My friend and I went for a birthday celebration. It was just the two of us. On March 14, it was a fine spring day. Perfect to be on a mountain top in the sunshine sifting through rocks and hunting for gems. The Oceanview mine works in finding a number of different quartz, Tourmoline, and other gems. Take a look at their website. For $75 for an adult, you get all the equipment that you need to sift through rock and gravel piles which they set out for you. There are a big tables, the two grades of sorters, a bucket, trowel, and toothbrush to clean off rocks. Also a big tray of water to rinse your rocks in and clean them off. There were igneous rocks with black tourmaline and tiny pieces of garnet. It was a lot of fun. You have to get there promptly at the opening time in order to get situated and the digging/sorting/sifting begins sharp at 10 AM. You have three hours and 45 minutes to go through all the rocks that you want. Bring your own gloves! They also have shaded umbrellas, and 5 gallon buckets to purchase that you can load up with rocks to sift through on your own at home. While it was a fun adventure, and I've never been to a quarry mine that you could actually look for your own gems, the staff did leave a little to training, although they were very good about going around and assisting you. However, I think if you really want to find something, you need to educate yourself ahead of time as to what you are looking for and what is available. Five minute presentation to 50 people wouldn't you can't even really look at the rocks and no handout or guide sheet for reference was a drawback. They don't take credit cards for the entrance. You have to pay cash. Children are a lower price. But they do take credit cards for memorabilia, gemstones that they have turned into jewelry and other items. And also for the rentals. I thought the purchasing of a 5 gallon bucket for $10 was too much. They don't make it clear that if you want to take home a 5 gallon bucket of extra stones to sort through then you can bring your own. I thought for the price of $75 a 5 gallon bucket would be included. They are not. There are picnic tables in the shade where you can have your own lunch, there is a grill you can use if you want to utilize that. Bring all of your own beverages, water, and snacks and meal. There is a short tour that you can take of the areas that they mine on this mountain. You load up on a four wheel vehicle that holds six people and spin around the mountainside, stopping at the entrance of three of the mine shafts. This is only about a 5 to 7 minute tour. They don't allow you to stop get out and take pictures in front of the mine openings. This was certainly a drawback. They could've extended the "tour" to let you get out and take pictures in front of the mine shafts. Perhaps it is a liability issue I don't know. I would not do this for a second time since I've already done it, without further educating myself about gem hunting and what exactly I was looking for. But for a one time adventure, it was fun and we had a beautiful spring day. Don't forget your sunblock and sunglasses and hat! read more

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We were a group of three that booked the Pala Chief mine for January 11th. It was a long trip from San Jose, but it was so worth it; we found so many tourmalines! The drive up to the Pala Chief dig site was not too difficult. Our tesla with a low suspension could do it. The tutorial from the staff was quick, and the 4 hour dig time was definitely enough. By the end it got really hot; so definitely bring a hat and a lot of water. It had rained a couple days before, so we found a bunch of tourmalines on the surface. My best find was a 50 gram blue cap pink tourmaline that I found near the top of the mountain. Found a bunch of pinks, some greens, some blue ones, and a bunch of large quartz pieces. read more

