Where to Find Agates in Oregon: 42 Mapped Sites

Oregon has 42 mapped sites where agates have been reported. The best-known are Mt. Pisgah, N Umpqua River, and Streams around Oregon Caves. Each listing on the map above includes GPS coordinates, access type, and what has been found there.

We have 42 documented agates sites in Oregon, compiled from community submissions and published locality records and reviewed by the Rockhounding.org Research Team.

Casual collecting is generally allowed on BLM and National Forest land for personal, non-commercial use — the standard BLM limit is 25 lbs per day plus one specimen. National parks, monuments, and many state parks prohibit collecting, and private land always requires the owner's permission. Check the site report for each location and verify current land status before you dig.

Agate is banded chalcedony: a waxy-luster stone, hardness about 7, that breaks with a smooth conchoidal (shell-like) fracture instead of splitting on flat planes. The reliable field test is backlighting — hold a wetted stone to the sun and an agate glows translucent at the edges, usually showing its bands. Jasper looks similar but stays opaque.

Reports from Oregon distinguish Moss Agate (3 sites), Black Agate (1 site), Plume Agate (1 site), Banded Agate (1 site), Purple Agate (1 site).

The basics: a rock hammer, safety glasses, gloves, a bucket or padded bag for specimens, and a GPS app with the coordinates from this page. Add a spray bottle — wetting a stone makes color and banding far easier to judge in the field.