Where collection is allowed
The refuge expressly authorizes crystal digging only inside the designated area during the published season. The surrounding salt flats remain closed unless a separate special-use permit applies.
Use the refuge’s Garvin Road entrance and continue to the orange-marked dig area. The observation deck is outside the seasonal gate, and a restroom is available inside during the dig season.
Tools, limits, and timing
Tools and methods
A shovel and water may be used. Holes may be no deeper than two feet; carefully loosen crystals by hand and follow the refuge’s unusual instruction not to refill holes because the area is rotated and wildlife uses them.
Amount and use
Up to ten pounds of crystals plus one large cluster per person per day. Selling collected crystals is prohibited.
Season and current status
April 1 through October 15, sunrise to sunset. Outside that window the dig area is closed to protect Whooping Cranes and other wildlife.
Rules to confirm at the site
- Collect only between the orange boundary signs.
- Keep holes at or below the two-foot maximum.
- Do not fly drones.
- Keep pets leashed and never sell refuge crystals.
An old webpage, saved map, app layer, social post, or prior visit cannot override a current closure, posted boundary, permit condition, mining claim, staff instruction, or landowner decision.
What makes the site geologically useful
Selenite is a crystalline form of gypsum that grows just below the salt-encrusted surface.
Iron oxide incorporated during growth produces the distinctive hourglass-shaped brown inclusion.
A low-impact trip plan
- 1
Check the refuge page for active notices.
- 2
Enter only through the designated gate.
- 3
Search the surface before digging.
- 4
Use water sparingly along a shallow hole edge.
- 5
Dry specimens and rinse salt from the vehicle afterward.
Site-specific preparation
- The flats can be intensely hot, bright, and windy.
- Bring drinking water plus separate rinse water.
- Gypsum blades are fragile and can have sharp edges.
Official sources
Open every relevant source shortly before departure. Fees, booking windows, fire rules, seasons, roads, and collection conditions can change without notice.
- Selenite crystal digging rules U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- Refuge laws and regulations U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Access and rule review: September 18, 2026. This guide is educational planning information, not a permit, reservation, boundary survey, or legal opinion.