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It's All Mine You ever see the meme about how the children yearn for the mines? Yeah, well, turns out it's really true. My son is a rock hound, and the idea of being able to mine your own gems here at Oceanview Mines has been on his lips for a few years now. So, we finally decided that for his Xmas gift last year, we'd make his dreams come true with a trip to SD and a visit to the mines. Most kids want Disneyland, but mine wants to mine, which, oddly enough, sounds about right. :0) The Good: *Reservations are mandatory and made easily thru the website. They'll keep you informed and reminded of your apt both thru email and text message. *Staff is very friendly and helpful. *Store that sells swag as well as gems and other rocks to take home and pretend you mined yourself. They do take CC at the store fyi. *Very clean and hospitable restrooms. *Shaded/covered areas w/ picnic tables to rest and grab a nosh at. *Even if you're not really into it (aka moi), you kinda get the fever of what's next as you sift thru each load. Kinda like playing the slot machines at the casino kinda rush. You could definitely see how someone can get addicted to this. *Fun for the whole family. The Meh: *Must bring cash for your entrance fee to the mine, which is strange considering that they take CC at the store. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ *The drive up to the mine was a bit harry, but nothing too bad. If you're coming after a big rain, it might be better if you had some kinda AWD SuV, tho. The Ugly: *Kinda pricey for what it is imo @$75/ea (12-××) & $60/ea (5-11 yrs old) w/ no option to just come along for the ride and not actively mine. *Their rules about paying ahead of time seem a bit "Soup N@zi"-ish, but it's nowhere near as bad as it sounds. Just make sure you have your waiver printed and signed, and your cash in hand (bring exact change don't assume they're gonna make change). Conclusion: Pricey but fun and 100% worth it if you're into gems and such. My son would do this every day if he could. Tips: *If you arrive early, they you have the opportunity to walk around the property and search for stuff that's laying about. Can't access the pile until it's time, tho. *Definitely bring a hat (wide-brimmed preferable), because even in the winter the sun can be brutal. It is still SoCal, after all. *Bring gloves because you're hands will get tore up sifting thru all that rock. A pair of those nitrile dipped ones (±$3-5) from the hardware store should suffice. *A bucket to carry your haul and any other equipment you bring. Doesn't need to be a huge bucket but at least a 2-gallon. *An umbrella or one of those covered structures you take to the beach would be great, if you have it. They do have umbrellas to rent for $15. *Bring snacks and drinks. They do sell some stuff if you forget or would rather not be bothered, but then you can't complain about what they have. ;) *Bring spare clothes, because you will get wet and dirty. There's just no avoiding it. *Get ready for a workout, as it's pretty hard work doing this for four hours. Disclaimer: This really isn't my thing, as I could care less about rocks, gems, and mining. So the rating would most likely be higher if I did, so take that FWIW. read more

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we had the BEST time at oceanview mine!! truly such a fun and unique experience. we came in not knowing what to expect and ended up striking out big time. we found so much quartz, beautiful watermelon tourmaline, and a bunch of stunning crystals we honestly forgot the names of (there were sooo many). but honestly, what made the whole experience even better was Nate. he got right in there with us, hands dirty, fully invested in making sure our experience was a good one and you could feel how passionate he is about what he does. that kind of energy is rare and it made the hot day so much more memorable. we already want to come back and do a chief dig! the whole experience felt like a mix between treasure hunting and being a kid again we were fully in it for hours. highly recommend this to anyone looking for something different to do. we'll 100% be back! read more

Our entire family decided to take our 9 kids to dig and collect gems and rocks. It was an amazing experience! It was pouring down rain but they didn't cancel and neither did we. We had our jackets, kids, shovels and buckets and went to work. Our kids (ranging from 4 yrs to 12 years) and our group of adults ranging from 13 years to 70 years had an amazing time and get to keep all the amazing rocks and gems we collected. Lauren and Nate were so helpful and their positivity braving the weather encouraged us to be excited for the dig and have a great time. Highly recommend doing this with the family. You won't regret it! read more

Oceanview Mine - Gems and amazing rocks we collected during our dig Jan 1, 2026 - Tours Near Me - Pala, California

Staff is super friendly, tailings area is beautiful, lots of great people who are very knowledgeable about the area and the rocks.

What a fun Sunday gem dig!! Good times Staff was very friendly Found a few crystals read more

Good rentors, had a great time. Would recommend to others to come here to rent atv's. Great customer service.

