Warm weather and weekend road trips go hand-in-hand with the upcoming summer months. You can also head for a road trip from Atlanta to a gem mine in South Carolina if you want to get some stunning gems.
Diamond Hill Mine is 2.5 hours away from Atlanta and the ride is worth every mile.
This mine is one of the state’s premier mines for crystals. The land that’s available for digging and discovering your crystals spreads on 6 acres.
The spot is a result of erosion that happened in the south of the Appalachian Mountains.
Plus, the mine is open 365 days in the year. Some of the most common crystals you can find there are smoky quartz, amethyst, garnet, epidote, and skeletal elestial.
To be able to dig, you need to pay $20 for a full day pass and whatever you dig out is yours!
No Need for Pre-Booking Your Crystals Exploration
If you think this is a suitable trip for you, you can just go-there’s no need for booking.
You just go and sign-in between 9am and 2 pm and begin digging. You’ll need to bring the essential tools like rakes, shovels, rock hammers, screwdrivers, and gloves, and of course, containers for the crystals.
Bring your own food and snacks because it may take a while.
If you do plan on spending the night, email or call in advance. You have several stops along the way for camp or RVs free of charge.
Other Amazing Locations Are Nearby
If you decide to take this trip, there are some other amazing destinations you shouldn’t miss out on.
One is the Emerald Hollow Mine in Hiddennite in North Carolina-the sole public place where people can search for emeralds in the US.
It’s a unique geological location in the North. There, you needn’t do any digging- you just pick a bucket from the sluiceways from the emerald mine.
In the bucket you can find emeralds, but aquamarine, amethyst, and topaz gems.
Another stunning place is the Crater of Diamonds Park Stae in Murfreesboro, Arkansas. It’s the only place in the world where people are allowed to dig for diamonds!
You can rent needed tools on the location, but you can always bring your own.
You can discover 40 types of rocks and minerals aside from diamonds. You can also take hikes, camp or fish there.
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