Garnet Ledge (Wrangell)

The Garnet Ledge is a garnet-bearing rock outcrop near the mouth of the Stikine River, about 7 miles by boat from Wrangell, Alaska. Its ruby-red garnets have long been collected by local children [1].

Geology

Travel Wrangell describes the garnets as ruby-red crystals found in garnet-biotite schist, formed over 90 million years ago. It notes they are not gem grade [1].

History

The ledge became known during the 1860s gold mining era. J. D. Dana published the first scientific analysis in 1892, and a U.S. Geological Survey bulletin documented it in 1906 [1]. It was once owned and mined by the Alaska Garnet Mining and Manufacturing Company, described as the first all-woman corporation in the United States, whose Minnesota founders made items such as hairpins and watch fobs. The site was later deeded to the Boy Scout Council of Juneau and, in the early 2000s, transferred to the First Presbyterian Church of Wrangell, which owns it today [1].

Access and tradition

Only Wrangell children have free access, and hand tools only are allowed. Other visitors who want to dig need the church permission, and reaching the ledge requires a local boat operator or a kayak. The Forest Service maintains a cabin at the ledge that can be rented nightly through recreation.gov. Children collect garnets and sell them to visitors at the ferry terminal, the cruise ship dock, and local shops, a practice the source says spans over a century [1].

FAQs

Where is the Garnet Ledge? On the mainland near the mouth of the Stikine River, about 7 miles by boat from Wrangell [1].

Who can dig for garnets there? Wrangell children have free access; other visitors need permission from the church that owns the ledge [1].

Are the garnets gem quality? No, the source says they are not gem grade [1].

Sources

1. Travel Wrangell: Garnet Ledge

Editorially reviewed by Specialty Digest Editorial TeamLast reviewed November 14, 2026Researched and drafted with AI assistanceReport an issue