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Nebraska

Chimney Rock
TREASURE HUNTING IN NEBRASKA
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What this area is known for:
1.Nebraska Agates - Fairburn, Prairie, Nebraska Blue,& Lake Superior agates
2.Fossils
3.
4.
Biggest finds in this area:
1. Museum quality fossils

2.Valuable nodules of Nebraska agates.

Local appraisers:
1. Name, contact info/website
2.
3.
4.
Local geocaching/treasure hunting clubs:
1. http://www.amfed.org/
2.
3.
4.
Best time of year to go: Nebraska is definitely best for prospecting during the warmer months. Other helpful resources:
(newspapers, websites, etc)
1. http://snr.unl.edu/Data/nebraskagemsintro.asp
2. Fairburn Agate by Roger Clark
3. Roger Pabian at the University of Nebraska has developed the most complete listing of agates and locations on the Internet.
http://snr.unl.edu/Data/agatepageintro.asp
4.

Have a question about treasure hunting or geocaching in this region?

THE BEST PLACES TO HUNT
Regions can have multiple good spots to go add details to build a complete guide.
Location #1: Northwest Panhandle -
Cadron. Nebraska

General description: Fairburn, Prairie, and Nebraska Blue Agates can be found. The Nebraska Blue Agate is the State Gemstone. The nodules appear to be more plentiful than in South Dakota. (Roger Cark).
I have collected in Nebraska and found a wide variety of agates. The Nebraska Blue is a truely beautiful stone.
How to get there: Travel Northwest of Chadron on HWY 385. The Oglala National Grasslands allows rockhounding for personal use. Neither vertebrate fossils or Native American artifacts are allowed to be collected. It is a crime and rightly so to violate Native American sacred sites. Ask Permission before collecting on private property and as always respect the land, keep it as wildly beautiful as it is.

The following link provides information on the area:
http://www.chadron.com/
Grade this location: (A to F): A GPS coordinates:

Handy to bring along:
1.Rock bag
2.Water - this is very remote country
3.GPS
4. Boots
5. Rock Hammer
Helpful notes to newcomers: Do not strike a nodule of agate with your hammer to see what's in it. A rock worth hundreds of dollars could be ruined.

Location #2: Crawford



General description: North west of town on the White River drainage system. The agate is similar to Tee Pee Canyon Agate (see South Dakota) in that it has a high degree of matrix material.
How to get there: Crawford Nebraska is in northwest corner of Nebraska in the Black Hills region on HWY 20.

This link contains helpful information about the area.

http://www.crawfordnebraska.net/
Grade this location: (A to F): A GPS coordinates:

Handy to bring along:
1.Rock bag or buckets
2.Water
3.
Boots or hiking shoes
4. Rock hammer
Helpful notes to newcomers:

Location #3: Agate Fossils Beds National Monument


General description: A unique national park that combines scenic beauty with the fascination of a prehistoric world. During the Miocene era the plains were populated with a wide diversity of unusual wildlife. Agate Fossils Beds National Monuments is one of the best places in America to see what it was like by viewing the fossil record.
How to get there: The National Monument is south of Harrison on HWY 29.

View the Nation Monument web site:

http://www.nps.gov/agfo/
Grade this location: (A to F): A GPS coordinates:

Handy to bring along:
1. camera
2. comfortable shoes
3.
Helpful notes to newcomers:

Location #4: Homestead Cookshack & Bunkhouse



General description: Hunt your own fossils in style with real western flair and at a reasonable price. The fossil sites are on private ranches that allow collecting through Homestead. The food is excellent and the lodging is first class.
How to get there: Homestead

The following web site gives directions and information :

http://www.bbc.net/highplainshomestead/index.htm
Grade this location: (A to F): A GPS coordinates:

Handy to bring along:
1. Buckets or backpack
2. Tools for Digging
3. Call ahead for details
Helpful notes to newcomers: I have included a link from the University of Nebraska for the hobbyist on the importance of the scientific value of fossils and how to properly collect them. The amateur collector can contribute to the advancement of knowledge. One of my most valuable finds, I donated to the University of North Alabama for future geologist to learn from and the general public to enjoy. After discovering the site , I called the University and set up a field trip. The site was some of the best Silurian fossils recovered in Tennessee.
http://www-museum.unl.edu/research/vertpaleo/musnote2.html

Location #5: Ashfall Fossil Beds State Park



General description: Nebraska is fossil country and if you hike the country side you are bound to run into a fossil. However, Ashfall Fossil Beds is not a museum where bones have been collected from far and wide and reassembled in a unnatural poise. These animals were covered with volcanic ash and left in place to give the visitor an amazing look at a prehistoric catechism.
How to get there: The park is west of Creighton Nebraska on HWY 59.


The following web site gives information about your visit :

http://ashfall.unl.edu/
Grade this location: (A to F): A GPS coordinates:

Handy to bring along:
1. Camera
2.
3.
Helpful notes to newcomers: The facility is handicapped assessable.

Location #6: Cass County Nebraska

General Description: Lake Superior Agates in Nebraska? Yes, the period of glaciation brought Lake Superior agates to a number of states. Dr. Roger Pabian at the University of Nebraska has a nice collection of Lakers found in local gravel deposits around Nebraska. Dr. Pabian's book on Banded Agate is a must read for people crazy about agates. He is one of the most recognized scientist on agate formation.
How to get there:

Cass County is just south of Omaha. Take I 80 then exit HWY 50.

I have included a list of gravel operations in the area:

http://maps.unomaha.edu/Maher/urbanseminar/Bill/
Grade this location: GPS Coordinates:
Handy to bring along:
1. Hand tools
2. Bucket
3. Keene eye site
Helpful notes to newcomers:

Most gravel operations will allow you to look through the gravel piles. Ask permission at the office. Explain that you are a collector and that you will observe their rules.

Location #7:

General description:
How to get there:
Grade this location: GPS coordinates:
Handy to bring along:
1.
2.
3.
Helpful notes to newcomers




VIDEO FROM THIS AREA
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PHOTOS FROM THIS AREA
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National Directory page - Travel Channel Cash and Treasures

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Latest page update: made by aubreyreynolds9@gmai , Jun 9 2008, 3:41 AM EDT (about this update About This Update aubreyreynolds9@gmai Edited by aubreyreynolds9@gmai

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Started By Thread Subject Replies Last Post
lamadave New Rockhound in Nebraska 2 May 9 2008, 3:10 PM EDT by lamadave
lamadave
Thread started: Mar 3 2008, 9:44 AM EST  Watch
Where are the fun places to hunt for gemstones, fossils and artifacts in Nebraska?
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