Michigan Sites

At this point we are pretty open to any part of the state.

We went to Michigan in July 2008. Here's some of the info I gathered beforehand...

My email to the Michigan DNR:
Where in Michigan is rockhounding legal? My family is spending a week driving all around MI, mostly the U.P. We love collecting rocks and minerals, but don't want to get into any trouble. I've heard a lot of conflicting information. "It's OK to collect on beaches, but not State Park beaches." "No one cares if you pick through the mine dumps on the sides of the roads." Can you give me any guidance? Or tell me who to ask? Thanks.

Reply email:
Response (Forestry Administrator) - 05/07/2008 04:41 PM
Generally, on State lands you can not remove rocks or minerals. We are working on relaxing that, but still not done. People do pick up rocks & shells, etc. on beaches and unless there is an Conservation Officer present, there isn't a problem.
On private lands, you should obtain permission from the land owner.
In the UP there are road cuts and old mine sites. The Republic mine near Republic has an observation area and also has some sample piles that specimens can be removed. Also at the old iron mine east of Iron Mountain on route 2 has an mine exhibit, large sample displays for sale and a small pile of rock outside for taking a sample.


Dear Mineral and Gold Hobbyist:

Recently you requested information about mineral collecting and/or gold panning in Michigan. The following very briefly covers some frequently requested information related to recreational mineral collecting and gold prospecting in Michigan.

Unlike some Western states, there is no claim staking in Michigan. It is important to obtain permission from the owner of the land and minerals. Ownership may be private, State, or federal. Surface and mineral rights are sometimes severed and all owners would need to be contacted. Mineral ownership can sometimes only be determined by a county courthouse search of records for each land parcel involved.

Some recreational mineral collecting and gold panning, with a pan only, is allowed under certain circumstances on privately-owned surface and mineral lands. Ownership of inland lake and stream bottoms usually extends from the adjacent owners of the highlands, and is projected to the center of the lake or stream. Permission of the owner(s) is needed at the location to be panned.

The federal forests we have in Michigan all have professional, prospecting, permitting procedures for their lands. They do not always own the minerals even though they may own the surface. Contact the U.S. Forest Headquarters for more information about permission to do recreational or commercial gold panning and mineral prospecting on these lands.

State of Michigan owned lands also have various mineral ownerships. Professional commercial mineral prospecting on State-owned mineral lands requires a State-issued Mineral Lease. This is a fairly involved legal process. Contact our office, Mineral and Land Management Section, Forest, Mineral and Fire Management, Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), P.O. Box 30452, Lansing, Michigan 48909-7952 (Phone 517-373-7663), for further details. There are no regulations specifically allowing recreational mineral collecting or gold panning on State lands. Thus there currently is no mechanism to legally allow these activities on a casual, recreational, or hobby level.

Dredging for gold or other minerals requires a dredging permit. This is a requirement, no matter who is the surface or mineral owner of the stream or lake bottom. Both the use of a dredge or a sluice box requires a dredging permit. The purpose of a permit is to limit sedimentation disturbances in water bodies to prevent problems with fish and other biota habitat. Dredging permits are issued by the Land & Water Management Division (LWMD), Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), in Lansing. Their non-refundable application fee of $50 allows you to apply for a site-specific, two-month permit to use a small dredge on a specific segment of certain streams. For information, call LWMD at 517-373-1170. Specific circumstances may require additional permits. Contact the Environmental Assistance Division, MDEQ, Lansing, for information and assistance with meeting any MDEQ permit requirements. The phone number for the Environmental Assistance Center is 1-800-662-9278.

The use of metal detectors to search for minerals also falls under the need for permission of land and mineral rights owner(s). Use of detectors to locate and remove lost items on public and private lands such as parks, beaches, etc., is frequently restricted or prohibited. Check with the owner or manager of the property first.

For information about minerals and some old gold mines and prospects in Michigan, the OGS of the MDEQ offers several books and bulletins, two of which are:

1) “The Mineralogy of Michigan,” Bulletin 6, by E. Wm. Heinrich, 225+ pages, 1996, sells for $5, describes many minerals, and lists locations where they have been found.

2) “Gold in Michigan” offers references and photocopies of selected out-of-print publications of the Office of Geological Survey (OGS). It is available as OGS Open-File Report 80-1, includes about 78 pages, and sells for $4.

Both can be ordered from Publication Sales, OGS, MDEQ, P.O. Box 30256, Lansing, Michigan 48909-7756. You may wish to request their current list of publications. Postage charges are $2 for orders up to $9.99, and $3 for orders $10.00 to $49.99. Make checks payable to the “State of Michigan”. Include six percent Michigan State sales tax for orders to Michigan addresses.

As we discussed, you may want to check into the following two additional sources for gold and mineral collecting information:
1) The Minerals Program Manager, Huron-Manistee National Forest, 1755 South Mitchell, Cadillac, Michigan, 49601;
2) The website for the Michigan Chapter, Gold Prospectors Association of America, www.michgpaa.homestead.com/index.html .

Remember to allow sufficient time for seeking property and mineral owner’s permission, obtaining any needed printed materials, and up to 180 days for the permitting process. Good luck and happy hunting!

Sincerely,

Milton A. Gere, Jr., Geologist
Mineral and Land Management Section
Forest, Mineral and Fire Management

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I have more and will post it when I find it.

Later,
jeri