Fun for the kids! Kind of expensive you get to dig through the leftover dirt from the mine so pretty much all the good stuff's taken out of it. You may get luckily and find a good find. Think of it as the casino go to have fun! But don't go to find that money gem! I would go back for the kids. The people that are working there are A+ employees very helpful answers any questions. they make it very fun and educational. Most definitely bring the kids. read more

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1. The rules are strict and you must read the details carefully. Print out the form, pay in cash, be on time. Not saying this is hard, but if you miss a detail you'll be set behind. It opens and 9:30 and ended for me around 1:30 pm.. No coming in late etc. be ready. 2. I came in from out of town. So a lot of what they suggested to bring is not so easy. If you have a bucket, bring it, I suggest wearing gloves, bring extra clothes to not ruin the rental car with dirt. Oh, the road is somewhat off-road. Drive carefully. 3. It's a lot of work. Bring water and a snack. It's also fun, but also work. A lot of people do not listen to the rules hence the host can be visibly annoyed. Which is a lot TBH. Service skills are .. ok. 4. The ATV ride was short but informative, the driver was knowledgeable and ... well.. nice. (Nicer than the host) The trained eye can find things quicker. I don't know how anyone can leave finding nothing unless you're picky or don't know what to look for. It was a different, I suggest for anyone that likes to have an experience outside of beaches in San Diego to go to. Especially for those with curious minds around minerals and rocks. read more

What a fun experience! My husband made the reservations for us to have a date day and I wasn't disappointed. As an avid seashell hunter this was literally right up my ally. We worked very hard and we're rewarded. We found so many nice crystals which included a beautiful watermelon crystal. We bought gloves for sifting and ladies if you want to save your nails like me, wear gloves. I ordered some off Amazon and we got our 5 gallon buckets at Home Depot. We packed our own lunch with cooler which we didn't use until it was time to go. The time goes by fast when you're digging. They do give a small tour around the property but you get to view from the UTV. You can bring your own umbrella with stand to shade from the sun because it can get hot and sunny out there. They have running water and bathrooms so no worries thinking you're stuck in the mountains with an out house. We had Chris and Lauren attending to us during our reservation. They were super nice and knowledgeable about the mine, property and stones. The driveway to the main area is a steep, rocky uphill dirt road. We have a smaller SUV and the tires did okay, spun a couple of times, however, I wouldn't drive a car to this location. SUV or truck is the only way to go imo. I would highly recommend this mine to anyone who wants to hunt for real treasure. Pala Casino and Resort is an 11 minute drive from the mine. We decide to take advantage and book a room to stay the night. Best decision ever! Was a nice little local getaway that we will definitely be doing again! read more

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I came here today 11/22 for my birthday. Lauren verbally assaulted me and my two friends when we parked at the wrong gate. When I called Jeff, he was incredibly unprofessional I've been here before, but I will never return after the way that was handled. read more

I have been going to this place for years and have had good experiences and found amazing crystals. Unfortunately the last two times i attended a dig i felt it was way more work (buckets filled from the dig pile) and found way less crystals. I decided to wait and write a review after having the same experience as i did last time. It seems like the dig pile is no longer coming from inside the mines but the dirt that is has already been removed and left out side. I did find crystals the last two times but like i said it was way less, and took way more work. The ora bags they sell for 100$ that comes from inside the actual mines have had some amazing crystals. My only other complaint is not on the business but more in the others who attend. There are rules and a way to fill the bucket that they explain and asks everyone to follow but of course you see people doing exactly what they say not to do and it's very irritating. read more

We had an awesome time! Great place to rent ATV. The staff was great and safety was a priority! ​​

For what you find your better off going to old town SanDiego rock store and buying it there. 75.00 dollars is way to much to charge. There is nothing of quality to find in there dirt pile the only thing your guarantee is an aching back, sore arms and legs and you can't wait to take a bath. read more

Great experience! The staff are very professional and are knowledgeable about their craft. Lauren was a great help. The naysayers that have commented negatively are idiots that do not seem to follow simple basic instructions. If you want the chance to get your hands dirty and search for stones while learning about them this is the place. read more

Very fun experience. You can bring your own easy-up. The rock-cleaning water keeps you cool when it's really hot. It's a bit of a workout, so amazing to stay at Pala casino just down the road and relax the rest of the day! read more

Oceanview Mine - Bucket and shovel provided when digging for your gems and bringing them back to your station - Tours Near Me - Pala, California

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Super fun. We brought our two kids today for the first time, the staff were very kind, Lauren came by to make sure we were doing well and answered all of our questions. They all patiently listened to my very excited 5 year old. My husband and I had been before and today we found way more gems than ever. It's a workout but well worth it if you too are a silly little goblin that adores shiny rocks. read more

