The state of Washington offers some of the country’s best rockhounding opportunities. And one area that’s particularly well-known for producing incredible amounts of thundereggs is the Little Naches/Quartz Creek area in Washington State. Even if you’re not interested in digging for thundereggs, this location is still worth visiting just to collect large pieces of agate that have been left behind by other rockhounds.
From the parking area located here, it’s about 1/2 mile walk uphill to the peak, which is where the dig site is located. Despite it being an uphill trek, it’s not horrible and can be managed by most, even families with children.
A special note if you are using one of the popular Washington Rockhounding books: The coordinates listed in some of the popular rockhounding books do not match the actual location of the thunderegg dig site. If you’re using the coordinates found in these books, you’ll want to continue walking up to the top of the hill, which is an additional 200-300 yards from where that location in the books is listed.
Recommended Equipment
- Back Pack
- Bucket
- Geology Pick/Rock Hammer
- Digging Tools
- Pry bar
- Foam mat to kneel on/knee pads
- Water
- Snacks/Food
How To Get There
- From the Little Naches Camground take NF-19 1.9 miles
- Turn right on the NF-1901 for about 2 miles and take the road on your right another 2.4 miles
- Park your car at trail 723
- Hike the trail to the end
- On the ridge, you will find the digging site
- Keep in mind, there’s a spot where many people have been digging about 3/4 of the way in but that’s not the actual digging site.
Parking and Trailhead
Dig Site
Tips for Finding Thundereggs at Little Naches
Once you locate the thunderegg dig site, you’ll easily recognize it by seeing many of the holes previous rockhounds have left. Instead of picking a random spot to start digging, I recommend just picking one of the old dig spots and continue digging there.
When digging, keep an eye out for a yellow colored layer of clay. This clay layer is typically found at a depth of one to two feet below the surface and is where you will find the thundereggs.
Keep in mind that whatever you find you’re going to have to pack them all out. A lot of thundereggs can be quite heavy, so I recommended bringing along a plastic bucket or sturdy backpack to carry them back down the hill.
Final Thoughts About Little Naches Thundereggs
The thundereggs found in Quartz Creek can be quite stunning when cut open. In true thunderegg fashion, they have unique patterns and different layers and shades of blue and green agate.
Quartz Creek at Little Naches is a great location for rockhounds looking to find thundereggs. Keep in mind that some of the hills on the 1/2 mile long trail are a bit steep, but easily manageable by most people.
The coordinates listed in some of the popular rockhounding books do not match the actual location of the thunderegg dig site. If you’re using the coordinates found in these books, you’ll want to continue walking up to the top of the hill from where that location is listed.
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