Glitter Mountain *Updated with new map! | St. George | Roadtrippin'
***************When The Salt Project originally wrote about Glittler Mountain, years ago, we did our homework. There was no claim on this mine. We called the BLM in Arizona to verify. Since then, it appears there is a claim on the mine. (We've also called and haven't been able to verify the claims.) Either way, if there are signs up (which there were not when we went) follow the RULES. We are not responsible for your actions. Yes, we when went, we used giant tools and had a bucket, but again, there were no rules at the time that we were aware of. You'll want to do your own homework, we are not responsible for your actions.***************
Here's a direct link to the owner's requests about Glitter Mountain.
Glitter Mountain, Glitter Pit, Sparkle Mountain, Crystal Mine, it doesn't have an officially name but we opted for Glitter Mountain.
We went in the evening right before a storm, so the hills weren't as sparkling as they could have been in full sun.
We recommend going on a sunny day for the full effect.
We parked by the hills and just walk down into the pit and let the kids hack away.
Glitter Mountain was an old mineral mine once upon a time .
There are no shafts there today, only a large pit and hills of rock and mineral deposits.
The crystals are gypsum, a mineral that easily splits into sheets and forms distinct crystals.
For the littles, we just walked around and let them pick up crystals on the ground.
The kids (ages 2-15) thought this was truly magical! They even begged to go back again the next day.
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We left with a bag of treasures for cousins and friends back home.This place is definitely worth the drive and getting a little lost.
Check out our map below! We don't have the exact address.
***************When The Salt Project originally wrote about Glittler Mountain, years ago, we did our homework. There was no claim on this mine. We called the BLM in Arizona to verify. Since then, it appears there is a claim on the mine. (We've also called and haven't been able to verify the claims.) Either way, if there are signs up (which there were not when we went) follow the RULES. We are not responsible for your actions. Yes, we when went, we used giant tools and had a bucket, but again, there were no rules at the time that we were aware of. You'll want to do your own homework, we are not responsible for your actions.***************
We were following 2 sets of directions that we found on-line. I think the roads have changed a bit, so we drew our own map.
We've had mixed comments about the map. Luckily, one of our readers let us know about Google Maps Directions! Let us know!
Tips:
WE DO NOT KNOW IF THIS IS AN UNCLAIMED MINE. YOU NEED TO RESEARCH BEFORE YOU GO.
Bring a pick axe, or hammer and chisel.
Bring bags or buckets to bring home your treasure.
Be careful, it can have sharp edges and it can brake easily. There were little shards of crystal in the bottom of our bucket when we got home.
Go on a sunny day.
The pit is not wheelchairs or stroller friendly. (covered in loose rocks)
Sharp crystal shards not suitable for furry friends.
#TheSaltProject when you go on your adventures.
I didn't even connect those
I didn't even connect those two together. Gypsum sheet rock...So cool.
Another name for sheetrock
Another name for sheetrock (that is used all the time in Canada) is gyprock.
Did you have the mine
Did you have the mine claimant's permission before you went here? Having a map and directions to a place like this is totally irresponsible imho. A place like this should only be shared with people you trust. Not the entire internet. Fyi your kids should probably wear safety glasses next time.
Wow....someone was the little
Wow....someone was the little kid who put apples on teachers desk and tattled on everyone when he or she was little.
Stay off the internet...it's for fun people only.
I personally think it's fun
I personally think it's fun that we all know about this place. However, I agree with you people need to be responsible and respect nature. I don't think its a good idea to encourage people to take buckets and tools to take crystals. If people continue to show up in crowds and take buckets of crystals, in a few years the mountain will not be known as the glittery mountain anymore.
I think that as part of this article, we should encourage people to be respectful of the mountain. Let's teach people to preserve and take care of nature, not to take it home in pieces like souvenirs. If there are pieces scattered then it's not a big deal to take these as souvenirs. its not necessary to start mining again. I didn't apreciate the pictures of kids carrying buckets of crystals for everyone back home. The mountain is not a shop. Lets preserve it for future generations.
St. George News also shared
St. George News also shared this information including location. www.stgeorgeutah.com/news
The visitor's center in St.
The visitor's center in St. George told us about it so I think it's ok that everybody knows, even non-fun loving and boring people.
Wow you need to take a chill
Wow you need to take a chill pill. This is called rockhounding and has been done for ages. Generally with an area like this the claim rights are owned by private individuals and they do exactly the same as you and I would be doing only on a much larger scale and they sell what they dig up for profit. So the mesley amount the public collects is most certainly not going to run the well dry. And as for sharing it on the Internet, the more that know the merrier.
EXCELLENT COMMENTS
EXCELLENT COMMENTS
It is INDEED a WORKING CLAIM!! And has been for YEARS!!!!
It is JUST PLAIN RUDE to take pick axes and mine!
Thank you so much for your comments Corey!
Wanting to take my kids out
Wanting to take my kids out to this place and am wondering approx. how long is the drive from St. George?
