State & national parks
No collecting - not even a pebble.
Foraging / Rocks & fossils
Rocks, minerals & fossils.
Texas has agate, jasper, petrified wood, and fossils - but again, the land decides. Here's how rockhounding works by where you're standing.
Rockhounding by land type
National forests
Hobby amounts of rocks, minerals, and petrified wood for personal use - never to sell. Amounts vary by ranger district.
Roadsides
Picking up a loose surface rock along an ordinary road is rarely a problem if you don't trespass or block traffic - but it isn't spelled out in law, so don't push it (and not on Interstates).
Private land
The landowner owns the rocks, minerals, and fossils, so you collect by agreement. This is the main way to rockhound in Texas.
Petrified wood (the state stone)
Petrified wood is special to Texas - petrified palmwood is the state stone. You can collect hobby amounts on national-forest land and on private land with permission, but never in a state or national park.
Fossils get more complicated
Fossils split by type. Vertebrate fossils (animals with backbones - bones and teeth) always need a permit on public land. Common invertebrate and plant fossils (shells, ferns) can be casually collected in small amounts on national-forest land - but no fossils at all may be taken in a national or state park. On private land, it's the owner's call. When in doubt, ask before you pocket anything.
Keep going
Official sources
Hobby rock and petrified-wood collecting on forest land comes from the U.S. Forest Service; state parks (TPWD) and national parks allow none. On private land, it's the landowner's call.
- Data vintage:
- Rockhounding rules as reviewed June 2026
- Last reviewed:
- June 15, 2026
- U.S. Forest Service - National Forests in Texas (rockhounding) - Hobby collecting on forest land
- National Forests & Grasslands in Texas (USFS)
- TPWD State Park Rules (no collecting)
Caution: Amounts and fossil rules vary by land and agency, and vertebrate fossils are tightly protected on public land. When unsure, ask the managing agency before you collect.
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