits its public collecting ground almost evenly between the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), with about 15.7 million acres, and the Forest Service, with nearly the same. Both allow hobby collecting. The ocean shore runs on a state rule measured in gallons: agates, shells, stones and fossils loose on the beach are limited to "a one-gallon volume container per person per day" and "up to three gallons per person per calendar year," hand-gathered, with a permit for any commercial collecting. This page gives the beach rule in full, BLM Oregon's own collecting guidance and named areas, and whom to ask.

The ocean shore rule, in gallons

The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department's rule for the Ocean Shore State Recreation Area is OAR 736-021-0090 [1]. Subsection (4)(a) allows "a small quantity of agates and other rocks, driftwood, and similar non-living items," then sets limits:

All quoted from the text on Oregon.public.law, read October 2026 [1].

Other conditions in the same rule:

• Loose material only. The agate allowance covers items "loose on the ground" [1]. Subsection (2)(b) lists "Dig up or remove any sand, soil, rock, historical or fossil materials" among restricted acts, and the rule protects "ancient tree stumps" (4)(a)(D)(iv) [1].
• Hand tools. "A person may not use mechanized loading or removal equipment" (4)(a)(D)(ii), and subsections (9)(b) and (9)(c) add that "Equipment is limited to hand-operated instruments" and "A person may not use motorized equipment" where they apply [1].
• No selling without a permit. "In order to remove or collect natural products for commercial use, a person must obtain a permit as provided in OAR chapter 736, division 20" (7) [1].
• Archaeology. "A person may not excavate, injure, destroy or alter an archaeological site or object" (1) [1].

A gallon is a practical measure: one gallon zipper bag or bucket per person per day, and three of them for the whole year. Keep a note of dates if you beachcomb often, because the yearly cap is the one people forget.

The Oregon.public.law copy did not show the rule's amendment history, and the official Oregon Secretary of State database was not reached for this page. Confirm the current text with the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.

Away from the ocean shore, Oregon state parks follow a different rule, OAR 736-010-0055 [6]. Digging up or removing "any sand, soil, rock, historical, or fossil materials" needs written permission from the director, manager or a designated park employee (subsection (2)(a)), with one written exception in subsection (3): "A person may remove small quantities of natural materials from a park property for personal use without written permission of the department," but only where the department has not prohibited it by signs, maps, brochures or the state park website, and only if the collection "is for souvenirs that may serve as a reminder of a person's park visit and includes only a small quantity of agates and other rocks, driftwood, or similar non-living items collected for non-commercial, personal use" [6]. The rule sets no weight or volume for "small quantity," and the copy read did not show an amendment date. A souvenir agate is allowed; a bucket of them, or anything you plan to sell, is not. Check the park's signs and website first.

BLM land: what BLM Oregon calls a reasonable amount

The national BLM rule allows "reasonable amounts" of "rocks, mineral specimens, and semiprecious gemstones" for noncommercial purposes and bars "explosive, motorized or mechanical devices, except metal detectors" [2]. BLM's Oregon and Washington office explains what that means locally in its Rock Collecting Guide (file posted July 2024) [3]:

• No fee or permit for reasonable daily amounts, which the guide illustrates with examples such as material that "Fits into the trunk of a car" [3].
• A fee and a permit, Notice or Plan of Operations for more: a full pickup load, multiple trips, commercial use, or when "Explosives or power equipment is used" [3].
• Dig shallow. "Limit your excavation depth to four feet from the original ground surface" and fill your holes [3].
• Stockpiles are off limits. Crushed rock bought for road maintenance: "Removing this stockpiled material is prohibited" [3].
• Closed places. Campgrounds, cultural and historic sites and natural areas, plus seasonal and fire closures and wilderness rules [3].

These examples are BLM Oregon and Washington's illustrations for its own lands, not a national figure. Petrified wood has its own national limit, given on petrified wood on public land.

Claims, and the materials that cannot be claimed

Collecting on a mining claim needs the claimant's consent [3]. The guide adds a point that helps Oregon collectors: chert, petrified wood, obsidian and cinders "are generally not subject to claim location" [3]. A claim on a site does not automatically put its obsidian off limits, but ask the field office before you collect on claimed ground. How to check claims is on mining claims.

Areas BLM has set aside for collectors

Read each area's current BLM page or call the district before you go; road access and seasonal closures change.

National forest, state land and tribal land

Forest Service land, about 15.7 million acres in Oregon [5], follows the national forest rule: small personal amounts, no mechanical equipment, no selling hobby material (collecting in national forests). Rules for Oregon Department of State Lands ground, including state-owned riverbeds, were not confirmed for this page; ask the Department. Reservation land is governed by each tribe; none of the sources here grants collecting rights there. National Park Service units allow essentially no collecting (national parks and monuments).

Congressional Research Service, data as of September 30, 2024 [5].

Confirm with the Oregon offices

Last verified October 2026. Before a trip, confirm with:

• Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, for OAR 736-021-0090 on the ocean shore [1] and OAR 736-010-0055 in other state parks [6].
• BLM Oregon/Washington, the district office (Prineville for Glass Buttes, Lakeview for the sunstone area), using the Rock Collecting Guide [3].
• Oregon Department of State Lands, for state-owned land and waterways (rules not confirmed here).

Obsidian and sunstone are sharp or fragile on the drive home; getting specimens home intact covers wrapping and packing them.

References

1. Oregon Administrative Rules 736-021-0090, Cultural, Historic, Natural and Wildlife Resources (Oregon.public.law, read October 2026). https://oregon.public.law/rules/oar_736-021-0090
2. 43 CFR 8365.1-5, Property and resources (Cornell LII, read October 2026). https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/43/8365.1-5
3. Bureau of Land Management, Oregon and Washington, *Rock Collecting Guide* (no printed date; file posted July 2024). https://blm.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2024-07/orwa-rock-collect-guide.pdf
4. Bureau of Land Management, *Rockhounding*, read October 2026. https://blm.gov/programs/recreation/rockhounding
5. Congressional Research Service, *Federal Land Ownership: Overview and Data*, R42346, updated September 14, 2026 (data as of September 30, 2024), Table 2. https://www.everycrsreport.com/files/2026-09-14_R42346_c4220347ac982efb0aebb44f2a7db48e961ec900.pdf
6. Oregon Administrative Rules 736-010-0055, Park Resources, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (Oregon.public.law; amendment date not shown), read October 22, 2026. https://oregon.public.law/rules/oar_736-010-0055