once a year event
Don’t Miss This Annual Mine Tour Opportunity!
Sponsored by the Quartz Corporation, the Mine Tours hosted during the NC Mineral and Gem Festival are a unique opportunity to not only tour a working quartz mine, but to also be able to collect and keep what you find (as long as it fits in your lap on the way back!)
★★★★★
5.0 rating from 1.500+ tour participants
Join us for unique and memorable activity during Festival Week!
Hosted each year by the Quartz Corporation, the evening mine tours take participants lucky enough to get a ticket to an actual working mine.
Did you know Spruce Pine is home to the purest quartz in the world? Keep hearing the phrase rare earth minerals? That’s us! Without these high-quality minerals, you wouldn’t have an iPhone or a laptop! But other special minerals are also found in our mountains, and you can search and dig to your hearts delight to take home some of them for your own collection!
For 2026, Mine Tours will take place in the Pine Mountain Mine off Roan Rd. Tour registrants will meet at the Three Peaks Enrichment Center before tours begin.
Since Three Peaks Enrichment Center isn’t showing up on GPS or map apps yet, please use 97 Pinebridge Avenue, Spruce Pine, NC 28777 for directions and take the route down Tappan St. Please note that the main entrance is NOT on the YMCA side. The North Entrance is the main entrance and is located near the Blue Ridge Boutique Hotel. You can also use the hotel’s address, 203 Pinebridge Avenue, Spruce Pine, NC 28777, to get to the correct entrance.
Sign Up for the Thursday Mine Tour: Thursday, July 30, 2026 Mine Tour
Sign Up for the Friday Mine Tour: Friday, July 31, 2026 Mine Tour
