Gem Mountain offers mine trips and flume mining. Gems that can be collected and kept include rubies, sapphires, emeralds, aquamarine and more. The mining is always fun, but the covered flumes make this a perfect rainy-day activity. During the colder months, the flumes are closed in and heated, allowing Gem Mountain to be open March through December.

Finding the gems are the start of a rewarding hobby. Those collected can be brought home and tumbled. The polished stone can be used to make earrings, necklaces, keychains etc.

Gem Mountain is located in Spruce Pine NC on Route 226 just off of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Be sure to stop at the Museum of North Carolina Minerals nearby on the Parkway at Route 226.