Hogg Mine — Attraction in Georgia

Great Fun! If you like rocks and don't mind getting dirty or if you want a unique experience, this place is great! My 22 year old kid and I went to Hogg Mine last Saturday (April) and had a blast. The weather was perfect. We love rocks but we are very much amateurs. The ground sparkles with treasure so you won't go home empty handed like some places. We filled two 5 gallon buckets easily with mostly Quartz. (You are limited to a 5 gallon bucket per person). Here is a run-down of our visit to help you plan. First the LaQuinta Inn in LaGrange gives a 15% discount if you are visiting Hogg Mine. It's only 12 minutes away. We were pleased with it. GPS was accurate to get us to the mine. You pull in and park. It is $35 per person CASH only. Regulars can go ahead and start digging but if it's your first visit, they have a safety briefing where they also show you how to identify what you are looking for. Digging is 9am to 5pm. Bathrooms: 2 vault toilets...basic but clean! I even changed clothes in one! Bring wet wipes as there isn't a sink. Some people roamed everywhere, others camped out in one spot and dug. The ages ranged from about 4 to 70s so pretty much if you can reach the ground, you can do this. Bring your own tools. You need a 5 gallon bucket per person but remember 5 gallons of rock is super heavy! So we brought a wagon for the big buckets (and water/snacks) and a small bucket to wander around with. There is a road that winds around so pulling a wagon is relatively easy. Some areas are direct sun and others in the shady trees. Tools will depend on how serious you are. If you are a rockhounding expert, you know more than I do and don't need my advice. If you are going for fun and pretty rocks, you need buckets, gloves (rubber gardening gloves work great), eye protection if you want to chisel at a big rock (& you will want to), a pick/chisel type hammer and WATER to drink. Depending on where you dig, you can bring a stool but the place is pretty sloped so we just sat on the ground. The group with little kids brought a pop-up shade tent. I suggest bringing a basic first aid kit. Quartz is sharp so minor cuts are inevitable. Definitely wear gloves. Bring towels to protect your car seats on the way home, you will be dirty. I am 54 so I wore knee pads and knelt or sat most of the time. My kid is 22 and bends better so didn't need knee pads. A BBQ place (sorry I can't remember the name) comes around and takes orders or you can come and go as you wish. We chose to leave to give us a break and ate at Charlie Grangers Wings and it was good. Others basically tailgated with the BBQ or a picnic they brought. They have a store/museum of gems from around the world that is small but impressive. The staff was quite knowledgeable on their selection. I am a novice so I don't know the value of what I brought home. In my opinion, if I like it then it's valuable. I know there was a gemologist digging who got excited about her finds many times as well as a man who was digging for gems he could tumble and mount as jewelry. I brought home Quartz (some white, some crystal clear, some Rose and possibly some Smokey) and Micha and some of the black stone that I can't remember the name of (sorry). We possibly got some turquoise but not positive. I wire wrapped a few already to wear as a necklace and my son as one on his backpack. With 10 gallons, we will have lots of...

We visited Hogg Mine on February 19, 2022 as a birthday adventure for my son's 16th birthday. We brought him and three of his friends to look for tourmaline, beryl and rose quartz, and stayed for the entire day. The boys had a great time, and found a lot of really beautiful stones, and it was a fantastic experience for the entire family!

In addition to the gemstones mentioned on their website, we were thrilled to find mica in various colors - and lots of it!

The staff at the mine were also extremely helpful and knowledgeable about the mine and how to find specific types of rocks/gems, and were available to answer any questions the boys or I had. The entire staff there that day was available to help the guests whenever needed, but I feel the need to mention three specific individuals by name: Candy, Jacki, and the owner, Chris Painter, who all three went above and beyond what was required to assist my family when an unexpected situation arose.

Late in the afternoon, my husband had to leave for a bit to pick up a trailer, and while he was gone, our truck broke down. He was unable to make it back to the mine before closing, and Chris, Candy and Jacki were all very gracious about the situation, staying at the mine with us until my husband was able to repair the truck and come get us. I am eternally grateful to them for not only understanding our plight, but also the kindness they showed us while we waited on my husband.

In short, I would HIGHLY recommend Hogg Mine to anyone interested in rocks, mining, or just a wholesome family outing that is fun for the whole family! I will DEFINITELY be returning with my son, and several of my adult children as well. I can't wait to go back and look for more rose quartz and tourmaline!

Although I'm sure any of the staff would be able to host a guided dig just as well, when I return, I hope I can do it on a day that I can schedule a guided dig with either Candy, Jacki, or Chris.

Thank you all SO much for making my son's birthday...

We traveled to Hogg Mine today with some friends and had the best time! The younger kids (6 & 8) had a blast digging around for treasure on the surface while the teenager had fun chiseling out quartz. The mine was easy to find, especially after reading another review stating to look for the open gate (there’s no sign). Chris quickly briefed everyone on what to look for and some basic rules, then we were off! We trekked to the very back of the property and found a lot of beautiful quartz, ranging from crystal clear to white, smoky, rosy, and some yellow! We didn’t find any aquamarine or beryl- but I think that’s because we really stuck to one area. I need to go back without the kids so I can dig and wander around to my heart’s content! Lol! The gift shop had some beautiful pieces, and we definitely did some damage in there! Candy is absolutely the BEST! So kind and knowledgeable! She knew a lot about the mine’s history, and after chatting a bit, I told her I was bummed I didn’t find any aquamarine, as it’s my birthstone. She immediately said “well, we can’t have that!” and gave me a beautiful little stone to keep! Some practical info- *there’s one outhouse, not the kid’s favorite, but grateful there was something- lol *We brought a wagon & it was really helpful to cart around all the heavy rocks *bring snacks & water *we didn’t have any fancy tools, but used hammers and they worked just fine- one thing I wish we had was a spray bottle to help loosen ricks and see the color of the stones All in all a perfect day rockhounding for the kids and grownups! Can’t wait to go back (by myself) (kidding)...