You Can Dig For Glittery Purple Gems At This Ontario Amethyst Mine & It's Free To Visit

You'll literally hunt for hidden gems at this amethyst mine in northern Ontario. If you're looking for a unique road trip stop, love finding some special crystals, or you were just one of those kids who collected pretty rocks, then this might be something for you.

Diamond Willow Amethyst Mine is a family-owned and operated mine where you'll find quality amethyst crystals right from the source. You can dig for purple rocks and take a bucket home with you.

The secret rocky field is open until October 10, so there's a ton of time to plan a summer or fall road trip. You can walk along the "vein" of amethyst on their site to scour the area and get a good view of where you want to hunt for some glimmering rocks.

It's free to visit and, when you get there, you can grab a pail to hold your collection. If you want to bring home some pretty gems, it will cost you $30 for a two-gallon bucket of amethyst. There's also a shop on site where you can find more souvenirs to take home with you, including polished pieces, jewelry and other minerals.

This year they opened a second rock shop called Amethyst Country Rock & Gift Shop, which is on the way to Sleeping Giant Provincial Park. The store is open at night, so if you can't make it to the mine in time, you can find some treasures here.

If you want to bring your own tools to the mine you're free to do so, but they can only be a maximum size of two pounds (and no sledgehammers are allowed). The mine also recommends wearing sturdy footwear and safety glasses, which must be worn while using any tools in the mine area.

Before you get going, check out our Responsible Travel Guide so you can be informed, be safe, be smart, and most of all, be respectful on your adventure.