Rainbow Ridge Opal Mine
Denio, Humboldt County, Nevada. Fee dig mine.
Details
- Where
- 40190 Sagebrush Creek Road, Denio, NV 40190. Directions
- When
- Rock Shop is open from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM daily.
- Season
- May through September each year, weather permitting.
- Getting there
- The Virgin Valley campground is two miles in from Hwy 140, five miles before the mine.
- Fees
- Tailings fee is $100.00 per person per day; children 10-15 half price; under 10 no charge.
- Access
- There is no camping at Rainbow Ridge Opal Mine. Camping is available 5 miles before you get to the mine at the Virgin Valley campground. The roads can become impassable very quickly when it rains. In really wet conditions, the mine will be closed.
- Walk-in or reserve
- Reservations are required to visit.
- Phone
- (775) 941-0270
- Website
- nevadaopal.com
- Managed by
- Rainbow Ridge Opal Mines Inc.
Just south of the Oregon border in a ruggedly remote corner of Nevada sits the Rainbow Ridge Opal Mine, home to rare, semi-precious gems sought by rockhounds everywhere.
Notable Events
- 1918The Roebling opal, one of the more famous opals from Virgin Valley, was mined at Rainbow Ridge and is in the collection of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. nevadaopal.com
- 1926The 2,585ct Roebling Opal from Virgin Valley, Nevada, was a gift of John A. Roebling. naturalhistory.si.edu
- 1949Rainbow Ridge has been owned and operated by the Hodson family since 1949. nevadaopal.com
People
- Donna Hodson, host.
- Glen Hodson, host.
- Hodson family, owners and operators (since 1949).