PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — While the ocean is still too cold for a swim, Oregon beaches offer other popular activities for beachgoers to enjoy while soaking in the spring sunshine. Thanks to the state’s multitude of agate-friendly beaches, agate hunting is a popular hobby along the Oregon Coast.

Agates are translucent quartz crystals that can be found among the rows of rocks and shells that wash ashore each day. The colorful beach treasures are the most common form of semi-precious gemstone and can be collected at Oregon beaches free of charge without a permit.

“Formed through heat and pressure, agates take on many different colors and patterns. They can be clear to orange to blue-gray in color and often have a milky exterior,” Oregon State University publication Flotsam, Jetsam, Jetsam and Wrack states. “They are dense and hard enough that they polish into gleaming stones that are popular with rock hounds.”

  • Agates from the Oregon Coast. (Photos provided by ranger Ryan Parker with Oregon State Parks)

The gemstones are typically found in gravel deposits beneath beachside cliffs that have been eroded away by winter storms. Based on this info, the best beaches for agate hunting are considered to be those with adjacent cliffsides.

“The local forms are usually white to colorless, often with a layered appearance,” the USFS states. “Those that contain a distinctive swirled grain such as ‘angel wing’ or tube agate are more highly prized. The best contain designs formed by mineral or other substances which have become a part of the agate itself. These are known as plume, moss, sagenite, dendrite, etc. They may contain what appear to be miniature trees — dendrites — or other plants embedded under the surface.”

While agates are visibly beautiful and translucent when picked from the beach, the USFS encourages beachcombers to polish their finds for better results.

“In semi-precious gemstones, it is often the ‘impurities’ that make them distinctive and desirable,” the USFS says. “Unfortunately, it is often necessary to cut or polish the material to see how good it is. Many rockhounds consider this part of the fun.”

Although agate hunting is a free activity, state law limits beachgoers to collecting no more than a one-gallon volume container of agates per person, per day, and up to three gallons per person for every calendar year.

With these tips in mind, here is a list of some of the best agate hunting spots in Oregon, provided by the Oregon Tourism Commission website TravelOregon.com. 

North Coast

  • Cape Meares
  • Oceanside Beach State Recreation Site
  • Public areas of the Nehalem River

Central Coast

  • Fogarty Creek State Recreation Area
  • Newport south of the South Jetty
  • The Yachats area, including four pull-offs that include Neptune State Scenic Viewpoint

South Coast

  • Beaches between Bandon and Charleston, including Whiskey Run Beach
  • The area around Gold Beach
  • Otter Point State Recreation Site 
  • The lower Rogue River on gravel bars in and along the river.