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    Pisgah Forest Gem Mine

    5.0 (44 reviews)
    Closed Closed
    Updated 1 month ago

    Pisgah Forest Gem Mine Photos

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    Massive rose quartz we found!

    Keenan and Ezra were super lovely and helpful! We had a blast and got some awesome stones and gems to take home!

    Emily J.

    While in town celebrating a girlfriend's 50th birthday, we had a rainy afternoon when our plans had to change. I took a look at Groupon to see what fun activities were still happening and found the Pisgah Gem Mine! I quickly bought the Groupon and surprised my whole friend group with a fantastic experience! This is an outside experience so not really for a cold day, but the entire set up for mining is under a large tent so you'll stay dry if it's raining. We were greeted by Keegan who is the sweetest young man ever! He took such excellent care of us, making sure my group and the other family also mining that day had everything we needed and more. He helped us with the entire process and his energetic and pleasant personality made the experience just fantastic. Every time we found a new stone he had a flashlight ready to show us the details and explain the different stones to us. He was very helpful in the store too while we all got distracted by all the shiny things to buy. Absolutely a great time- I cannot wait to return the next time I'm in Asheville!

    inside the store
    Nicole G.

    What a great little spot! My kids had so much fun with the gem mining and the shop has some great items for sale too. There are turtles in an excellent habitat out back and a beautiful stream running behind it. Last year we went to a gem mining place in downtown Brevard that was fun, but this one was far superior. The setting was better (outdoors), the rock finds were better, and the workers were incredibly knowledgeable. They could actually answer my curious 8-year-old's rock and gem questions, and with enthusiasm! Definitely stop by for some fun or for a cool rock/gem souvenir.

    Gems we found
    Richard P.

    Nice spot to gem mine. We brought the most popular size bucket for $65 and had a coupon for a free gallon bucket. The three of us shared these buckets in their outside mining area which was covered. Had a great time and found all kinds of gems, like Ruby's, an arrowhead, large quartz, geodes, opals, etc. The guy working there was very knowledgeable and friendly and came out to share his knowledge with us. Definitely worth it if you have a budding gemologist like our 9 year old. We would definitely do this again. Fun for all ages.

    Melanie P.

    Fun activity for the kids (and even the adults). My 8 year old son's favorite activity of the day and my teenager had almost as much fun! I mean, who doesn't love searching for buried treasure knowing they are guaranteed to find something? It's outdoors, but in the shade/covered so can be done rain or shine. There are benches by the "stream", so you can sit or stand, whatever you are comfortable with. I think the location and being outdoors added to the charm. Range of price points to accommodate any budget. The employees, Gerit, Coner and Joenuh, were top notch. Very friendly, personable and knowledgeable about the gems, rocks and fossils found in the mining buckets. We will definitely be back if ever in the area again and would recommend to anyone wanting a few hours of fun!

    Sara R.

    Oh my GOSH! This place is absolutely phenomenal. We came on Saturday morning and were the only ones there for a while. Rachel is fantastic and so good at what she does. We actually had such a great time that we came back to see her and mine some more on Sunday morning. Thank you for such an amazing time Rachel! Oh, by the way, we found SO MANY gems!! Tons of Rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and topaz. Amazing amethysts, geodes, jasper and quartz.

    Different sizes of buckets available
    Jenna S.

    One of my favorite memories as a kid was when my grandparents would bring me to a mining shop in Wisconsin every summer. Saw this shop today driving back to the highway from an impromptu hike and couldn't resist a stop. You pick out a bucket (there are sizes and $ to match all budgets), pour it out bit by bit into a sifting pan, and wash away the silty dirt to uncover any number of unknown gems. There's a gift shop with a variety of different crystals and minerals. I got a really cool stone bowl for $17. We didn't have time to sift thru a bucket this trip, but it brought back all my favorite memories from doing this as a kid. This would be an amazing place to bring kids or adults alike - a birthday party, a family trip, a chance to learn some geology, a way to chill out w some pretty rocks. Def recommend

    Darryl L.

    where do i start?! I loved everything about this place. It definitely brought out the kid in me. The wife and I enjoyed finding all the various types of stones, fossils, and arrow heads. This place is geared mainly towards children but as i stated before, it'll bring out the child in anyone. The staff was awesome and very personable. They really go out of their way to make you feel at home and have a good time. They were very knowledgeable of the different types of stones we found. I hope to start a tradition of visiting this place whenever I'm in this area. I think you'll love it too.

