RockWoof
Check access before you go. Most sites listed here are old mines, quarries or prospects, and many are on private land or active mining claims. Get the landowner's permission, check the rules of the agency that manages any public land, and never enter mine workings. Locations are approximate.

Sketch map

Kings Extension + 6 more nearby (Past Producer)Unnamed Location + 5 more nearby (Occurrence)Southern Pacific Property + 9 more nearby (Occurrence)Canyon + 4 more nearby (Occurrence)Reported Occurrences (Occurrence)Parkfield (Producer)Reported Occurrence + 1 more nearby (Occurrence)
Past ProducerProducerProspectOccurrenceStatus unknown
7 paw pins; nearby sites are grouped into one pin. Hover or tap a pin for the site name. 1 site(s) with USGS coordinates outside the outline are not pinned. County outline: US Census Bureau cartographic boundary file (2023). Locations approximate.

Woof’s favorite find

Little Kings

We picked it because its USGS record mentions 1 of the minerals on our cards and 1 of our card minerals overall. No other named site here scores as high on both counts. USGS lists it as past producer for Mercury. Minerals mentioned: Pyrite. Approx. location 35.901, -120.262. USGS record.

Ask first: a USGS record doesn’t mean you can visit. Find out who owns the land and get permission before collecting.

Field cards: what kind of sites?

16
Occurrence

The mineral was noted here, without development.

9
Past Producer

Produced ore or material at some point in the past.

6
Prospect

Explored or test-dug, with no recorded production.

2
Producer

Was producing when the record was made.

Status terms come from USGS MRDS records.

Mineral cards

Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.

Minerals recorded here

Cinnabar 7Magnesite 4Chromite 1Mercury 1Metacinnabar 1

Commodities

Mercury 17Magnesite 6Chromium 4Asbestos 2Manganese 1Fullers Earth 1

Sites

SiteCommodityMinerals recordedStatusApprox. location
Reported OccurrenceChromiumChromiteOccurrence35.942, -120.159
Canyon—CinnabarOccurrence35.914, -120.227
Avenal Canyon Extension—CinnabarOccurrence35.917, -120.236
Kings ExtensionMercuryCinnabarPast Producer35.911, -120.272
Unnamed Location—CinnabarOccurrence35.903, -120.266
Avenal Canyon and Fair View PropertiesMercuryCinnabarPast Producer35.917, -120.235
Kings MineMercuryCinnabarPast Producer35.909, -120.271
Little KingsMercuryCinnabar, Mercury, MetacinnabarPast Producer35.901, -120.262
Reported OccurrencesMagnesiteMagnesiteOccurrence35.900, -120.227
Kings Magnesite Co.MagnesiteMagnesiteOccurrence35.914, -120.249
White HorseMagnesiteMagnesiteOccurrence35.899, -120.249
Reported OccurrenceMagnesiteMagnesiteOccurrence35.899, -120.267
Southern Pacific PropertyAsbestos—Occurrence35.885, -120.245
DawsonMercury—Occurrence35.901, -120.246
Unidentified WorkingsMercury—Occurrence35.899, -120.262
Southern Pacific PropertyMercury—Occurrence35.899, -120.267
Fairview and French Avalloch GroupMercury—Occurrence35.897, -120.240
FredanaMercury—Producer35.909, -120.271
ParkfieldMercury, Manganese—Producer35.833, -120.201
Dawson MineMercury—Past Producer35.901, -120.246
Kings ExtensionMercury—Prospect35.909, -120.272
Webb and Mingus PropertyFullers Earth—Prospect36.072, -120.102
Reported OccurrenceChromium—Occurrence35.938, -120.158
Little KingsMercury—Past Producer35.903, -120.258
Unnamed Chromite OccurrenceChromium—Occurrence35.903, -120.258
Avenal Canyon ExtensionMercury—Prospect35.917, -120.236
Kings MineMercury—Past Producer35.909, -120.271
Canyon MineMercury—Past Producer35.917, -120.235
Fairview and French Avalloch GroupMercury—Prospect35.897, -120.249
Kings Magnesite Co.Magnesite—Past Producer35.906, -120.262
Unnamed Magnesite OccurrenceMagnesite—Occurrence35.905, -120.260
Table MountainAsbestos—Prospect35.913, -120.285
Unnamed Chromite DepositChromium—Prospect35.905, -120.274

Fossil collections

The Paleobiology Database lists 56 fossil collection records in Kings County. These are research records, not public dig sites.

Nearby counties

San Luis Obispo County · San Benito County · Monterey County · Merced County · Tulare County

California mineral guides

Back to all California counties.

Related articles

How we built this page: we counted named sites in the USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) for this area, left out sand, gravel, crushed stone, clay pits and unnamed sites, grouped them by Census county, and linked every site to its USGS record. We did not visit these sites, and MRDS does not tell you who owns the land or whether collecting is allowed.

Source: USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS). USGS ceased systematic updates to MRDS around 2011, so status and details may be out of date. Each site links to its USGS record.

Updated