How to Get Netherrack in Minecraft

Guide Java Bedrock

Quick answer: Mine the red rock that makes up most Nether terrain with any pickaxe. Netherrack drops itself without Silk Touch. You can also find patches around ruined portals in the Overworld, then smelt it into individual nether bricks.

What you need

Any pickaxe
Nether access or an Overworld ruined portal
Furnace and fuel (optional, for nether brick items)

Step by step

Enter the Nether through a portal and look for the common red netherrack terrain. Ruined portals in the Overworld can provide a small supply without a Nether trip.
Mine it with any pickaxe. Other tools or your hand do not give the block.
Watch your footing: netherrack is easy to break and can hide lava or an open drop behind it.
Use it as a cheap temporary building block, or put it in a furnace with fuel to get the nether brick item.
For nylium, place netherrack beside crimson or warped nylium with air above, then apply bone meal to the netherrack.
If you light its top with flint and steel, the fire burns indefinitely and rain does not put it out. Keep flammable builds away from that fire.

Java vs Bedrock

Mining and smelting work in Java and Bedrock. Bedrock can generate new netherrack with floating Nether portals, making it renewable; this is not the same as ordinary Java portal generation. Smelting gives a nether brick item, not a nether bricks building block.

Versions: javabedrock

Frequently asked questions

Can I mine netherrack with a wooden pickaxe?

Yes. Any pickaxe harvests it, without needing Silk Touch.

Can I get netherrack without entering the Nether?

Look for a ruined portal in the Overworld. Netherrack generates around those structures.

Why did smelting not give a nether bricks block?

A furnace turns one netherrack into one nether brick item. The building block is a separate crafting recipe using those items.

Does rain put out fire on netherrack?

No. Fire on its top burns indefinitely and is not put out by rain. It can still spread to nearby flammable blocks.