Diamond Mountain will open for the 2024 dig season the first weekend in May, 2024! (May 4th and 5th). We will remain open for digging seven days a week until the ground freezes solid (usually first week of December).

The Crystals—Rare, High-quality, World-Class.

Our land has a highly unique mineral deposit with rare Herkimer diamond formations that cannot be dug at other locations in the Herkimer mining district. We are most well-known for black stem scepters and barbells, the two rarest and most highly prized Herkimer quartz formations. In fact, Diamond Mountain is the only publicly-accessible mine where you can dig your own Herkimer diamond black stem scepter! We commonly find hydrocarbon-included “black diamonds,” large skeletal crystals, Cumberland habit gems, and other oddities not commonly found at other area mines. We are a Collector’s Mine for diggers who are seeking high quality and unique specimens.

The Experience— Guided, Educational, Informative.

Our Wilderness Digs are an educational guided experience. We welcome our visitors with an introductory tour covering the basics of Herkimer diamond geology followed by an orientation to the dig site. Our knowledgeable guides will give tips on how and where to look for crystals, help give advice about how to work our unique deposit, and check on you throughout the day to help you plan for success!

The Environment—Peaceful, Forested, Crystals in the Dirt.

Crystal Ridge, our public dig site, has a layer of crystals that stretches across a ridgeline at the edge of a forest. Rather than digging in a quarry or open pit-style mine with piles of boulders and the sun beating down, you day will be spent amongst trees in a peaceful, shady forest. Our Wilderness Digs are a unique prospecting-style experience where you can work with hand tools such as a screwdriver and hand rake to loosen and move forest soil to work around roots and find crystals! For those with more experience who prefer moving hard rock, there are also many sections of the site that have exposed ledge to work on.

We dig rain or shine! We recommend checking the weather before the day of your visit and dressing accordingly. You are welcome to bring a pop-up tent or tarp to keep dry or in shade. Our digging area is in the forest and is shaded from sun by the tree canopy.

In the case of an absolute downpour or thunderstorm, we will ask guests to move to the parking area to wait in their cars until the storm passes. We follow national safety standards for lightning — when lightning is detected within 10 miles of our site, all guests must leave the dig site for safety and wait for 30 minutes until the lightning passes. In the case of thunderstorms interrupting the dig day we will gladly extend the dig day to give you maximum time on the mountain, or allow make-up time.

We recommend bringing these basic tools:

--Screwdriver or chopstick— "pokey tools" for exploring holes are your #1 prospecting tool!

--Rock Hammer(s); (3-4 lb. hand sledge works best, a 12 lb for breaking larger rocks is also helpful)

--Chisels; (For example, a 1 or 1.5” Irwin cold chisel and/or bull point chisel with hand guard)

--Pry Bars—long metal bars for moving big rock and small for detail work. A 60 inch “pinch bar” is our favorite.

--Three-Pronged Rake

--Small Trowel or Shovel

--Garden hoe

--Screen or Sifter

--Kneeling Pad

--Baggies and buckets for carrying finds

--Paper towels/newspaper for wrapping specimens

Please also bring enough water for the day, and lunch. We suggest packing bug spray, sunscreen, and anything else you need to be comfortable outside all day. Wear clothing that is comfortable and ready to get dirty! We require closed-toe shoes at the mine, and recommend boots (steel toe is a plus).

Other helpful items include:

--Small Shovel or Garden Trowel

--Kneeling Pad or Mat to sit on

--Camping Chairs

--Pop-Up Tent for shade or rain

We have basic toolkits available to rent for $10 each. The kits contain a hand sledge hammer, chisel with hand guard, three pronged rake, safety goggles, and various “pokey tools” such as screwdrivers. Toolkits can be added to your reservation when you make your booking!

We also have spring steel sets to rent for $20 each. These are used by advanced miners who are looking to move large sections of solid rock ledge.

We ask for you to give us 48 hours notice if you would like to cancel or change your reservation date. However, we understand that emergencies and illnesses can arise. In that case, we will always honor your reservation at a later date of your choice, pending availability. You can cancel or change your reservation by clicking the link at the bottom of your confirmation email.

Yes! We offer admission to ALL AGES, every day of the week! Admission for diggers ages 13 or under is now offered at $25 per person.

Children are also welcome to visit the mine anytime as part of a mineral club or group visit.

*Note that the Wilderness Dig experience is recommended for ages five and up

Sorry, we do not allow pets of any kind on site for safety reasons.

However, active Service Animals are welcome under the policy of the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act). Please click here to learn more about service animals and their requirements.

Sorry — the rate of $100 per day does not change. However, we do allow multi-day diggers the benefit of leaving their tools at the dig site to reserve their spot along the ledge that they would like to work.

Mining is a combination of luck and skill — like visiting a casino, there is always risk and chance involved. There are never any guarantees that you will find a pocket of crystals. Be prepared for a physical day as the crystals take effort to find. However, the crystals at Diamond Mountain are quite plentiful and if you move enough dirt or rock, it is highly likely you will go home with some treasure. Our dig guides do our best to give guidance and tips to set you up for success in your search. You also are welcome to keep everything and anything that you find on a Wilderness Dig — no matter the value of the specimen!

The price of a Wilderness Dig reflects your chance to find incredibly rare, precious, and high-value Herkimer diamond forms such as scepters and barbells that cannot be dug anywhere else in the world.

We now accept up to 45 Wilderness Dig miners at Diamond Mountain per day (with a limit of 15 diggers per dig site so the experience never feels crowded) — please book ahead if you would like to bring a group of friends for a day of digging!

We offer Group Wilderness Digs to accredited mineral clubs and groups of ten people or more, any day of the week! All ages are welcome as part of the experience.

Groups are offered a reduced admission rate of $50 per person (ages 14 and up), and $25 for ages 13 and under. To receive a group rate we require a minimum of 10 people, and cap the experience at a maximum of 20 people. Mineral clubs are welcome to schedule one FREE dig day with us for the 2024 dig season!