At this Forest Service–maintained site four miles north of Elkhorn Hot Springs [1] (406/683-3900, $5 per vehicle), rock hounds can dig for quartz crystals. It’s a very popular spot, attracting dedicated amateur crystal miners who come with shovels and screens to sift through the dirt for quartz and amethyst. But even ill-equipped novices can scrape through the topsoil for a few minutes and come up with a small crystal or two.
Links:
[1] http://www.moon.com/destinations/montana/butte-helena-and-southwestern-montana/the-big-hole-river-country/the-pioneer-mounta/elkhorn-hot-spr