![]() ![]() The Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, which is located in the city of Norman, south of downtown Oklahoma, is one of the largest university-based natural history museums in the world. If you are interested in geology museums, Oklahoma has many interesting sites. The Salt Plain National Wildlife Refuge, situated west of the town of Jet, is a great place for rockhounding, however, collecting materials is subjected to federal restrictions, and it is unlawful to sell crystals taken from this place. The Garvin County, more specifically the Teepee Queen Copper Company, provides public access to many other unique materials. ![]() This museum exhibits the Acrocanthosaurus atokensis, which was found in McCurtain County. The Stevens Gap Recreational Area situated in Broken Bow Lake, Watson, the Buffalo mines, or the Johnson copper prospect, are all great places for rockhounding enthusiasts.Ī great museum to visit in McCurtain County is the Museum of Red River. McCurtain County, located near the city of Idabel is another great place for quartz. When it comes to quartz and malachite, the county of Comanche, located in the Lawton area has many locations for gemstone hunting, like the Hale Copper mine in Sandy Creek, the Gypsum quarry in Fletcher, and the American Girl Mine located in Lawton. Because of this, and due to their rarity, t hese rocks have an annual festival celebrating them, called the Rose Rock Festival, and even a dedicated museum, the Rose Rock Museum. This rock is found in a few places on Earth, yet they are abundant in central Oklahoma, such as in the town of Noble. Because of this, and due to their rarity, these rocks have an annual festival celebrating them, called the Rose Rock Festival, and even a dedicated museum, the Rose Rock Museum. The rose rock of Oklahoma are twinned crystals of barite that often resemble an opened rose, they usually appear reddish-brown due to the oxidized iron. It is also known as the “rose rock”, and it forms in sedimentary environments like cement in sandstones. The Alabaster Caverns State Park, located in the town of Freedom, is the largest gypsum cave, which is available to the public, in the world.Īnother official state material of Oklahoma is the barite rock. The hourglass crystal is quite common in the ancient salt plains located in north-central Oklahoma, being the only place where this variety of gypsum occurs. Gypsum is made of calcium sulfate, and comes in a variety of colors such as white, pink, and green among others, and its best specimens come into crystalline clusters. This material is a crystallized version of gypsum, an abundant mineral commonly found in western Oklahoma, such as the Alfalfa County. The official state crystal of Oklahoma is the hourglass selenite. Here are the best places for rockhounding in Oklahoma: Best Places for Rockhounding in Oklahoma Stateįamous for its rich zinc mines, Oklahoma is also relatively abundant in fossils, including that of dinosaurs, and many different types of gems, minerals, and more. If you are interested in checking out the best book about rockhounding in Oklahoma you can find it by clicking here (Amazon link). Read on to find out exactly where to go in Oklahoma for rockhounding, and what you might find. Other great minerals include gypsum, which is abundant in the western part of Oklahoma, like the Alabaster Caverns State Park, the largest gypsum cave in the world, and the hourglass selenite, which is one of Oklahoma’s official crystals, or the barite rose, Oklahoma’s official state rock. You can find quartz, malachite, aegirine, orthoclase, barite, dolomite crystals, petrified wood, agate, jasper, dinosaur fossils, and more. The Comanche County – Lawton area, McCurtain County, and Garvin County, contain several locations for gemstone hunting, primarily in the mining stones available to the public, among other places. The southwest, southcentral and southeastern portions of Oklahoma are the best for rockhounding. This state, though not the richest in mineral resources, has many great natural gem deposits, mines open to the public for gemstone hunting, and awesome museums with unique exhibitions. The state of Oklahoma was once part of the legendary Tri-State Mining District, along with Missouri and Kansas. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases with no additional costs for you. ![]()
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