We visited Oceanview mine on Sunday, Jan 28, 2024. We had such a great time! The staff, Steve and Chris were soooooo nice and helpful. Steve took us on a tour up the mountain to view the mining areas. He was super knowledgable about all things mining from the history of the mine to how to identify where to find the gem pockets. You can tell that Steve has a passion for this industry. Found a few nice gems, you definitely need to screen plenty of buckets to find good pieces. I plan to come back with more friends in April!!! read more

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My boyfriend and I came here for my 29th birthday. The ladies who explained the entire process and rules were very friendly. We came during COVID-19 so we weren't able to tour the mine. Essentially, there is a dirt pile and you shovel the dirt and rocks into your bucket and shake your screens. You then utilize the water at your station to clean through the rocks and expose your findings. There is no pile digging. Be prepared for kids to pile dig though. Lauren was super friendly and did her best to tell the kids not to pile dig but I think they were pretty persistent. It was over 100 degrees outside when I went so plan accordingly. Pack lunch because they only sell trail mix and small fruit snacks. Bring a cooler with water and water bottles with ice to keep them cool. My boyfriend and I also brought camping chairs to sit on. Another couple brought a standing umbrella to shield themselves from the sun. You can bring gloves if you want but it was so hot, we just used our hands. Overall we found very little worth keeping but the experience was super fun. read more

I ordered two bags of high grade ore bags. I sent email after email to fine out where my order was. Only after threantening to file complaints with the Ca. mines, BBB, and the Fed trade commission did I receive a email about my order. The CEO Jeff Swanger answered my concerns with calling me a buckle. In mining terms means rear entry. I was nice and respectfull. All he did was cussing me with I was throwing a fucking fit, an to calm the fuck down. All I wanted to know is where my order ( MONEY SPENT) is. In my opion after he receives your money, your on your own, as to where your order is. He told me that it was too much work for him to fine out. There is no Cuctomer service after he receives your hard earned cash. I for one will never deal with Oceanview mine or Dig for gems again. I feel very sorry for any body that does business with person. As for the star rateing I give a - star! read more

The owner was so rude when we called. He just answered with a gruff hello so I wasn't even sure it was the right place when he answered that way. I apologized and said I was calling to find out information about the fee for kids since I have a 3 year old. He cut me off and said it's all ages. I didn't know if that meant it doesn't matter how old my kid is but any age is an entry fee? I asked carefully but he told me to go back to the website and read carefully so I would already know the answer to that question. If I had the time to read the website would I call? What's the point of having your number up if you don't want to answer any questions? He basically just told me to go and look up the website and read through it. Although he said it was all ages I am driving in my car while my kid is only able to confirm to me a child's ticket is for ages 5-11. It makes sense I would call to ask if my 3 year old can come. Didn't think it was a crime but his attitude really rubbed me the wrong way. I didn't see it being worth the two hour drive to deal with his snarky attitude. read more

The Oceanview Mine is a fun outing for the day. It's set up to be pretty visitor friendly & the method for "digging" for gems couldn't be easier. The staff is extremely friendly and helpful. The ATV tour is interesting and a nice break from the sorting through the stones. We didn't find a ton of amazing pieces, but we got a few good ones & lots of pretty stones. There's no shade, but you can rent an umbrella. I recommend doing that instead of trying to bring your own Easy Up. Overall, we had a great time & made some fun memories. We had a 5 year old with us that loved it. Worth checking out if you'd like a day of adventure outside! read more

Oceanview Mine - Some of our finds - Tours Near Me - Pala, California

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What a fun experience! I wasn't expecting to have such a good time digging in the dirt for 4 hours. I am so impressed with the type and quantity of gems and crystals I found. The area is primarily a quartz mine, so it's easy to find huge chunks of smoky, white, and clear quartz laying on the ground. Participants get to sift through a huge pile of dirt brought up from one of the functioning mines in the area. The property is full of history also, this is where Tiffany and Co funded a dig in the early 1900s and discovered the gem Morganite. JP Morgan funded the trip, hence the name chosen for the new type of gem. This is a unique adventure that would be an amazing trip for anyone interested in rocks, young or old! read more

