Big Diggins Mine

Big Diggins Mine sits in the Burdick-Bisbee Hills, part of the Burdick-Bisbee Mining District south of Deming, in Luna County — legitimately famous agate ground. A 1950s National Geographic feature reportedly called it one of the most diverse agate sources found in a single location anywhere in the United States, and collectors still prize its seam agate and sagenite (plume and waterline patterns). It's not open public land, though — the ground is covered by roughly a dozen active BLM mining claims, and collecting requires the claim holder's permission, matching the DB's own "(paid location)" tag.

South of Deming, in the Burdick-Bisbee Hills, Luna County. Specific driving directions to a currently operating claim weren't confirmed in sources found.

Surface and near-surface digging in agate-bearing seams, per collector descriptions. This is claim-holder-permitted digging, not open hand-collecting.

Multiple sources describe a "small fee" to dig at Big Diggins, but no current operator name, price, season, or contact was confirmed in this research pass — treat any specific figure found elsewhere as unverified until checked directly. Deming-area rock shops (Spirit Rock Shop is one) are a reasonable starting point for current arrangements. Verified against sources available August 2026 — none gave current pricing.

This is private claim ground within a documented BLM mining district, not open public land — approaching without the claim holder's permission would be trespassing. Confirm current access arrangements and any fee locally before planning a trip; the historical reputation is real, but this dossier could not verify who currently controls access.