We're thinking it was about
We're thinking it was about 20 minutes. we'd love to hear about your experience too! Please leave another comment when you do.
Do you guys know if we can
Do you guys know if we can bring our dogs to this with us? We will be tent camping in this area with two large dogs and would love to take our 3 kids here for a fun thing to do. We are finding it difficult to find safe trails for 3 young children and two large dogs in the Utah area.
I would think so. We haven't
I would think so. We haven't heard otherwise. Let us know if you go by #thesaltproject so we can see your photos! or @saltproject.co on Instagram!
The article said it's not dog
The article said it's not dog friendly because of the gypsum shards all over. It can possibly currently your dog's paws.
I take my dogs with every
I take my dogs with every time we go. Just make sure you take plenty of water for them. I know this was a year ago but I just found this and wanted to spread the info.
Just wanted to let you know
Just wanted to let you know we went there over spring break and my kids absolutely loved it!! The directions were great, just took a little longer than we thought, but it was totally fine. Thanks for posting!!
Took the teenagers there this
Took the teenagers there this weekend on our way to San Diego. Was a great little side trip. We took the "new" Southern Parkway and some of the directions found online say to take the "last available exit" on the Southern Parkway. Well, the Southern Parkway goes all the way to Hurricane, so not sure what the "last available exit" is - why say that and not give us the exit name or number? Silly!
Well, it's exit #10!
Much easier than going through town. Thanks for leading us in the right direction!
Thanks for letting us know!
Thanks for letting us know! #thesaltproject so we can see photos on your social media accounts!
I tried using the pin marked
I tried using the pin marked on your google map and it was about 12 miles too far. Luckily we for there in about 35 minutes from where we were in Washington compared to 1 hour 20 minutes like the map said!
hmmmm. We've had a few
hmmmm. We've had a few readers tell us they just looked it up on Google Maps (which is why we pinned it.) and they've had success. Glad you found it in the end!
Ladies, we made it to Glitter
Ladies, we made it to Glitter Mountain and loved it! But would ask that you take the Google Map down. It will lead you 38 miles into the middle of the desert. I don't exactly want to admit how we know :).
This Google Map will lead you directly to what is tagged on the map as the "Old Gypsum Crystal Mine." It should take no more than 15 minutes past the airport going north to get to the mine. Here is the updated URL:
https://goo.gl/maps/NMYZvB1EYKo
Google thinks you should go off the highway at a place you can't, so just go up to the next overpass, take a right, and get on the dirt road to the right. It will take you right there.
Again, very fun! Thank you for posting, but this needs correction or there will be more like us who made a very big run into the desert. Thanks!
Visitors to St. George
Thanks! Goodness, we've
Thanks! Goodness, we've gotten so much feedback on the driving instructions....some say it works and some say it doesn't. I'll be updating the map. I'd love to see your photos though, so if you post them #thesaltproject so we can see!
Thanks.
Yes^^^^ I had the same
Yes^^^^ I had the same experience! I followed Google maps to the 'Old Gypsum Crystal mine' and it told me to to take a road that wasn't there! I was so furstrated! I will try again another weekend.
Thanks for the map. Worked as
Thanks for the map. Worked as of Feb. 26, 2017.
We liked using your map and the Google map, because they merge about half way.
Thanks,
We went today and used Google
We went today and used Google maps to navigate to the Old Gypsum Crystal Mine from Hurricane. It worked just fine, except that we had to turn around to get off on the Warner Valley Road exit from Southern Parkway after Google tried to take us to a road that does not exist. We had a great time with our littles! Thanks for this post!
My family went on a side trip
My family went on a side trip to check out glitter mountain. We were staying at sand hollow. Our gps took us to a road that was closed. I got back on the freeway to head back to sand hollow when the gps redirected us to glitter mountain, yay I was so excited because I was feeling pretty disappointed that I could not find it. I was surprised at how many people were there. It was a great experience, just make sure that you take some tools as mentioned above, wear walking shoes (no flip flops) the only reason I say this is I seen a little girl trip and fall (ouch) and maybe even a pair of gloves.
Could we take our ATV's out
Could we take our ATV's out there and ride around?
Thanks for the fun idea, we
Thanks for the fun idea, we loved this place! The Google map one is definitely the best route. I would suggest going in a larger vehicle though. The dirt road had a lot of sharp rocks and our small car got a flat on the way. We ended up having to get it towed. But other than that the kids and adults had a great time! Best to go in the early morning or evening when it's not so hot.
I guess no one reads the
I guess no one reads the signs. Hammers, pickaxs, nails, and other tools are PROHIBITED for safety reasons. You're not supposed to just hack on the rock walls.
We love this place. My
We love this place. My daughter actually did her science fair project using gypsum. When you get gypsum really hot (We grilled it on tinfoil) It flakes and makes plaster of paris, so she made stepping stones for her project from the gypsum she got there. They also use gypsum for sheet rock!