The rule depends on whose land you are on. Each rule below is quoted word for word from the official text, with a link and the date it was last checked.
State land (DNR): the 25 pound limit
4 rules: R 299.922(hh), penalty, posted areas, Land Use Orders
R 299.922(hh), Michigan Administrative Code
R 299.922: "On land owned or under the control of the department, it is unlawful to do any of the following:"
(hh): "Remove from state-owned land more than the aggregate total weight of 25 pounds, per individual per year of any rock, mineral specimen (exclusive of any gold bearing material), or invertebrate fossil for individual or non-commercial hobby use."
The rules were issued under section 504 of NREPA (MCL 324.504). The DNR's state parks rules handout reprints the same text.1
"In addition to any other penalty prescribed by law, violation of any of these rules may result in eviction from the state park, recreation area, access site, game or wildlife area, designated campground, or state-owned land for not less than 48 hours, or as defined by court order."
Order 8.4(1)(e) prohibits "Removing gold in excess of one-half (1/2) troy ounce, or 15.55 grams, per year, per person, from state-owned mineral and surface lands and streams and rivers".
Sanilac Petroglyphs Historic State Park: "(b) Walk upon or otherwise come into contact with the petroglyph rock within the fenced area."
The Land Use Orders contain no rock, mineral or fossil weight limit; the only collecting limit in them is for gold. Some parks have their own orders, so check posted signs.
Great Lakes shoreline and the ordinary high water mark
3 rules: Part 325 and EGLE
MCL 324.32502 (Part 325)
Part 325 covers "all of the unpatented lake bottomlands and unpatented made lands in the Great Lakes, including the bays and harbors of the Great Lakes, belonging to the state or held in trust by it", lying "below and lakeward of the natural ordinary high-water mark".
"the ordinary high-water mark shall be at the following elevations above sea level, international Great Lakes datum of 1955: Lake Superior, 601.5 feet; Lakes Michigan and Huron, 579.8 feet; Lake St. Clair, 574.7 feet; and Lake Erie, 571.6 feet."
Part 325 itself contains no rock collecting limit.
Official text: MCL 324.325024 · Last checked October 21, 2026
EGLE on the ordinary high water mark
"The Natural OHWM is the point on the land where the presence of water is so continuous that it leaves a distinct mark such as a change in soil type or presence and absence of plants. The elevation based OHWM set in Part 325 may not always be at the same location as the natural OWHM. Water levels on the Great Lakes can extend above both of the OHWM's."
"the following is prohibited: (1) Possessing, destroying, injuring, defacing, removing, digging, or disturbing from its natural state: ... (iii) Nonfossilized and fossilized paleontological specimens, cultural or archeological resources, or the parts thereof. (iv) A mineral resource or cave formation or the parts thereof."
2.1(a)(7) also prohibits "Possessing or using a mineral or metal detector..." unless it is broken down and packed.
"Collecting, rockhounding, and gold panning of rocks, minerals, and paleontological specimens, for either recreational or educational purposes is generally prohibited in all units of the National Park System (36 C.F.R. § 2.1(a) and § 2.5(a)). Violators of this prohibition are subject to criminal penalties."
"But, please remember that it is illegal under federal law to remove stones from the National Lakeshore. Leave what you see for others to discover!"
The park's compendium allows hand-gathering of listed fruits, nuts, berries and mushrooms only, so the general ban on removing rocks, minerals and fossils stands.9
"All natural objects including moose antlers, plants, driftwood, cultural or archaeological resources, greenstones, agates, datolites, and other minerals, including those found in Lake Superior may not be removed or disturbed. Removing, possessing, or disturbing park resources is prohibited."
5 rules: Forest Service policy, Huron-Manistee, Ottawa, Hiawatha, fossils
Forest Service national policy
"It is Forest Service policy that the recreational use of metal detectors and the collection of rocks and mineral samples are allowed on the National Forests. Generally, most of the National Forests are open to recreational mineral and rock collecting, gold panning, and prospecting using a metal detector. This low impact, casual activity usually does not require any authorization."
"In most areas "Rock hounding" does not require special permission or fee payment when done as recreation, and is consistent with local management objectives. To make sure special permission or fee payment is not necessary please contact the District office in the area you wish to "Rock hound" in."
"Forest visitors are welcome to pick up mineral specimens, rock samples, invertebrate fossil casts and molds, geodes, or other earth oddities, and to pan for gold using hand tools."
"Any collecting of rocks, fossils, and minerals is not permitted in wilderness areas. The collection of these materials cannot be for the purpose of sale, barter or trade."
"'Rock hounding' does not require special permission or fee payment when done for personal enjoyment."
"A mineral material permit is required for materials collected for landscaping purposes (gravel for a driveway, decorative stone & etc.)."
Permits page: "Minerals permits are required for use of gravel, rock, etc."
Geology page: "Metal detectors are not allowed in Grand Island Recreation Area."
Hiawatha's Leave No Trace list says: "Never pick or collect wildflowers, plant specimens, rocks, pine cones, etc."17 No Hiawatha rockhounding page was found, so contact the district office before collecting.18
"Casual collecting means the collecting of a reasonable amount of common invertebrate and plant paleontological resources for non-commercial personal use, either by surface collection or the use of non-powered hand tools, resulting in only negligible disturbance to the Earth's surface and other resources."
§291.11(a): "Casual collecting is allowed without a permit on National Forest System lands where such collection is consistent with the laws governing the management of those lands, the land management plans, and where the lands in question are not closed to casual collection."
5 rules: State antiquities law, shipwrecks, federal law
MCL 324.76102(1)
"The state reserves to itself the exclusive right and privilege, except as provided in this part, of exploring, surveying, excavating, and regulating through its authorized officers, agents, and employees, all aboriginal records and other antiquities, including mounds, earthworks, forts, burial and village sites, mines or other relics, and abandoned property of historical or recreational value found upon or within any of the lands owned by or under the control of the state."
Official text: MCL 324.7610221 · Last checked October 21, 2026
MCL 324.76106
"Without the consent of the land owner, a person shall not remove any relics or records of antiquity such as human or other bones; shells, stone, bone, or copper implements; pottery or shards of pottery, or similar artifacts and objects from the premises where they have been discovered."
Official text: MCL 324.7610622 · Last checked October 21, 2026
MCL 324.76107(1)
"a person shall not recover, alter, or destroy abandoned property which is in, on, under, or over the bottomlands of the Great Lakes, including those within a Great Lakes bottomlands preserve, unless the person has a permit..."
"Abandoned property" includes "materials resulting from activities of historic and prehistoric Native Americans."23
Official text: MCL 324.7610724 · Last checked October 21, 2026
"No person may excavate, remove, damage, or otherwise alter or deface, or attempt to excavate, remove, damage, or otherwise alter or deface any archaeological resource located on public lands or Indian lands unless such activity is pursuant to a permit..."
"(a) Enter the lands or premises of another without lawful authority after having been forbidden to do so by the owner or occupant or the agent of the owner or occupant."
Penalty: "a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than 30 days or by a fine of not more than $250.00, or both."
Official text: MCL 750.55227 · Last checked October 21, 2026
Recreational trespass: MCL 324.73102
(5): "Consent ... may be given orally or in writing."
Recreation on fenced or posted property needs the owner's consent, and farm property needs consent whether or not it is fenced or posted. EGLE: "Get permission if on private land."6
Official text: MCL 324.7310228 · Last checked October 21, 2026
USDA Forest Service, Mineral, Rock Collecting, and Metal Detecting on the National Forests. https://www.fs.usda.gov/media/68815 (checked October 21, 2026)