RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Redwood Copper Queen
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 2 gem or collectible minerals (Gold, Silver) and 4 of our card minerals overall. No other named site here scores as high on both counts. USGS lists it as past producer for Copper. Minerals mentioned: Gold, Pyrite, Copper, Silver. Approx. location 38.878, -123.451. 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?
The mineral was noted here, without development.
Explored or test-dug, with no recorded production.
Was producing when the record was made.
Produced ore or material at some point in the past.
Status not recorded.
Status terms come from USGS MRDS records.
Mineral cards
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
17 sites
Gold
Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat
10 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
2 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
1 site
Silver
Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
1 site
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Psilomelane 20Pyrolusite 13Chromite 12Rhodochrosite 8Copper 3Cinnabar 3Magnesite 2Wad 2Gold 2Chalcopyrite 1Deerite 1Howieite 1Commodities
Manganese 46Chromium 14Mercury 13Copper 11Gold 8Gemstone 6Graphite 5Platinum 5Geothermal 5Magnesite 2Sites (first 40)
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deep Hole | — | Chalcopyrite, Copper | Occurrence | 39.589, -123.141 |
| Little Red Mountain Dunn | Chromium | Chromite | Occurrence | 39.880, -123.684 |
| Sugar Pine | Chromium | Chromite | Occurrence | 39.880, -123.665 |
| Moore | Chromium | Chromite | Occurrence | 39.145, -123.242 |
| United Nations | Chromium | Chromite | Occurrence | 39.909, -123.665 |
| C. W. Johnson Prospect | Chromium | Chromite | Occurrence | 38.971, -123.168 |
| Crawford | Chromium | Chromite | Occurrence | 39.015, -123.131 |
| Shields | Chromium | Chromite | Occurrence | 39.865, -123.056 |
| Unnamed Deposit | Chromium | Chromite | Occurrence | 39.880, -123.037 |
| Graham Group | Chromium | Chromite | Producer | 39.073, -123.094 |
| Red Mountain Creek | Chromium | Chromite | Occurrence | 39.923, -123.702 |
| Guthrie Group Big Red Mountain, Mitty, Merle, Last Chance, Surprise | Chromium | Chromite | Occurrence | 39.883, -123.669 |
| Lloyd | Chromium | Chromite | Occurrence | 39.808, -123.497 |
| Occident Prospect | Mercury | Cinnabar | Past Producer | 38.919, -123.127 |
| Mendocino Mining & Milling Co. Inc. | Gold | Cinnabar, Gold | Producer | 38.964, -123.068 |
| Anderson Valley Placer | Mercury, Gold, Platinum, Iridium, Zirconium | Cinnabar, Gold, Zircon | Occurrence | 39.075, -123.463 |
| Whipple | — | Copper | Occurrence | 39.077, -123.436 |
| Native Copper | — | Copper | Occurrence | 38.972, -123.145 |
| Reported Occurrence | Gemstone | Deerite, Howieite, Zussmanite | Occurrence | 39.621, -123.460 |
| Red Mtn., Little Red Mtn. | — | Garnierite | Occurrence | 39.891, -123.657 |
| Southard Ranch | Magnesite | Magnesite | Producer | 39.404, -123.329 |
| Hixon Ranch Vassar Ranch | Magnesite | Magnesite | Occurrence | 38.904, -123.054 |
| Young | Manganese | Psilomelane | Producer | 39.470, -123.310 |
| Leep | — | Psilomelane | Prospect | 39.778, -123.503 |
| Consolidated Black Lesses Big Jim, Love Indian | Manganese | Psilomelane | Producer | 39.559, -123.122 |
| Faucher | Manganese | Psilomelane | Producer | 39.309, -123.181 |
| South Thomas | Manganese | Psilomelane | Producer | 39.306, -123.171 |
| Shaw and Mathews | Manganese | Psilomelane | Producer | 38.847, -123.085 |
| Rowlison | — | Psilomelane, Pyrolusite | Occurrence | 39.592, -123.324 |
| Wishbone | — | Psilomelane, Pyrolusite | Occurrence | 39.600, -123.417 |
| Foster Mountain Independent, Busch, Lucky Boy | Manganese | Psilomelane, Pyrolusite | Past Producer | 39.441, -123.178 |
| Mrs. Knight Prospect | — | Psilomelane, Pyrolusite | Occurrence | 39.384, -123.354 |
| Wild Devil Waldteufel | Manganese | Psilomelane, Pyrolusite | Producer | 39.332, -123.186 |
| Bevins-Busch | Manganese | Psilomelane, Pyrolusite | Producer | 39.351, -123.178 |
| Big Bend | — | Psilomelane, Pyrolusite | Occurrence | 39.820, -123.093 |
| Harms | — | Psilomelane, Pyrolusite | Prospect | 39.463, -123.172 |
| Rose | Manganese | Psilomelane, Pyrolusite | Producer | 39.572, -123.420 |
| M. G. Morrison | — | Psilomelane, Pyrolusite | Prospect | 39.787, -123.135 |
| Two Trees | Manganese | Psilomelane, Pyrolusite, Rhodochrosite | Occurrence | 39.895, -122.991 |
| Dorn | Manganese | Psilomelane, Pyrolusite, Wad | Producer | 39.470, -123.192 |
Fossil collections
The Paleobiology Database lists 11 fossil collection records in Mendocino County. These are research records, not public dig sites.
Nearby counties
Glenn County · Colusa County · Lake County · Sonoma County · Tehama County
California mineral guides
- Tourmaline in California
- Quartz in California
- Garnet in California
- Gold in California
- Mica in California
- Feldspar in California
Back to all California counties.
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