Rockhounding in Utah: BLM casual collecting and the trust lands permit
Updated
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Utah is 63.1 percent federal land, and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manages about 22.8 million acres of it, the most collecting ground in the state. On BLM land you may take reasonable amounts for personal use without a permit. Utah's state trust lands, run by the Trust Lands Administration (often called SITLA), work differently: you need a paid rockhounding permit, collecting without one "is considered trespassing," and each permit allows "up to 25 pounds per day and a maximum of 250 pounds per year," for personal use only. This page compares the two, names the collecting areas BLM lists, and says whom to ask about parks and monuments.
Utah's ground
| Manager | Acres in Utah | Collecting |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 22,759,900 | Reasonable amounts, noncommercial, no permit |
| Forest Service | 8,193,219 | Small personal amounts, no mechanical equipment |
| National Park Service | 2,098,111 | Essentially closed |
| Fish and Wildlife Service | 110,567 | Refuge rules |
| Defense | 78,468 | Closed unless the installation allows access |
| Trust Lands Administration | not in the federal count | Paid permit, 25 pounds a day, 250 a year |
Federal acreage: Congressional Research Service, data as of September 30, 2024 [1].
The Utah Geological Survey puts the starting point plainly: "Utah's rock, mineral, and fossil collectors must adhere to rules and regulations established by owners or managing agencies of the lands on which they wish to collect" [2]. So the first job, always, is finding out who manages the spot (finding out who manages a parcel). Trust land sections are scattered through BLM ground, and the Trust Lands Administration tells collectors to identify their area by township, range and section [3].
BLM land and trust land side by side
| Question | BLM land | State trust land |
|---|---|---|
| Permit? | None for noncommercial hobby collecting [4] | Yes, a paid rockhounding permit; "Keep your paid permit with you while rockhounding" [3] |
| Without a permit? | Not applicable | "Rockhounding on trust lands without a permit is considered trespassing" [3] |
| How much? | "Reasonable amounts"; no number in the regulation [4] | "up to 25 pounds per day and a maximum of 250 pounds per year" per permit [3] |
| Selling? | Collecting for sale needs a contract or permit [4] | "Permits do not authorize collection for commerical use"; commercial material needs a lease from the main office [3] |
| Tools | No "explosive, motorized or mechanical devices, except metal detectors" [4] | Not stated in the brochure; ask |
| Fossils | Common invertebrate and plant fossils casually, for personal use; vertebrates by permit (fossils on public land) | "rockhounding permits do not authorize collection of vertebrate fossils"; report finds to the Utah Geological Survey and Trust Lands [3] |
| Artifacts and tracks | May not be removed (arrowheads and other artifacts) | The permit "does not allow collection" of vertebrate fossils, certain trace fossils such as dinosaur tracks, or cultural and archaeological artifacts [5] |
| Mining areas | Active claims belong to the claimant (mining claims) | Not authorized in active mining operation areas [3] |
The 25 and 250 pound figures in the right-hand column are the Trust Lands Administration's permit terms for its own land. They do not apply to BLM land, where the regulation sets no weight [4].
The brochure read for this page does not state what the permit costs or how long it lasts [3]. A permit form (Form 2360) is posted on the Trust Lands site; check both points when you buy.
Where BLM points Utah collectors
BLM's national rockhounding page lists two Utah sites set aside for collecting: the Dugway Geode Beds and the Topaz Mountain Rockhound Recreation Area [6]. Read each site's BLM page for access and posted rules, and plan water, fuel and heat with staying safe in the field.
National parks, monuments and state parks
Utah's national parks and National Park Service monuments follow the federal park rule, which allows essentially no collecting (national parks and monuments). Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is managed by BLM, not the Park Service; its collecting terms come from its monument management plan, which was not confirmed for this page. Ask the monument office before you collect there.
Utah state park rules on rock collecting were not confirmed for this page. The Division of State Parks' rules say only that "Offenses against capital improvements, natural and cultural resources will normally be handled through the Utah Criminal Code" (R651-620-1, amended effective November 22, 2022) [7], and no park rule that names rocks or minerals was found. Assume a state park forbids collecting unless the park tells you otherwise, and ask Utah State Parks.
National forest, tribal and private land
National forest in Utah follows the national rule: small personal amounts, no mechanical equipment, and no sale of hobby specimens (collecting in national forests). Reservation land is governed by each tribe; none of the sources here grants collecting rights there. Private land needs the owner's permission.
Confirm with the Utah offices
Last verified October 2026. Before a trip, confirm with:
- Utah Trust Lands Administration, Rockhounding brochure and permit form: main office 801-538-5100, Central Office in Richfield 435-896-2559, Southwestern Office in Washington 435-522-7411, Southeastern Office 435-259-7417 [3].
- BLM Utah State Office, 801-539-4001, and the field office for Dugway or Topaz Mountain [3][6].
- Utah Geological Survey, Rock, Mineral, and Fossil Collecting Rules (page modified September 10, 2026), and its bookstore at 801-537-3300 [2][3].
- Utah State Parks and the Grand Staircase-Escalante monument office (rules not confirmed here).
Your next question is usually whether a particular section is BLM or trust land; work it out on finding out who manages a parcel.
References
- 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
- Utah Geological Survey, *Rock, Mineral, and Fossil Collecting Rules* (page modified September 10, 2026; body text did not load when read). https://geology.utah.gov/popular/rocks-minerals/collecting-rules
- Utah Trust Lands Administration, *Rockhounding* brochure (no printed date; file posted 2021 under the name "2023 rockhounding brochure"). https://trustlands.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/2023-rockhounding-brochure-new-format.pdf
- 43 CFR 8365.1-5, Property and resources (Cornell LII, read October 2026). https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/43/8365.1-5
- Utah Trust Lands Administration, rockhounding and protected resources page, read October 2026. https://trustlands.utah.gov/?p=28248
- Bureau of Land Management, *Rockhounding*, read October 2026. https://blm.gov/programs/recreation/rockhounding
- Utah Admin. Code R651-620-1, Applicability of Criminal Code (Cornell LII; amended effective November 22, 2022), read October 22, 2026. https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/utah/Utah-Admin-Code-R651-620-1
