About an hour east of Thunder Bay off the Trans-Canada Highway, the Amethyst Mine Panorama is a working open-pit amethyst mine that admits visitors. You can wander the dig area, pick crystals up off the ground, or — for a fee per pound — keep what you find. The mine is the largest of several in the region and the most visitor-friendly.
The drive out passes through pretty boreal landscape and crosses several of the small Lake Superior tributaries. Best in summer; the mine closes for the winter. Pair with a stop at the Terry Fox Monument on the way back.