Had to write a review. We did the dig your own for about 4 hours or so. A wonderful gentleman named Dale was working the flume. Dale is the textbook example of a great employee. He is kind, knowledgeable, funny, and patient.We are newbies at rockhounding, but we had an idea what to look for. Dale was able to show us some native examples which is always a help. We left with a Ziploc sandwich bag full of rubies, sapphires, and rhodolite garnets. Some of them quite large....quarter to half dollar size for us.The value of the one admission and unlimited buckets was top notch. With what we walked away with, I think it has to be one of the best values in the area.The dig pile isn't salted, but the mine they get it from is loaded. Don't feel bad about digging a pile, it's just saving you legwork to get to the mine and back. You'd end up with the same material anyway. Think of it as getting a rockhounding tip and going there and finding stuff. Same thing here but with a sluiceway, bathroom, friendly help, and probably the best price around. Totally worth the money.We are now camping in the area and will return to this mine for at least one day. Less

Super friendly and knowledgeable staff and owners! We had a wonderful time searching for treasure. We spent $50 on a bucket that we (2 adults) were able to share and spent an hour and a half at the flume. We walked away with a very satisfying amount of amethyst, garnet and rubies! Would visit over and over again if we were able. Thank you so much for being there! Less

Had a great time. Staff and other customers were very kind, informative and helpful. I anticipated going to another location and I am glad I looked around again while in North Carolina. We're from Wisconsin and this location is FAR down on the list of suggested when I was looking for things to do from home. It definitely belongs towards the top. You get to sift as much as you can for the day. We ended up spending about 4.5 hours here (the time flew by, did not plan that much time) and sifted probably 15+ 5 gallon pails. Other locations cost just as much for 2 pails a person. It took probably 4 buckets before we found anything larger than a pen tip. We found a small handful of rubies, garnets and a few other gems. We would have found nothing had this been comparable to other locations where you buy by the bucket and an entrance fee. You can also always buy their guaranteed finds in native buckets or salted rainbow buckets starting at $50 for 10lbs of gems. We got one of the natives to go home after our day of sifting. Very happy with our experience. Highly recommend. Less

Love this place. Very simple set up, but they have everything you need. Dale is the highlight—he’s very helpful at helping newbies like me identify rocks, and very kind and friendly with the kids. 10/10 would recommend. Less

I’ve been to this mine a couple times now and each time I’ve found the biggest Ruby of my life. This place is amazing and so is the staff. 10/10 best mining experience in North Carolina, you will not leave empty handed. Less

My wife and I went on vacation for a week in the surrounding area. We visited the mine three times that week. Everybody there was great and extremely friendly. The shop is beautiful and the mining area is very well kept. Everybody is extremely helpful, especially for first timers. Mason mine gets a 10 out of 10 in my book. This is a must activity if visiting the area. I visited one other mine before going to Mason mine and wished I had not wasted my time. Jackie is great and extremely helpful. Looking forward to going back as soon as possible. Found many amazing stones, including Rubys and sapphires. Less

Me and my husband Jacob had fantastic time with all the lovely people and friends we made at Mason Mountain. We found amazing ruby's and sapphires and other great findings to. We wanted to say thank you so much and we will be back again. Were from Florida and mind there for 3 days . Jacki and her team are super sweet and very kind people. Thank you💕💕💕Nikki & Jacob Siler Less