Gem-O-Rama at Searles Lake 2020 in Death Valley

Searles Lake is located in the Searles Valley of the Mojave Desert, near Death Valley National Park, in northwestern San Bernardino County. The basin is approximately 19 km (12 mi) long and 13 km (8.1 mi) wide, yielding annually 1.7 million tons of industrial minerals. On the western shore of Searles Lake, there is a mining community of Trona. The Argus and Slate mountains surround Searles Lake.

The dry expanses of Searles Lake resemble a lunar landscape. Its white flat is speckled with blood red, ultramarine, and black pools of mineral-saturated brine. Temperatures reach 115 Fahrenheit (46 Celsius) during the summer.

Several billion tons of mineral deposits lay beneath the flat—a periodic table of minerals and salts. Searles Lake contains samples of half the natural elements known to humanity. The lake was discovered in 1862 by Dennis and John Searles, who happened to be searching for gold in the area. Later they met “The Borax King” Francis Marion Smith and launched mineral extractive operations of lake's deposits.

The best occasion to visit Searles Lake is during the annual Gem-O-Rama geological event that occurs every second weekend of October. Everyone is welcome to join in this free crystal hunt. The field trips take place in mid-October because it's the only appropriate time to collect crystals. At other times of the year, the area is either flooded or scorchingly hot.

Regrettably, the Gem-O-Rama event has been permanently canceled, with the final show held in 2018.