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

Stayton District Report (Past Producer)Antimony Peak Prospects + 1 more nearby (Prospect)Gypsy + 7 more nearby (Past Producer)Jose (Past Producer)Briggs Mine + 4 more nearby (Occurrence)Victor Bananza Group (Past Producer)Salisberry Claim + 1 more nearby (Occurrence)Mercy Mine (Past Producer)Unnamed Diatomite Deposits (Occurrence)Ranch Hill (Past Producer)San Joaquin Mining Co. + 1 more nearby (Past Producer)Snelling Gold Dredging Co. + 1 more nearby (Past Producer)Merced Dredging Co. + 1 more nearby (Past Producer)Dredge Tailings (Past Producer)Snelling + 1 more nearby (Producer)Dry Creek Placer Tailings + 1 more nearby (Past Producer)B and W Mining Co. (Past Producer)Unnamed Barite Occurrence (Unknown)R.H. Bottoms (Past Producer)Lone Tree Mine (Prospect)Unnamed Asbestos Occurrences (Occurrence)Johnny Green + 1 more nearby (Unknown)Mid State Equipment & Dredging Co. (Past Producer)Berg (Unknown)
Past ProducerProducerProspectOccurrenceStatus unknown
24 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

Snelling District

We picked it because its USGS record mentions 3 gem or collectible minerals (Quartz, Gold, Silver) and 3 of our card minerals overall. No other named site here scores as high on both counts. USGS lists it as past producer for Gold. Minerals mentioned: Quartz, Gold, Silver. Approx. location 37.519, -120.438. 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?

24
Past Producer

Produced ore or material at some point in the past.

8
Prospect

Explored or test-dug, with no recorded production.

6
Unknown

Status not recorded.

4
Occurrence

The mineral was noted here, without development.

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 4Stibnite 3Chalcopyrite 2Gold 2Platinum 1

Commodities

Gold 16Mercury 12Copper 8Antimony 4Silver 2Platinum 2Asbestos 1Diatomite 1Manganese 1Barium-Barite 1

Sites (first 40)

SiteCommodityMinerals recordedStatusApprox. location
Victor Bananza GroupCopperChalcopyritePast Producer36.787, -120.956
JoseCopperChalcopyritePast Producer36.834, -120.993
YellowjacketMercuryCinnabarPast Producer36.919, -121.220
GypsyMercuryCinnabar, StibnitePast Producer36.923, -121.220
ShriverAntimonyCinnabar, StibnitePast Producer36.934, -121.246
StaytonMercuryCinnabar, StibniteProducer36.917, -121.219
SnellingGoldGoldProducer37.515, -120.398
Snelling DistrictGoldGold, PlatinumPast Producer37.519, -120.438
Briggs Mine——Occurrence36.808, -120.947
Mrs Briggs Mine——Prospect36.804, -120.947
Merced Dredging Co.Gold—Past Producer37.514, -120.457
R.H. BottomsGold—Past Producer37.492, -120.320
San Joaquin Mining Co.Gold—Past Producer37.499, -120.490
Unnamed Asbestos OccurrencesAsbestos—Occurrence37.316, -120.216
Gypsy MineMercury—Past Producer36.923, -121.226
Yuba Consolidated GoldfieldsGold—Past Producer37.525, -120.388
JoseCopper—Prospect36.832, -120.944
Antimony Peak ProspectsAntimony—Prospect36.939, -121.223
Dredge TailingsGold—Past Producer37.510, -120.494
Lone Tree MineCopper—Prospect37.353, -120.297
Stayton MineMercury—Past Producer36.916, -121.218
Unnamed ProspectMercury—Prospect36.959, -121.204
Yosemite Mining and Dredging Co.Gold—Past Producer37.514, -120.439
Unnamed Diatomite DepositsDiatomite—Occurrence36.933, -120.865
Salisberry ClaimManganese—Occurrence36.788, -120.918
Victor BonanzaCopper—Unknown36.803, -120.960
Dry Creek Placer TailingsGold—Past Producer37.581, -120.368
Yellow Jacket MineMercury—Past Producer36.918, -121.219
Mercy MineMercury—Past Producer36.756, -120.902
Dredge TailingsGold—Past Producer37.581, -120.373
Reported LocationMercury—Unknown36.926, -121.217
BergCopper—Unknown37.228, -120.126
Mid State Equipment & Dredging Co.Gold—Past Producer37.270, -120.189
Unnamed Barite OccurrenceBarium-Barite—Unknown37.527, -120.329
Snelling Gold Dredging Co.Gold—Past Producer37.528, -120.420
B and W Mining Co.Gold—Past Producer37.528, -120.348
Red Metal MineMercury—Past Producer36.934, -121.227
Johnny GreenCopper—Unknown37.228, -120.216
KrohCopper—Unknown37.228, -120.216
Ranch HillGold—Past Producer37.486, -120.531

Fossil collections

The Paleobiology Database lists 69 fossil collection records in Merced County. These are research records, not public dig sites.

Nearby counties

San Benito County · Stanislaus County · Santa Clara County · Alameda County · Santa Cruz 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