A free BLM-managed rockhounding area about 6 miles west of Ely on US-50, in the volcanic hills near the Robinson Mine. Garnet Hill is one of the best places in Nevada to dig your own garnets — almandine crystals weathering out of an old rhyolite tuff, visible loose in the surface gravel and recoverable by simple hand-digging in the larger outcrops.
The area is open year-round. No permits or fees; rockhounding rules limit collection to 25 pounds per day for personal use. Wear sturdy shoes — the slope is loose — and bring water; there is no shade. A genuinely satisfying side trip if you have a couple of hours, and the kind of activity Nevada quietly excels at.