# Oregon Sunstone Public Collection Area: legal collecting field guide

Canonical page: https://lithomap.app/resources/field-trips/oregon-sunstone-public-collection-area
Last access and rule review: September 18, 2026
Page purpose: Original LithoMap trip-planning reference for an explicitly authorized rock, mineral, or non-dinosaur fossil collecting destination.

## Direct answer

A remote BLM-designated public collection area where visitors may collect sunstone for personal, noncommercial use inside clearly marked boundaries.

## Location and material

- State: Oregon
- Area: Rabbit Basin, south-central Oregon
- Category: Mineral collecting
- Collection status: Collecting allowed
- Expected material: Oregon sunstone, Feldspar crystals

## Authorization

BLM expressly identifies the site as a public sunstone collection area. Collection is free and noncommercial, but private mining claims surround the area and also occur within the broader landscape.

## Access

Remote high-desert roads lead from the Plush area. Facilities are limited to a pit toilet, picnic tables, and shade. Use the current BLM map and boundary posts rather than a generic map pin.

## Tools, limits, and season

- Tools: Hand tools only within the public collection area. Do not enter or collect from a private mining claim without the claimant’s permission.
- Limits: Personal, noncommercial collecting only. The official page does not turn material on adjacent claims into public material.
- Season and current status: No guaranteed operating season is stated, but weather, road condition, heat, cold, and wildfire restrictions can make the remote route unsuitable. Check with the Lakeview District before departure.

## Conditions

- Stay inside orange-posted public-area boundaries.
- Verify the current BLM map because private claims occur nearby.
- Bring fuel, water, navigation backups, sun protection, and a recovery plan.
- Do not trade or sell material collected under the public allowance.

## Geology

Oregon sunstone is a feldspar crystal found in weathered volcanic rock. BLM describes the host lava as roughly 13 to 14 million years old.

Loose crystals can weather from the lava, so careful surface observation may be more appropriate than aggressive excavation.

## Field plan

1. Download the current BLM map before losing service.
2. Confirm the marked public boundary at the site.
3. Begin with surface searching and minimize disturbance.
4. Record the host rock and crystal context before removing an allowed specimen.
5. Pack out all waste and refill any permitted shallow disturbance.

## Safety

- The site is isolated and has no drinking water.
- High-desert temperature swings and rough roads can be serious hazards.
- Do not rely on cellular service or a single navigation device.

## Official sources

- Sunstone Collection Area — Bureau of Land Management: https://www.blm.gov/visit/sunstone-collection-area
- Official public collection area map — Bureau of Land Management: https://www.blm.gov/documents/oregon-washington/public-room/map/lakeview-oregon-sunstone-public-collection-area

This guide is not a permit, reservation, boundary survey, legal opinion, guarantee of access, or promise of a find. Open every official source again before travel. Current signs, closures, permits, claim boundaries, and staff instructions control.