Animal Crossing: New Horizons Mineral Guide: How to Farm Iron, Gold, and Clay

Whether you are trying to gather the 30 Iron Nuggets needed to build Nook’s Cranny or hunting for a rare Gold Nugget to craft your first Golden Tool, mastering your island’s rocks is essential. Unlike wood, minerals are a finite daily resource. If you aren’t using the right techniques, you could be leaving thousands of Bells and rare materials inside the stones. In this guide, we’ll show you the fastest ways to farm Iron and Gold, and the “bracing” trick that ensures you get the maximum 8 items from every rock.

This is part of our Animal Crossing: New Horizons wiki. Check it out for more help with the game!

How to Hit Rocks Correctly (The 8-Item Trick)

Most new players only get 3 or 4 items from a rock because their character recoils backward with every hit. To get all 8 items, you need to prevent that kickback.

The “Hole” Technique

1. Find a rock and ensure the 8 spaces immediately surrounding it are clear of weeds, flowers, or dropped items.
2. Turn your back to the rock and dig two holes directly behind you. These holes act as a “brace” that keeps your character in place.
3. Face the rock and mash the A button with your shovel.
4. Because the holes stop you from sliding back, you can hit the rock fast enough to trigger all 8 drops before the internal timer runs out.

If you have a fruit buff (indicated by a counter in the top left), hitting a rock will shatter it instantly. This only gives you one item and destroys the rock. If you accidentally ate fruit, sit on a toilet furniture item or dig up a whole tree to clear the buff before hitting your rocks.

How to Get Iron Nuggets

Iron Nuggets are the “workhorse” material of New Horizons. You’ll need them for almost every standard tool and building project.

• Daily Island Rocks: You have six rocks on your home island. One is a dedicated “Money Rock,” while the other five provide minerals.
• Mystery Island Tours: This is the #1 way to farm Iron. For 2,000 Nook Miles, you can fly to a random island. These islands typically have 3–4 rocks. Since you don’t live there, you can hit them and then break them for an extra resource before leaving.
• Balloon Presents: Blue balloons have a high chance of dropping stacks of 5x Iron Nuggets.

How to Get Gold Nuggets

Gold Nuggets are rare. There is no guaranteed way to spawn them, but you can maximize your chances by being consistent.

• The 1% Rule: Every time you hit a rock, there is approximately a 1% chance that a Gold Nugget will pop out instead of Iron or Stone.
• Consistency is Key: By using the “Hole Technique” mentioned above on all 6 of your daily rocks, you are getting 48 “rolls” at a Gold Nugget every day.
• The “Gold Island”: There is a rare Mystery Island (accessible via Nook Mile Tickets) that features a single rock in the middle of a lake. This rock only spits out Gold Nuggets.

How to Get Clay

While Iron and Gold get all the glory, Clay is a foundational material for island decorators. Unlike Stone and Iron, which are used for structural items, Clay is primarily used for “beautification” projects and house exterior items.

• Rock Drops: Clay has a roughly 25-30% drop rate from hitting rocks. You will generally find it more frequently than Iron, but less frequently than Stone.
• Balloon Presents: Blue balloons frequently drop stacks of 5x Clay, similar to Iron.
• Mystery Islands: If you’ve exhausted the six rocks on your home island, a Nook Miles Ticket is your best bet to find more.

How to Get Stone

Stone is the “backbone” material of Animal Crossing: New Horizons. While it might seem like you have too much of it early on, late-game terraforming and island decoration projects (like Zen Fences and Stone Bridges) require hundreds of pieces to complete.

Stone is the most frequent drop when hitting rocks with your shovel or axe.

• The High Drop Rate: Stone has approximately a 50% drop rate from rocks, making it the easiest mineral to farm using the Hole Technique.
• Breaking Rocks: If you eat fruit and hit a rock, you will destroy it. While this is generally discouraged, it guarantees one Stone will drop. Only do this on Mystery Islands or if you are specifically trying to relocate your rocks.
• Island Beach: Occasionally, you can find a single Stone sitting on the sand along your coastline, though this is rare compared to finding Shells.

Mineral Drop Rates & Uses

Mastering the rhythm of your island’s rocks is a small skill that pays massive dividends as you develop your paradise. By using the bracing technique and making the most of your daily Mystery Island tours, you’ll never find yourself short on the Iron or Clay needed for your next big project. While the hunt for Gold Nuggets requires a bit of patience and a lot of luck, staying consistent with your daily rock farm is the only way to ensure you’re ready when those high-end DIY recipes finally drop.

Have a question about rock respawns or rare drops? Leave a comment below—our community is here to help you build the perfect paradise!