| America's AdventureCenter |
The Nevada desert and surrounding Sierra Nevada Mountains offers some of the best conditions for treasure hunting in North America. Every year thousands of treasure hunting visitors and locals alike, head for the hills to seek their fortune in precious minerals. Gold, silver, crystal and opals abound. California famous for its GOLD RUSH days is still a hot spot for those seeking the lure of panning for gold in the river streams. Nevada on the other hand has one of the worlds only known supplies of fire opals ever discovered! Of course Nevada has its silver and gold mines with many of the mines still in operation today. But opals, rare beautiful opals, are what modern day treasure hunters truly seek! . Opal was first discovered in 1905 in Nevada’s now famous “Virgin Valley”. Virgin Valley is an ancient lake bed in the high desert of Humbolt County, located in northwestern Nevada at an elevation of 5000 feet. Precious opal occurred as a replacement of the wood in this area. Ancient forests were torn apart and buried under rock and ash as a result of volcanic eruptions 12 to 20 million years ago. Magma pushed to the surface repeatedly, flowing over the region resulting in layers of ash and trees buried some 1500 feet deep. As the wood decayed, it provided a cavity which was then filled with a silica solution rich in uniform spheres. Over the centuries, this process was repeated again and again, forming the fire opals that we dig for today. Hidden below the surface of our arid and rugged Nevada desert is this amazing and rare gem with unsurpassed natural beauty. A beauty that commands a very high price on the open market. Millions of dollars in opals have been taken from the Virgin Valley since 1905. The most famous of these, the Robeling Opal along with 14 other spectacular examples are now on display in the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C. So, are you ready for some adventure? Would you like you’re share of this precious and world famous gem stone? If you answered "YES", and you’re willing to get a little dirty while getting closer to mother Earth, you may venture out into the desert for a day of moderate physical labor, and potential huge rewards at one of several “fee dig” mines located in the Virgin Valley. Here are our picks for some of the best dig sites in the Denio area. Royal Peacock Opal Mines www.royalpeacock.com Friendly and knowledgeable owners. Go bank digging or try your luck in the tailings area. Rates from $75 per person, per day. Bonanza Opal Mines, Inc. www.bonanzaopals.com This hot spot has been featured on the Travel Channels “Cash & Treasures” show. (see link below). Rates from $50 per day, per person. Rainbow Ridge Opal Mine www.nevadaopal.com Buy a load for $400 or try you’re hand in the tailings for $50 per person, per day. A load is taken from the mineral bank area and spread for working on a flatten area. Everything you find regardless of value is yours to keep! For a list of what to bring, hours of operation and current fee’s, log on the sites above for up to date information. If by some odd chance you come up empty handed, each mine sells opals of all sizes and shapes. You can also find out more about opals by logging onto The American Opal Society web site at: www.opalsociety.org The Travel Channel has a series called “Cash & Treasures” which has aired a show about the Nevada Opal mines. To review details of this amazing adventure, log onto: www.travel.discovery.com/tv/cash-treasures/toolkit/opals.html The drive time from Reno to Virgin Valley is 4-5 hours. Be sure to bring plenty of water, extra food, a cell phone or two way radio, as driving in the desert can present its challenges. GO BY AIR If driving the long distance to reach the mines is a bit more than you are up to, or your limited on time, email us at Info@americasadventurecenter.com for a quote on a private charter flight to the Virgin Valley area. In less than an hour we can have you there by air! |
| Bonanza opal mines |
| Royal Peacock opal mines |
| Treasure Hunting Adventures |
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