Where to Find Jasper in Washington

Washington jasper concentrates around the Saddle Mountains and the basalt country of central Washington. The Saddle Mountains in Grant and Kittitas counties yield picture jasper, brown landscape jasper, and brecciated patterns in basalt flow tops. Lake Lenore and the Sun Lakes area add red and yellow jasper float on the coulee floors. The Yakima Canyon and Ginkgo Petrified Forest area (the park itself closed to collecting) carries jaspered petrified wood in the same basalts. Most jasper is float on rim-rock slope wash, and the better cabbing material concentrates in dry washes after winter storms strip surface dust. The most productive ground is in Saddle Mountains (Grant County), Lake Lenore (Grant County), Yakima Canyon outside Ginkgo park (Kittitas County).

Casual hand collection of common rocks and minerals like jasper is allowed on most BLM and U.S. Forest Service land in Washington, with daily and annual limits set by the local field office. National parks, most state parks, and tribal land are off-limits. Always confirm rules before a trip.

Saddle Mountains (Grant County) is the standout. Other strong ground includes Lake Lenore (Grant County), Yakima Canyon outside Ginkgo park (Kittitas County).