Agate Hunting on the Oregon Coast

I started hunting agates years ago one Sunday morning out on the south jetty in Bandon, Oregon.  We were just getting ready to head out of town, but wanted to take one last walk on the beach. It was a beautiful sunny day with a low tide and I met a very nice school teacher that was searching for something along the waters edge.  She told me all about agates, in fact she gave me one.  From that moment on I was hooked and have been searching and collecting agates since.  

I have better luck when the sun is out and I can look over the rocks and see the shine of the agate sitting amongst other rocks.  After a storm and right at low tide is a perfect time to get down on the beach and see what you can find.  Many times near a jetty or large rocks is a place I’ll head to.

Also on the Oregon Coast I have collected lots of red, green and yellow jasper, petrified wood, and green jade. There is just nothing quite like the beautiful rocks you see on the Oregon Coast. Agates are still the prize and I keep them in a separate secure pocket so not to drop a single one.  

Many times I’ll leave the beach with at least a dozen, but sometimes I come back empty handed.

When I realized that rock and agate hunting were going to be part of my life, I just had to buy a rock tumbler. Most agates are shiny enough that they don’t need to be polished, but still other’s are transformed when they are polished. I learned to make sure that the rocks I tumble and polish are free of cracks and are smooth.

People always come up and ask me what I’m looking for when I’m searching for agates and beach rocks.  I tell them about agates, petrified wood, jasper and show them what I’ve found that day.  I ALWAYS give them an agate or two and a piece of petrified wood.  It’s fun to share a hobby with people that I’ve met on the beach. Do you have a story about agate hunting?  Contact us, we are always looking for stories and information to share!