Rockhounding in Wyoming: jade, petrified wood and the land they sit on

Most collectable public land in Wyoming is Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land, about 18 million acres, and BLM Wyoming allows a "reasonable amount" of rocks and minerals, which it defines as "quantities limited to a personal hobby collection and/or home display," dug with nonpowered hand tools. Petrified wood has a separate federal limit, and no fossil collected from public land may be sold. Jade can be under mining claims, which change what you may take. State trust land is open for general recreation but its rules do not mention rocks, and state parks prohibit removing any rock or petrified wood without the superintendent's permission.

Wyoming's land, by manager

Congressional Research Service, data as of September 30, 2024 [1]. National Park Service units allow essentially no collecting (national parks and monuments).

What BLM Wyoming allows

BLM's Wyoming sheet, Rockhounding on Public Lands (revision 5/18), states the rules for BLM land in the state [2]:

• Collecting is allowed "for noncommercial purposes without charge," in limited amounts.
• "A 'reasonable amount' refers to quantities limited to a personal hobby collection and/or home display."
• Collection must be by "surface collection or the use of nonpowered hand tools." "Hand tools are the only acceptable method of collection," and "Explosives or power equipment is not an acceptable method of collecting minerals."
• "All disturbances are to be reclaimed after collection."
• Some areas have special designations; restrictions are posted and announced in the Federal Register.

The national regulation behind it allows "reasonable amounts" of rocks, mineral specimens and semiprecious gemstones for noncommercial purposes and requires a contract or permit to collect "for sale or barter to commercial dealers" [3]. The full BLM rule is on collecting on BLM land.

Rules by what you are hunting

Petrified wood's limit is a national rule for that material only; the figures and the full rule, including the ban on pooling to take bigger pieces, are on petrified wood on public land. The fossil rules in detail are on collecting fossils on public land, and why the no-sale rule matters to a dealer is on can you sell fossils.

Jade and claims

The jade line in BLM's sheet is the clearest example of how a claim changes the answer: the claim holder owns the right to the mineral claimed, and you may collect other material on the claim [2]. Before you hunt jade, check whether the ground is claimed and for what; the method is on mining claims. If you plan to collect anything on a claim, asking the claimant first avoids an argument in the field.

State trust land

Wyoming's Office of State Lands and Investments says its Chapter 13 rules, adopted in 1988, give the public "the privilege of hunting, fishing, and general recreational use on state trust lands," where the land is legally accessible [4]. "Off-road vehicle use, overnight camping, and open fires are prohibited on state trust lands," and "Activities that would damage state lands, roads, improvements or lessees' property are prohibited" [4]. Damaging trust land, driving off road, camping and building fires are misdemeanors under W.S. 36-2-107 [4].

The office's FAQ does not mention rockhounding, rock collecting or fossils [4]. Whether picking up a rock counts as "general recreational use" or as an activity "outside of the scope of Chapter 13," which "must be authorized under a temporary use permit or special use lease," was not confirmed [4]. Ask the office in writing before you collect on a trust parcel. Its access map viewer shows which parcels are legally accessible [4].

State parks and historic sites

Wyoming State Parks rules (024-1 Wyo. Code R. section 1-15, amended effective November 16, 2021) prohibit damaging, removing or disturbing "any soil, rock or mineral formation, artifact, relic, historic or prehistoric feature," naming petrified wood, "without prior permission of the superintendent" [5]. Metal detecting is prohibited at historic and archeological sites except for official use and needs the superintendent's written permission in parks and recreation areas [5].

Tribal land and private ground

Reservation land is governed by the tribes; none of the sources here grants collecting rights there. Private land needs the owner's permission. Find the boundaries with finding out who manages a parcel.

Confirm with the Wyoming offices

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

• BLM Wyoming State Office, Cheyenne, 307-775-6256, or the field office for your area, using Rockhounding on Public Lands [2].
• Wyoming Office of State Lands and Investments, Frequently Asked Questions, for whether collecting is allowed on a trust parcel [4].
• Wyoming State Parks, the park superintendent, under 024-1 Wyo. Code R. section 1-15 [5].
• Wyoming State Geological Survey, 307-766-2286, named on the BLM sheet for geology questions [2].

If petrified wood is your target, read petrified wood on public land before the trip.

References

1. 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
2. Bureau of Land Management, Wyoming, *Rockhounding on Public Lands*, revision 5/18. https://BLM.GOV/sites/default/files/documents/files/WYNF-0004_rockhounding%20%28051418%29.pdf
3. 43 CFR 8365.1-5, Property and resources (Cornell LII, read October 2026). https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/43/8365.1-5
4. Wyoming Office of State Lands and Investments, *Frequently Asked Questions*, read October 2026. https://lands.wyo.gov/resources/frequently-asked-questions
5. 024-1 Wyo. Code R. sections 1-15, Preservation of Public Property (Cornell LII; amended effective November 16, 2021). https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/wyoming/024-1-Wyo-Code-R-SS-1-15