Rocks and Minerals

Have fun hunting for rocks and panning for gold in the Llano Uplift of Texas - a vacation to remember.

Our field trips are organized by Frank Rowell - proprietor of Enchanted Rocks And Jewelry, organizer of the Llano Golden-Gem Rendezvoux and Knap-In and Field Trip Co-ordinator for the Fredericksburg Rockhounds. Frank has detailed knowledge of the Llano Uplift - its geology and the likely places to find interesting minerals.

Whether you are panning for gold in the Llano River, hunting for topaz near Mason, hunting for Llanite, epidote, feldspar, smokey quartz and more in the Llano area, Frank can help you identify the samples you collect and give hints and tips to help you find the good ones.

Frank will be assisted by other guides with years of experience in group trips and instructing the first time rockhound.

A toolkit is provided for you to use throughout your stay. The toolkit includes gold pan, screen, specimen bottle, rock hammer, chisel and goggles. This toolkit can be purchased at a reduced price if you would like to take it home with you.

Also included is the cost of cutting and preparing a piece of Llanite for display. Frank's Enchanted Rocks and Jewelry will also be offering discounts to the group on other items at the store.

Aside from the guided trips mentioned above we will be making several unguided side-trips including a visit to the site of an abandoned graphite mine, a hike around Enchanted Rock State Natural Area (no collecting allowed in State Natural Area) and some interesting local roadside locations.

The Llano river bed - only a very short walk from the hotel - is a rich source of mineral finds and will be freely available for unscheduled gold panning and prospecting.

Remember, finding minerals cannot be guaranteed. Success requires patience and hard work.

Our next prospecting adventure will be October 1st to October 11th 2007 . For booking information or other questions email me at minerals@texas.net . If you include a phone number I will call you back.