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What a fantastic experience. Visited with a group of about 60. The mine staff was very knowledgeable and helped explain the history of the mine and the craft of mining for these gems while being good stewards of the land. The dig itself was fun and perfect for people of all ages. read more

Great experience as a first timer. I do think it is a little pricey.for $75 per adult. You definitely have to be around 16-40 and mobile. My bf and I went on 2/14/2021 and went fast as we could to make sure we got our money's worth of gems. Everyone there was super nice and helped us identified what we found, BUT I was really hoping to find bigger gem pieces but only got larger clear quartz crystal and a bunch of tiny black tourmaline and other tourmalines. They have 2 bathrooms there that are super clean! The tours for the mines are closed for covid. Not everyone there wears a mask, but everyone is socially distant as well. TIP: Make sure to work out your arms at least a week prior because our arms are so sore from the workout of carrying buckets of dirt and rocks and sifting through them for 4 hours. Would I come again? No - I would want to go to an amethyst mine to do a dig there. Would I recommend it to others as a first time? - Yes, definitely! I only recommend doing this only 1 time as they offer bundles such as a 2 days of digging which I think is too tiring on your body. read more

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BEWARE OF SCAM! My 3 kids ( and husband) spent 4 hours diggingn though their dirt buckets and found no gems. You just pay $70 per adult ( $50 per kid?) for buckets of dirt. How is this when legal? They CHARGE for umbrellas. It's baking hot there and they didn't provide any shade for customers , so that the can charge $15 per umbrella. What is this, a public Beach or a dessert where you paid $70 already ( for buckets of dirt on the morning sun). They had some ten minute ride included and they were trying to stuff more people that was allowed. They were saying that my son had to sit in my daughter's lap to ride, otherwise that rude guy said, you just don't ride. Can you believe it? We were there on a school field trip but I didn't suggest anybody goes there even free. Is the most overpriced and ridiculous " business" I have ever seen. read more

The staff is polite and helpful, but overall this is really is just not worth it at all. Each ticket is 75 bucks, which is way too much for this particular experience. You are literally rummaging through a pile of dirt, only to scrounge up basically nothing but more dirt. Our family left after spending 600 dollars, mind you they only take cash, just feeling totally ripped off and like boo boo the fool. I really don't know who wrote all these positive reviews, it is actually mind boggling to us, but I feel that it is only fair to warn others of this place. Unless you have money to burn, and really don't mind sifting through dirt to find...oh, more dirt (really nothing interesting or of value), just save your sanity, time, and hard earned money. You have been warned. read more

Staffs are rude especially the lady and super overpriced! Got yelled at many times for not filling the bucket with dirt, while I was trying to find the gems with shovels with my kids. For how heavy the bucket is and how much you pay $240 for 4 people, we expected to get more gems and get better customer service! My kids didn't know how much I paid for so I just let them play on the side since the lady kept bugging us about filling up the bucket with huge shovels. Getting yelled at and not much gems and my arms are sore. I would definitely rather buy gems and go for a hike rather then waste my money on them. I'm giving 2 starts since my kids said they liked it except the staff. read more

If you want to get out in the open air on a mountain top and enjoy something fun, this is your destination for the day. Bring a lunch and a change of clothes because you are in for the time of your life. Make sure you don't bring those low riding cars though. The staff are super friendly and so willing to help you get the best experience possible. We absolutely loved visiting this place!! read more

My family and I were very impressed by this company and it's employees. I booked this experience for my son's birthday not really knowing what to expect. It was easy to book your dig online and the owner Jeff was quick to respond to my questions. The website was detailed with what you need to know and how to prepare. Oceanview is perfect for beginners and kids. The hosts for the dig Laruren, Levi and Jaenine were awesome. They were informative, fun and helpful. Included with the mining is a 20-30minute or so tour of the mines. We also got to keep whatever we found. Ended the day with my son saying "this was the best day of 2020 so far" Props to dig for gems "ocean view mine" read more

