emerald creek garnet area

Very nice garnets, we polished 4 nice size jewelry stones. Knowledgeble and friendly rangers. My family had fun.

Went there expecting it to be some middle of nowhere trap. turns out it is very accessible once you find the correct singeage. (our nav got lost a few times and very little sineage to get there). Had a blast and mined for the star garnets we came for. Come out with at least a pound between 3 of us and have cut one 23.5ct 6 star garnet. Very dark very purple but a star none the less! Will be back next year for more

Great spot for a unique dig. The whole family will enjoy this one. The drive along White Pine Scenic Highway is just beautiful!!!!!!

I was worried this would be a bust- and it was a long drive to get there, but it turned out to be really fun! After a few minutes, my kids (8 & 5) were off and running and finding their own garnets and other colorful rocks.The process is to dig yourself a pile of dirt into a bucket, filter it by shaking in a sieve, then dumping it into the sluice and wash off all the dirt. Each time, it seemed, at least one garnet popped up. There were 4-5 Forest Service staff running things, very professional, helpful and upbeat for the kids. They provided all the materials, some awnings for shade, picnic benches, and bottled water for a donation. We stayed about 4 hours and the time flew. We bought lunch (and got directions) in St. Marie's. Look for the "Emerald Creek Recreation Area" sign to turn up the gravel road. The road is in good shape and we saw small cars and Prius' up there. It is a short climb up an old road (half a mile?) but it is shaded and benches along the way are provided. It seems they will let handicapped access by driving up the road.We found 4 oz worth of garnets and a few pounds of other rocks my kids wouldn't part with. Really fun!My only suggestion for improvement would be for more information from the Forest Service on the geology and history of the area, other kinds of rocks we found, and what to do once we get the garnets home.

You need to work a little, but the excitement is never knowing what will be in your next screen. People find garnet chips to golf ball size garnets here and even beginners can walk away with very nice gem quality star garnets. The rangers are very helpful and the site is well organized. The garnet and parking areas are separated and a sign warns you that the garnet area is a 1/2 mile uphill trek. Don't let this deter you! It's not 1/2 mile. It's more like 100 meters. I have COPD and it wasn't bad for me. So, after 5 or 6 hours, my wife and I came away with a couple of nice marble size garnets and about 4 ounces of chips and smaller garnets. The $10 fee for each adult ($5 for children) was worth it. Remember, there is a good chance of finding rare star garnets here! They are only found here and India.

The Panhandle National Forest has set up a facility where the public can prospect for garnets. You can read all about the garnets and get details on the logistics at http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/ipnf/specialplaces/?cid=stelprdb5076397I visited the diggings over Memorial Day weekend, 2014. I found the facility to be well organized and efficiently run. The USFS staff was experienced and cheerfully helpful. The USFS provides the tools but you should bring a pair of those garden gloves that are rubberized on one side. Also, if you have access to teenagers, bring them because there is a lot of heavy lifting needed to fill buckets with garnet-bearing dirt, sift the material, and then to wash it thru a sluice to find the gems. Make no mistake, it's a lot of work. Nevertheless, I will go back.

We went in the summer on a sunny day and we camped out in the nearby camp ground so we could get in when it opened. Gives you a work out to dig and wash your rocks for a few hours and makes your gems worth more because of the sweat you put into finding them. The people that worked there were friendly and helpful. Bring something to eat if you are going to be there a while because it is an out of the way spot and will take you time to get somewhere with food.

This place is very cool, the only thing is they could make it way better. Just it is very dirty . No biggy , but the signs going out are not very good or clear. I think they should put up better signs maybe add a concession for visitor who would like to spend a full day. You can bring your cooler , but it would be nice if they offered even a small amount. It is a drive down a gravel road, and things are just not labeled well. But if you are not in a hurry it is fun and worth it. But doent expect it to be easy. Its hard work. But you will find a garnet , we found several.

Read about site in scenic byway information so tried it. Fun for a day, great for a family. Forest service staff was very helpful and obviously enjoyed their work. I can safely say would will find at least one garnet in each tray you sluice. I found no fewer than three and over ten in about half. If you go, especially if taking children, don't be foolish use lots of sun screen, drink lots of water and wear a hat. Found two garnets weighing about an once each one considered possibly gem quality.

We drove out from Spokane, about 110 miles to get there. We followed the directions off the Idaho blm website and it took us straight there. The digging permits cost 10$ for an adult and 5$ for kids. After that they provide everything, buckets, shovels, and sluice boxes. At the sifting area there are umbrellas to sit under to get out of the sun, and the staff that works out there are excited to talk about it and help answer questions. I had to go back a few times and remind myself what a star garnet looked like. We dug, sifted, and washed from 1200 to about 1630, and on the drive home it dawned on me that my kids did not complain one time the entire time we were there!! I mean this is a kids paradise if they like working and getting something out of it, the rangers said they could keep any other rocks they found, so my 5 yr old made a habit of just washing rocks to keep, the 8 & 10 yr old gathered 6oz of garnets. This was so much fun, what a great way to be out in nature but get to bring something home! We noticed there are also handicap accessible port o johns, which I thought was kinda cool. There are lots of picnic tables to sit and have lunch also. We used the GPS to get home, and it took us basically the same route. Worth visiting! Also noticed lots of couples out there, could be a fun date spot.

We took my 3 year old nephew here several years ago and had a great time. It's a dirty day so come prepared with spare clothes. You'll want rain boots or old shoes of some kind and I recommend shorts. You'll be standing in puddles and wading through mud. It's not for the prissy, but it's fun!