Is It Legal To Collect Beautiful Rocks In Colorado?

It seems like you can find rocks just about anywhere in Colorado, but are they really free for the taking?

The Fun of Collecting Rocks

Did you ever have a rock collection when you were growing up? I remember collecting rocks when I was a kid. Our family would go camping and fishing in the mountains and I'd look for pretty stones or unusual rocks on a hiking trail or along the water's edge.

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I didn't know much about rocks, but they were fun to collect. One of my favorite finds would be stumbling upon a piece of petrified wood. Those pieces always fascinated me because I knew they were extremely old.

Getting A Rock Tumbler For Christmas

At one point, I got a rock tumbler for Christmas which I thought would help me create beautiful shiny stones. It didn't. Rock tumblers are used to smooth and polish rocks but there's a little more to the process than just tumbling - and I didn't have the patience or the know-how - and my tumbler mostly sat unused in the back of my closet.

As we grow older, our ambitions and our mindset change. Many of us become rock collectors without really realizing it. We go camping or hiking, and we want to grab some large stones for the landscaping in our yard. But, is this legal in Colorado?

Is Collecting Rocks In Colorado Legal?

The short answer to the question of collecting rocks in Colorado is, yes, you can. However, there is a caveat. There are specific rules in place about collecting rocks in Colorado - how much, what type, and the places where they can be harvested.