Glitter Mountain

Welcome, curious minds and geology enthusiasts, to one of the most visually extraordinary and interactive landscapes in the American Southwest. You have navigated the rugged dirt roads, approximately eighteen miles south of Saint…

As we walk toward the edge of the main excavated pit, your boots crunching loudly over the carpet of loose crystals, I want you to completely erase the current landscape from your mind. Forget the arid desert, the prickly pear…

Let us stop here and actually examine the material we have come to see. I encourage you to reach down and pick up one of the larger, clearer shards from the ground. …

As we gaze across the excavated pit of the mine, it is easy to view this place purely as a playground for crystal enthusiasts and photographers. However, it is vital to understand the immense industrial reality of what we are…

Now, let us descend slightly into the main working area of the pit. This is where the true thrill of rockhounding comes to life. …

While our eyes are naturally drawn to the inorganic, sparkling beauty of the selenite crystals, a comprehensive academic understanding of this site requires us to observe the living ecology that exists among the rocks. The…

As the sun begins its descent, casting long, dramatic shadows across the pit and painting the surrounding desert in shades of bruised purple and fiery orange, our time at Glitter Mountain comes to an end. Take a moment to survey…