    Smoky quartz

    I received the Gem Mine at Home Extreme Mail Out(4 gallon) for Christmas this year. Could not have asked for a better gift as a rock and gem lover! It was fun to dig up the pieces and discover things as we go. They offer assistance in identifying rocks, which is great since I'm not on site. If you have a rock lover at home any of their mail out gifts would be perfect!

    Elizabeth B.

    We went to this place based on TripAdvisor reviews, and they were spot on. We were very lucky to show up during a slow time, and had an amazing time. Al (who was gearing up to go help people in Florida with hurricane clean up. Super nice guy!) was extremely helpful and kind. Our middle daughter is very shy and he took the time to talk to her and help her. We got the $60 bucket, and it was worth every penny. Honestly, even if you don't have kids, this is a fun and unique activity. We will definitely be back!

    Elicia H.

    This place just opened up and we had a group function there this weekend! The staff is wonderful and we all had an amazing time! We will certainly be back with the whole family this summer.

    Elena B.

    We decided to stop here as a detour on our trip from Pitt to SC based on all the excellent Yelp reviews and not only does my family think I'm a hero but I can't help but hop on to chime in with the sentiments before me. My whole family LOVED this place. Fun! Educational! It's not big and crazy but it's perfect for families who want to have some serious fun. They had a pond, a little sandbox which my preschooler thoroughly enjoyed, and even picnic tables if you're also taking a road trip and packed a lunch. Prices were reasonable but plan to spend at least $60 if you want to find any of the cool size geodes or minerals. I didn't really know how much I was going to spend and I think overall we picked the $80 bucket and we also found some fun things in the gift shop - so it was about $100 ... but for a unique and fun experience for a family of 4 that took about 60 minutes - totally worth it. We weren't even out of the parking lot and my 6 year old asked, "can we come back here again?" There were less expensive bucket options but I'll admit I knew I'd be sad if we didn't get a big piece (I saw some pics on here) and I'm certain you have to get the $60 or more for the cool finds your kids will treasure forever and ever (I might even bring the geode to the beach with me and hide it for my kids to find in the sand).

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    8 years ago

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    Thank you for your review. Glad you came mining with us@

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    7 years ago

    Jorge and the whole staff were just awesome, perfect way to spend a morning with the kids!!

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    Thank you for the review! We are glad you had a great time!

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    Thanks for coming by! Come again soon!

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    Ask the Community - Pisgah Forest Gem Mine

    Review Highlights - Pisgah Forest Gem Mine

    Very friendly, personable and knowledgeable about the gems, rocks and fossils found in the mining buckets.

    Mentioned in 6 reviews

    Read more highlights

    Rockbrook Summer Camp for Girls

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    Most amazing summer camp for girls out there! The women in my family have attended RBC for many…read moregenerations- cousins, aunts, grandmothers, myself, and now my daughters. I truly attribute my daughters' maturity, independence, and adventurous spirit to the many summers she's spent hiking-swimming-riding-canoeing-performing-and now serving her fellow Rockbrook girls. From waking up to the bell, to polar bear swims, hiking challenges, dressing up like super hero's, and dancing your heart out at the surprise dances. Each day is always filled with unexpected moments awaiting just around the corner. The food- oh don't get me started on the food! A top notch chef prepares locally sourced meals for every occasion. My daughters favorites are the made from scratch muffin breaks and taco nights with hand rolled tamales!!! They also love the homemade pizza! There's just something about waking up to the cardinals in the heart of the wooded mountain that for us feels like home. My youngest daughter will be a CIT next year. She's attended Rockbrook since she was 5years old. She has made lifelong friends and learned songs she will one day sing to her own children. Summer camp is a magical place, but there is no where else on earth like Rockbrook.

    I went to Rockbrook camp for 6 years as a camper, and worked there for 4 years as a counselor. RBC…read moreis absolutely magical in every way. I can't say enough good things about the people, the facilities, and the beautiful sense of connection you experience here. Rockbrook welcomes every girl with open arms and gives her a home to return to every summer. From the camp songs to the spirit fire, the outdoor activities to the arts/theater offerings, there is literally everything a child could ever hope for and more! I miss RBC and go back for every reunion. When I have kids, I will definitely send them here. I highly recommend RBC to everyone I meet! P.S.- I see a really weird negative review on here that I'm 99% sure is fake because it couldn't farther from the truth! Take it from someone who spent a cumulative TWO YEARS of my life here (adding up all of those summers!)- it's a magical, authentic, and caring place.

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    Pisgah Forest Gem Mine - kids_activities - Updated May 2026

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