Super super cool activity to do with friends or family!! Went with three friends, we split the $100…read morefamily bucket between us and it was a really good deal for the insane amount of cool stuff we got from it. The whole experience is cool, especially at the end where the lady at the desk examines the gems you found. 100% recommend!!

What a fun experience! We got the $45 bucket and found all kinds of good stones. Very friendly,…read morehelpful staff. Definitely a must do.

I saw several of these gem mining shops on our trip this past week from Banner Elk to Boone there…read moreare several. After reading reviews I decided to come to Sugar Creek. It was just me, my 15 year old (who spends a lot on her crystals/gems) and my 7 year old. Several of the reviews we read said to opt for the larger buckets for more bang for your buck and I'm so glad we did. We got the 5 gallon bucket to share between the 3 of us. It was an easy transaction and then we were told to go outside to the sifting area and wait for our bucket to be delivered. They were great at explaining what to look for and what to throw out (gravel), they even give you a laminated photo page to help identify what you find. After we finished off the bucket we put all our gems in small baggies they give you and went back inside. They will then put them on silver trays and sort them for you, help identify those you cannot and you have the option to order jewelry or other items. We did not order any of ours to be buffed down as we were leaving the next morning but if you go at the beginning of your trip maybe that would be a great idea! I purchased one of their show boxes ($19.99) and my son was very excited to put everything in there when we got back to our cabin. Even after filling the box we still had 3 full bags full of crystals/gems. To put the cost in perspective. Our daughter pays $7-12 for crystals at nearby shops during our stay...she spent probably $25 total before we went gem mining. I spent $60+ dollars on the bucket and we got several of the same stones she had been purchasing all week....when I say several we had about 20 rose quartz just to point out one example. We had a great time but remember if you are going when it is chilly (for this FL gal that is anything below 70 degrees) then dress accordingly, you will get wet at least your hands and a little dirty from the sand etc. We would recommend this to any age...lots of fun!

We have visited numerous gem mining venues in NC and TN with very satisfactory results. These…read morepeople fill their buckets with gravel (not sand) and our experience was that less than 1/2 of 1% contained any rocks not considered gravel, so at 99.5% gravel they are making a lot more money than all the other gem mining operations. Our $129.99 "Gloryhole" bucket was junk literally and in reality. A word to all who read this: AVOID THIS JOINT!!!!!

We had a blast at Gem Valley! I took my 4 year old nephew and 2 year old daughter and it was…read moreeverything we expected and more. The people working were super helpful and fun! We will definitely be back!

We really enjoyed our time at gem valley. The staff was attentive and kind; they really looked…read moreafter us. We bought a $50 bucket and shared it between our family of five. We found some beautiful gems and minerals. They have several options for sifting, a clean port-a-John on the premise, and beautiful scenery. Great outing for families!

Very nice variety of decorations for both the inside and outside of your home. We found two things…read morethat we loved and bought; I'm sure you'll do the same.

The best mining we've ever been to. The owners really try to give the kids a treat and on top of…read moreit, they had Fossil mining! My kids begged me to write this 5/5 review. Yes it's pricier than the others but the bucket is huge and easy for 2-3 kids to share. And the haul was amazing. We got a megalodon tooth, fish fossil, a massive geode that they opened for him on the spot and so much more! We def got more value than what we paid. The staff shared the enthusiasm of my boys which made the experience even more rewarding

Stopped here on a whim. & WOW. This crystal / rock / gem shop is INCREDIBLE. The selection here is…read moreactually insane. There are towers, figures (Pokémon, animals, mushrooms), spheres, necklaces, rings, gag penis/clit rocks (lol), and so much more to look at. The lady working was also so helpful in answering any questions I had. I haven't been to many crystal shops but the pricing seems average to maybe a little bit more than usual. But honestly for the quality / selection they have its understandable. We got a few figures (duck, alien, Pokémon), a tower, and a beautiful Alexandrite ring. Definitely recommend checking this place out for their beautiful collection!

We stopped by for some custom cut of stones we had from Mexico co. They turned out amazing! The…read moreservice was great and the store had beautiful gems in all sizes and colors. They have some other artists also who do wire wrap, stone carving and painting, book origami, handmade gnomes and others.

Emerald Hollow Mine is the PERFECT day trip for all ages!! I can't think of the last time I have…read morehad this much genuine fun and excitement! When you go, find out if Lowell, one of their volunteers, is one-site: he enhanced our experience tenfold! There are 3 different activities that you can choose from: digging, sluicing, and creeking. You can pay for one activity or a combination. * Digging: You can rent a shovel or bring your own, and dig your own dirt. If you want to sluice the dirt on site (it would be silly to lug it all home) you have to pay for sluicing, too. The employee said that digging is difficult but the plus-side is that if you pay for digging and sluicing, you can sluice through as many buckets as you'd like! * Sluicing: You can rent a hand shovel and sifter and sit at a wooden trough with running water and sift through dirt/clay. If you did not dig your own dirt as described above, then you'll need to pay for an "enhanced" bucket: buckets of dirt that are pre-filled with gems and stones found locally as well as mined elsewhere. There are about 10-15 varieties of buckets, describing the types of gems you can find, ranging from $5-$250. * Creeking: You can rent a hand shovel and sifter and dig at the mine's creek for natural stones and gems. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ --- this is a review that has been sitting in my drafts since ~2020? But deserves to be posted! I will never forget Lowell and how he ignited my passion for rocks, natural gems, and lapidary work! I now have my own lapidary studio in my garage!! THANK YOU, LOWELL! A real life changer!

This place is a total rip-off. $30 to get in for the day per person, and you have 3 options. You…read morecan go to the creek and dig with a plastic garden trowel, and sift through the dirt with a beat up, classifier with holes all throughout the wire that is way too big. And you're required to use those crummy tools. Can't use your own. All you'll find are tiny pieces of quartz because they limit you to a tiny section of the creek that is TORN up. However, if you feel like pointlessly digging through dry, red clay you can use your own tools. Then, after tiring yourself out you can buy imported dirt buckets for ridiculously high prices. Because you won't get anything worth from the creek or "dig site"

We stopped in here to shop after picking up our pager at the Riverwatch Bar and Grill Restaurant…read moreacross the street, there's not very much left of Chimney Rock after Hurricane Helene but thankfully this and a handful of other businesses have survived and were able to open their doors again. This is a beautiful shop filled with one of a kind treasures, the staff here were very friendly and were eager to answer any questions we had. I didn't know how much time I had before we would be notified our table was ready but found that this store is very well laid out and fairly easy to navigate so we had plenty of time to shop without being rushed. This is definitely a shop worth visiting if you're a rock hound or just want to pick up a few gifts or souvenirs...

$9 for small bucket and it goes up to $16, $30, $50, $85, and $95 buckets for larger buckets and…read morelarger gems. Every bucket is guaranteed to have some kind of gem in there and it's a really fun time for the kids to sit and sift through everything to find their gems.

Such a fun place to take the kids! There's a wide variety of activities from arts & crafts to a…read morepretend kitchen and even a rocket ship You can find a sand box in the outdoor area and a really cool wooden "tree house." Go down a level and there's a water play area with a hand water pump. We spent a few hours there, but we could've easily spent an entire day!

Our family and friends love the playhouse! It is a haven for young families who need a nice…read moreindoor-outdoor play option. My son loves the July space exhibit that pops up each year! The staff are wonderful and make sure to offer educational experiences for the littles. We just attended a pumpkin pancake cooking class! The directors put love and intention into the programming to make it a special experience for families.