![]() Klamath County, Oregon hosts Opal Creekand Klamath Falls, where opals have been found. There is a mine in the West Coast Mining Company, marketing opals through its outlets. There is a working mine in operation since 1988, but it has been known since the 1800s, when opals were not regarded as important. Opal Butte is a mountain top close to Hepner City in Morrow County, Oregon. They opened it for a form of mining called “fee dig” mining after mining the claim for years.įee Dig mining is simple! Pay a small fee, get a little training and a spot to mine, and take away whatever you find! After spending two years discovering and taking over the abandoned claim in 1998, a father and son team, Ken and Chuck Oldham, formed a group of lapidaries and miners. Oregon has a rich history of gold mining, and the state is scattered with old mines. Opals are found nearly everywhere in the world, but how are we going to get to Oregon and find those deep wonders? The Juniper Ridge Opal mine is the site of a major opal discovery and development that has been going on for 30 years before being abandoned. Sheaville Zeolite Occurrence “Malheur Co.”īreitenbush Hot Springs Cinnabar Occurrence, Santiam District (Elkhorn District) “Marion Co.” Owyhee Dam, Lake Owyhee State Park “Malheur Co.”Īurora Uranium Prospect, Opalite District (McDermitt District) “Malheur Co.” Quartz Mountain Gold Deposit (Fremont Quartz Mountain Property), Quartz Mountain “Lake Co.”īrandon Occurrence (Quartz Mtn. Madera Occurrence, Quartz Mountain “Lake Co.” Oregon Sunstone public collection area, Plush “Lake Co.” Oregon Technical Institute Occurrence “Klamath Co.”Ĭhristmas Valley pit, Christmas Valley “Lake Co.” Richardson Ranch (Priday Ranch), Madras “Jefferson Co.” Pueblo Mining District (Denio Mining District) “Harney Co.”īutte Creek Mining District “Jackson Co.”Įvans Creek Mining District “Jackson Co.” Newberry Caldera, East Lake “Deschutes Co.” ![]() Howard Mining District (Ochoco Mining District Bolivar Mining District) “Crook Co.” Where to Find Opals in Oregon?Ĭlackamas River localities “Clackamas Co.” Oregon opals include the types, rainbow, ryalite, contra luz, hydrophane, crystal, fire, blue, and dendritic. It is definitely worth the quick drive to check out.Types of opals include: common and precious opals. About two miles up the road from Shady Cove you can find a nice waterfall right off the road called Sullivan Falls. The Opal Creek Wilderness offers plenty to do from exploring the old mining town of Jawbone Flats to cooling off in one of the many crystal clear pools found on the river. When the campground does fill up there are no other campsites within reasonable distance so most campers make their way further up the road and make primitive camp down a steep hillside next to the creek. ![]() The downsides to this campground are how quickly it fills up and its proximity to an incredible dusty dirt road. The campground in general is well shaded and most of the sites and private due to the thick trees that separates them. The individual sites sit nicely along the edge of the Little North Santiam river which offers beautifully clear water and an excellent spot to cool off. The campground is small with only 13 first come, first serve campsites and it fills up very quickly during peak season and warm weekends. Shady Cove Campground is located in the Opal Creek Wilderness about an hour east of Salem.
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