Garnet Mine Tours

Carson Adams

I can’t recommend this place enough. The shop is up the back side of Gore Mountain, and they have guided tours that take you down to the beautiful old mine pit to go digging for yourself. They tell you some local history of the mine and the area, and then you get to spend a good bit of time digging for your own garnets. If you want, you don’t even have to dig, as the garnets are so plentiful that you can find some by simply walking around and looking. The tours are a very reasonable price, and they’re run by an extremely friendly and knowledgeable staff. The mineral shop is full of amazing minerals and jewelry from all over, and you can even make your own jewelry with the garnets you just found. It’s an amazing way to spend a few hours, and you get to come home with some beautiful stones from the Adirondacks.

PC Henderson

The kids & I had lots of fun here. You follow a remote road 5 miles to their building. There are little red arrow signs on the road each mile. Their building/store has a restroom and use it before your tour starts since no bathroom in the pit. At tour time, they led our cars down into the pit. They gave an interesting talk & safety instructions then let us use their equipment to dig for about an hour. All the children & adults in our group had great fun. There is no shade so bring sunscreen, water, & hats. There is a very small per pound charge for the gems & stones you bring back. We made a few of our small pieces into necklaces and the charge was reasonable. Their website is not the same in 2022 as on this listing but found it with a quick google search.

Aries Rose

I brought my children here years ago and they loved every moment of it!!! Family fun for all ages. This is of the largest garnet deposits in the world. The mine site is flat which makes it easy for walking and wheelchairs too. Garnet is the Gem of the Adirondacks and Barton Mine has garnets! These are the hardest garnets in the world and are found only on Gore Mountain ~ making the garnet extremely rare. In 1969 Governor Nelson Rockefeller decreed the Barton garnet the New York State Gemstone. ***Garnet Mine Tours is honored to be designated a Path Through History attraction.*** Copyright: visitlakegeorge.com Open Daily July 1 - Labor Day Weekends Only after Labor Day until Columbus Day. HOURS: 7 Days a Week - 10am to 5pm TOUR TIMES: 10:30am, 12:30pm, 2:00pm TOUR PRICES: Adults, $18 - Seniors, $15, Children, $10

Ilona Erb

Interesting family outing. After purchasing tickets to join the tour, the guide will ask you to follow him in a group with your own vehicle to the mine. In a few minutes you arrive at the above ground mine. A brief history lesson from the guide and the treasure hunt begins. The found stones are sold by weight at the store when you return. The outing is 1hour in length. The surroundings are picturesque and lovely background for photos. Enjoyed the tour. It was informative and it was fun to pan for garnets.