Glass Buttes
Glass Buttes
Glass Buttes is celebrated as a 35-square-mile rockhound paradise on public BLM land east of Bend, Oregon. The desert landscape is renowned for abundant, colorful obsidian varieties sitting directly on the surface, including mahogany, rainbow, banded, and gold or silver sheen. Visitors are permitted to collect up to 250 pounds of obsidian for personal use annually using only hand tools, while navigating rugged backcountry terrain.
Commenters generally share fond memories of collecting unique specimens like red and rainbow obsidian, though some note rainbow varieties can be hard to track down. Others raise concerns about gatekeeping, warning that the site is becoming picked over and that the sharp volcanic rock poses a severe hazard to tires. In broader discussions, some users caution against outdated regional rockhounding information in online posts.
- Equip your vehicle with durable tires and carry a functional spare.
- Drive slowly across backcountry roads to avoid sharp volcanic glass.
- Limit your collection to hand tools only and under 250 pounds annually for personal use.
- Leave all historical arrowheads and cultural artifacts untouched.
- Search surface ground carefully for rarer mahogany, gold sheen, and rainbow obsidian varieties.
Summaries are created based on reviews, notes, and social media posts.
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