A Day of Garnet Hunting Above Ely

A dark spot in a pale washout can be enough to stop a walk at Garnet Hill. Bend down, brush aside a little dust, and it may turn out to be an almandine garnet: deep red in better light, nearly black at a glance, and hard enough to feel satisfyingly substantial in the palm.

This hill outside Ely offers one of Nevada's pleasantly uncomplicated outings. There is no formal tour, no admission fee, and no need to arrange much beyond getting there with water, sensible shoes, and a willingness to look closely at the ground.

Some people spend an hour and a half wandering the hill and examining rocks. Others stay for several hours, working the drainage paths, trying their luck in the excavation area, then settling in at a picnic table or campsite when the collecting is done.

Garnet Hill is self-directed in the best way. After following the signed dirt-road route to the parking area, visitors head out on foot and decide for themselves where to search: exposed rock, shallow drainages, washouts, and places where the ground has already been disturbed by earlier rock hounds.

The stones do not announce themselves with a bright jewel-store sparkle. The garnets here are usually dark red to almost black, and they can blend into the surrounding rock until you learn to slow down and scan for their darker, rounded-looking spots.

Some are loose enough to pick up directly from the ground. Others remain embedded in a larger piece of host rock, turning the outing into a small-scale excavation. Finding one intact in a broken rock is a different sort of pleasure from simply spotting one in the dirt.

A productive area lies down the trail from the information area, where a rock quarry or excavation zone shows plenty of signs of previous digging. It is a natural place to linger, especially for visitors who want more than a quick scan of the ground.

Promising rocks may have visible holes or cavities. Breaking them open can reveal garnets that were not obvious from the outside, though success is never automatic. Patience matters here, along with a willingness to inspect one more rock after the last one looked like nothing.

Simple tools can get a search started. People have used sticks and pointed rocks, but a rock hammer, pick, chisel, or small shovel makes it easier to work on likely pieces without improvising too much.

The specimens range from tiny pieces to stones roughly one-quarter to one-half inch across. A small garnet can still be a satisfying find, particularly when it has been freed from a rocky pocket after a little careful work.

It helps to have a basic idea of what almandine garnet looks like before arriving. A little advance familiarization can make the dark specks in a drainage path start to look less like ordinary rock and more like possible treasures.

For some collectors, the point is simply to take home a few unusual souvenirs from the Nevada desert. Garnets can also become material for a creative project; collected stones have even been used in fine-silver jewelry.

The hill is not just a place to stare at the ground. Its elevated position opens out toward broad surrounding valleys, giving the collecting trip a scenic break whenever you straighten up from another close inspection of the rocks.

An overlook adds a wider view of the landscape, including the large copper-mining operation in the distance. It is a distinctly eastern Nevada scene: open country, industrial scale, long horizons, and a small pocket of hands-on geology underfoot.

Walking between search areas keeps the outing lightly active without requiring a formal hike. Families can spread out, compare odd-looking stones, dig a little, and regroup when someone thinks they have found a good one.

Garnet Hill has a large parking area, picnic tables, grills, and fire rings, making it more comfortable than a bare roadside pull-off. Juniper and pinyon trees add a bit of high-desert character around the developed areas.

Several tent sites are available, along with scattered sites that can work for tents or truck campers. At least one tent site has an especially broad view, a nice reward for anyone who wants to stretch a garnet search into an overnight stop.

Facilities are simple rather than resort-like: there is a vault or pit toilet near the main area, but no reported water source. The picnic tables and fire rings make the site useful for a relaxed meal, while the lack of water keeps the packing list straightforward.

The main route is a signed dirt road of roughly three miles from U.S. 50 near Ely. The signed Pole Line Road approach is generally well maintained, and smaller passenger vehicles, including sedans and compact cars, have reached the site.

Navigation can be the trickier piece. Google Maps may send drivers toward a rougher jeep route or stop short in the general area, so the marked Garnet Hill or BLM sign is the useful landmark to follow.

The upper road includes a steep section, and the road remains unpaved. It is not a route to assume will suit every vehicle, particularly larger RVs and rigs, even though ordinary smaller vehicles have made the trip.

The exposed hill can get hot during a search, and there is no on-site water reported. Plenty of drinking water, food or snacks, a hat, and sunscreen are practical companions for a few hours outside.

The work involves sharp rock fragments and uneven ground. Closed-toe shoes, gloves, and safety glasses are useful, especially if a hammer, pick, or chisel comes out of the vehicle.

Keep an eye on your route if you wander beyond the main area. The upper terrain can make it easy to lose track of the parking area, particularly once attention has shifted from the view to the next dark red speck in the rocks.