March 2024 • Nebraskaland 43
everywhere if you know where to
look," Wooldridge said.
Wooldridge spends a lot of time
looking for agates, especially Lake
Superior agates and Fairburn agates.
He also fi nds petrifi ed wood, jaspers,
gypsum, quartz crystals, and various
kinds of fossils and artifacts.
The challenge is that there are very
few public lands open for rockhounding
in Nebraska. For example, it's not
permitted at Nebraska's state park
areas or wildlife management areas.
(See the sidebar on page 47 for more
details.)
The good news is, many landowners
are open to allowing rockhounding
on their land, Wooldridge said. He
advises looking at county plat maps
to fi nd landowners you can contact
to ask permission. Respecting private
property is an absolute must for
rockhounds, Wooldridge said.
With permission in hand, you're free
to search some of Wooldridge's favorite
spots in Nebraska. Among these are
the north and south branches of the
Above: Charles "Wooly" Wooldridge of Lincoln displays an Ice Age bison tooth he just found along the Big Nemaha River in
southeastern Nebraska. Top left: Donitte Stiles of Lincoln holds up a honey agate she discovered during her fi rst rockhounding
excursion.
