Conway (Moat Mountain Smoky Quartz Collecting Area)

The Moat Mountain Smoky Quartz Collecting Area, just outside Conway in the White Mountain National Forest, is one of New Hampshire's only genuinely free, open, public mineral-collecting sites — no fee, no reservation, just a self-issued permit you sign at the trailhead. The ground here is weathered Conway granite where miarolitic cavities (gas pockets that let big, well-formed crystals grow) have produced smoky quartz, blue-tinted topaz, blocky microcline feldspar, and occasional purple amethyst for generations of collectors. It's a real hike, not a roadside pulloff — about a mile in on National Forest trail with one steep section and a stream crossing — but the payoff is a legitimate shot at gem-quality New England crystals on public land, which is rare. Good for a family day trip if the kids can handle a mile of uneven trail.

From West Side Road in Conway, NH, turn onto Passaconaway Road, travel 1.2 miles, then turn right onto High Street (dirt road), which leads into White Mountain National Forest. The trailhead parking area is at the end of High Street, marked by a sign; the collecting site itself is roughly a 1-mile hike from the parking area, crossing a riverbed partway in.

Surface and light hand-tool digging in weathered granite around exposed miarolitic cavities — no heavy equipment needed or appropriate. Difficulty is moderate: the hike has one steep stretch and a stream crossing, and the actual digging rewards patience more than muscle. The site is seasonal, open roughly mid-spring through autumn; winter conditions close it off.

Moat Mountain Mineral Collecting Site is managed by the U.S. Forest Service within White Mountain National Forest and is free to the public. Visitors self-issue a collecting permit at the trailhead — sign it and leave it on your dashboard. Confirm current status and any seasonal closures with the Saco Ranger District before a trip. No fee, no reservation required.