Oceanview Mine - Tours Near Me - Pala, California

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WE DIG IT!!! My daughters and I went to the Oceanview mine and had a great experience. Great set-up, staff are so friendly and knowledgeable, and we found some great gems and crystals including pink tourmaline, green tourmaline, smoky quartz, amethyst, garnet, and aquamarine. We definitely will go back again. Just FYI: It gets very hot in the summer so be sure to take several waters, a hat, sunscreen read more

Went out on the 27th. Had our cash and waiver ready at the gate. Paid then drove up a grave road to the site. Parking was no problem but dont forget your sunshades. The staff were super chill including the owner. We setup our stations then milled around for about an hour before the orientation with pretty straight forward directions and rules started. The dig itself lasted from about 1030am until 130pm and was a complete dud. It would have been fine and fun except there was more than 50% of the attendees not following the rules and picking the gems straight from the dig pile. The staff unfortunately didnt regulate at all. A few groups who traveled hundreds of miles left with pretty much nothing thanks to the people picking the already picked tailings. With the pickings slim we opted out of the tour. I had fun until the ignorant people ruined it for me and my guest. I'ld pretty much only do it again if there was a dig for adults only and with a smaller group of respectful people. As of now for $75 a head, I'ld much rather just buy a bag of the ore for $100 and for sure get some nice pieces. I'm definitely buying more of the ore bags. Hope this helps. Thanks, read more

Wonderful staff, extremely helpful! Steve was our tour guide. Extremely knowledgeable gentleman. This was a memorable experience. Highly suggested! Can't wait to return. Thank you. read more

This is a great place to be outside, play in the dirt and create memories. Will you find some great pieces absolutely, although nothing to get rich with. It's an experience that the workers make you feel at home, Steve and Sue are amazing, I highly recommend if you've never done a dig and want to try something new A+ to Oceanview and the crew read more

this is a great way to spend a morning if you like looking for gem stones. the key is talking to the people who work at the mine to learn what to look for. we went on the tour of the mine and learned a lot about how the mines still operate today. the person who was the guide pointed out the various mine shafts that were being worked while we were outside going through the tailings of the mine. one of the staff,sue, is certified as an underground miner. i didn't get all the staffs names but each had different area of expertise. the staff were always on hand to answer questions or identify what gem you found. we found black tourmaline, pink tourmaline, smoky quartz and clear quartz. it is great for all ages, 3-80 were at our mining day. read more

Had a wonderful time with my family at Oceanview mine! The staff is very knowledgeable and friendly. Make sure to read the information they send you when you book. You need to pre print your forms and bring cash, the car in front of us didn't and it held up the line getting in. Also they give you in depth directions in case your navigation loses service. I have TMobile and had 1 bar up there. I would plan to be there early like 9:30 and try and stay the whole time to make the admission worth your while. You will be surprised how fast the time goes by when you're looking for crystals & gemstones. Defiantly bring shade. We brought and easy up and that covers and area for two to work. Also bring chairs, sunscreen, plenty of water and lunch. Like other reviews you get very dirty, so we brought a change of clothes for the drive home. The bathrooms are clean and spacious. read more

We had a great time digging for gems! Steve gave us an awesome tour of the the different mines on the property. He was super friendly and informative. Ten out of ten. Can't wait to go back! read more

I went to the Oceanview mine with my 14 and 7 year old children. They both said it was one of the best days of their life. Everything is well organized and the staff are super knowledgeable and helpful. We brought an umbrella and lawn chairs which was very helpful and packed a lunch. We found a many beautiful gems including watermelon tourmaline, aquamarine, quartz and others. The money spent was worth it. It's a treasure hunt that is a bit physically challenging (you will feel it the next day) but so much fun. We are definitely coming back. It's a unique experience that leaves you with priceless memories and priceless gems. read more

So much fun! Knowledgeable staff. You will get dirty! That's kinda the point. Bring a hat or something for being in the sun. No matter what you will come away with some cool finds. Steve Hooked us Up!! read more