Backpacker – September 2019

(Darren Dugan) #1

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019
22 BACKPACKER.COM


JADE COVE TRAIL
LOS PADRES NATIONAL FOREST, CA
The crashing waves of the Pacific
Ocean can crush almost any rock
into fine sand. But not jade. Untold
clusters of this mineral, which
ranges from opaque forest green to
clear emerald, are buried in the soft,
serpentinite bedrock around Jade
Cove. Between the winter storms
that break fresh pieces out of the
cliffs and the plate tectonics slowly
pushing new gems to the surface,
the treasures scattered across the
shoreline are frequently replen-
ished. Comb the beach to find your
own on this 1.5-mile loop near Big
Sur. Hike northwest from the
Plaskett Rock Point trailhead
through sagebrush and other coastal
grasses to reach an outlook at mile
.3, where hang gliders soar above
and elephant seals bark below

before retracing your steps 150 feet
back to the first intersection. Turn
right and follow the coastal trail
(watch for poison oak) straight for .6
mile. At the second intersection,
turn right and edge your way down a
steep slope—look for a fixed rope,
which assists with the last 100-foot
drop. Maximize your chances of
finding a hunk of jade by timing your
hike to hit the beach at mile 1 during
low tide (collecting above the mean
high tide line is prohibited, as are
tools). Retrace your steps up the
steep slope and head north, taking a
right at the intersection along the
cliff to complete your journey.
Contact http://www.fs.usda.gov/lpnf

PROSPECTOR TRAIL
CRATER OF DIAMONDS STATE PARK, AR
At first glance, southwest Arkansas’s
thick stands of pine, hickory, and oak

seem an unlikely place to look for
diamonds. But that’s exactly what
John Huddleston found sparkling in
the dirt while farming his fields in


  1. This corner of the Ouachita
    Mountains was home to an ancient
    volcano that pushed 3-billion-year-
    old lumps of pure carbon to the
    Earth’s surface 100 million years ago.
    Take a 1.4-mile stroll around the
    81-acre crater (what’s left of that
    extinct volcano) to witness its human
    and geologic history. Head north-
    west from the Diamond Discovery
    Center across a plowed field (dia-
    mond hunting is confined to this
    area), passing by markers noting the
    locations of the park’s biggest
    finds—the 40-carat Uncle Sam dia-
    mond to the south and the 15-carat
    Star of Arkansas to the north. Hit the
    Prospector Trail at the base of 430-
    foot East Hill (the high point in the


TAKE ONLY JEWELS
Hunt for buried treasure on one of these
gem-studded dayhikes, where gathering

8 rocks is legal. By Laura Lancaster


Find green gems
among the waves
and stones at
Jade Cove.
Free download pdf