The wife and I have been going to Duke's for over 20 years. They taught me how to pan, they wife…read morehow to find that beautiful gem stone, and it has been worth it. It all started as fun and still is. Watching others that come in and helping them learn and have a lot of fun while doing so brings a smile to my face. No you won't get rich but some of the gold over that I got when it was less than $1k is now worth much more and locked in a safe. I bring bags home to pan over time. Go and have fun a watch the little ones faces light up when finding that first piece of gold or a nice piece of gem stone.

Dukes Creek Mines is well worth the price!!!! We did the large Gem bucket white tier and split it…read morebetween the two kids. They both got an amazing amount of rocks and gems. The man working that day was so amazing to our family and let our kids crack open two Geodes!!!! Dukes is located right outside of Helen and Clarksville and absolutely worth visiting!!!!

Luckily, we met Joe upon entering and he gave us the run-down. This place is fantastic. There are…read moremany things to do for couples, families, kids, groups, and, I suppose, solo. An easy drive six miles out and loads of free parking. There's even a lady walking around with her pet python snake, ready for pictures or hugs. The huge retail space is great for souvenirs and gifts.

It was just "fun"..I love the world of gem, and this place has it all! A worthwhile experience!read more

Warning this store is super difficult to get into! When you arrive and the doors are locked you…read morehave to call and have an employee down the street let you in. So inconvenient!

This is a very cool place to try out, especially if you're into gemology and mineralogy. I brought…read moremy kids here, because we love exploring new places. My girls went wild zipping through the mine. We were able to find many gems and fossils to bring home. They also have premade buckets of treasures for panning in the sluice. There are two buildings full of gems for purchase. One has panning and the other has more holistic elements like herbs, teas, and incense. Truly a great place to spend the afternoon.

Super super cool activity to do with friends or family!! Went with three friends, we split the $100…read morefamily bucket between us and it was a really good deal for the insane amount of cool stuff we got from it. The whole experience is cool, especially at the end where the lady at the desk examines the gems you found. 100% recommend!!

What a fun experience! We got the $45 bucket and found all kinds of good stones. Very friendly,…read morehelpful staff. Definitely a must do.

Scam Alert -- Avoid at All Costs…read more My family arrived at Cherokee Ruby & Sapphire Mine at 3pm and immediately realized we had made a mistake. We were charged $30 per person just to stand on the property, plus a 10% credit card fee. Moments after taking our payment, the only employee on site, Zach, announced he was leaving for the day and that we could "stay on his property." No staff. No guidance. Nothing. When I politely asked how we were supposed to identify any gems without an employee present, he became agitated and hostile. I asked for a refund since we had just arrived and no services had been provided. That's when things escalated--Zach began yelling and got in my face aggressively. We immediately returned to our car and left. The property itself is nothing but piles of rocks. No buckets or tools are provided -- you're expected to scavenge everything yourself. Bags cost $20 each unless you post a positive review on the spot, and they charge another $75 just to evaluate anything you might find. It's pure extortion. I have since filed a police report and am actively working to recover the $165 we were charged for absolutely nothing. Please sort reviews by "lowest" before visiting--many people describe similar experiences. This place feels unsafe, unprofessional, and predatory. Stay far away.

DON'T GET SCAMMED!! READ THIS FULL REVIEW FOR ALL THE DETAILS. I really wanted to love this place…read more The fact that Cherokee Ruby & Sapphire Mine is unsalted is what brought us here--it felt like a rare opportunity to experience an honest dig and possibly find something special. And we did. I found what appeared to be a naturally formed ruby crystal: very clear, vivid red under lighting, and visibly fluorescent--something gem-quality by any measure. Unfortunately, the excitement ended in the dark room, where we were invited to examine the stone. A staff member, Eric, took it to look more closely and never gave it back. We left empty-handed and deeply unsettled. Eric was extremely excited about the stone, literally did a little jump and said "WOW!!!" while examining it, and then the stone disappeared while he was holding it. Before we left, he said he thought one of the other miners there "swiped it," but there were no other miners working in the dark room at that time. Makes me wonder if this is business as usual when someone makes a good find--encourage them to hand it over in the dark room and then palm it. We trusted Eric at that point. He had been helping us with our questions and giving us great guidance all afternoon. We called the next morning to speak to Eric about the situation, but no one answered and after leaving a voicemail he didn't return our call. I'm sharing this not out of anger, but because others should be aware. If you visit: Keep all stones in your line of sight at all times. Examine them in daylight if possible, before entering any enclosed spaces.Politely decline if someone offers to take the stone from you to "look closer." If you make a great find but want to continue mining, put the find in a safe spot in your car and lock the car. Show it to no one. I hope this was just a misunderstanding. But it didn't feel right, and I wouldn't want anyone else--especially children or first-time rockhounds--to lose something they worked hard to find. This could still be a great experience, but only if you advocate for yourself and protect your finds. I encourage the mine to put better safeguards in place.

Unbelieve!! Such a FABULOUS experience! Took my 4yo granddaughter to go mining and she was…read moreenthralled!! Wayne assisted us and was so incredibly knowledgeable and generous with his time explaining and showing and educating! So affordable! Came away with a big bag of GEMS Highly recommend!!

This place was such a hidden gem! (Get it?). Family owned and ran, they were so friendly and…read moreknowledgeable about each stone we found. Sam even took the time to separate all the valuable stones from the rest and had them bagged and ready for us. Lots of options to fit into any price range. Definitely recommended!!!