RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Walker Mine
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 5 gem or collectible minerals (Tourmaline, Quartz, Garnet, Gold, Silver) and 11 of our card minerals overall. No other named site here scores as high on both counts. USGS lists it as past producer for Copper, Gold, Silver. Minerals mentioned: Tourmaline, Quartz, Garnet, Gold, Mica, Feldspar, Magnetite, Pyrite, Galena, Copper, Silver. Approx. location 39.962, -120.669. 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.
Produced ore or material at some point in the past.
Status not recorded.
Was producing when the record was made.
Explored or test-dug, with no recorded production.
A processing plant site.
Status terms come from USGS MRDS records.
Mineral cards
Gold
Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat
654 sites
Silver
Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
144 sites
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
118 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
28 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
18 sites
Galena
Mohs 2.5–2.75. Heavy, silvery lead ore that breaks into cubes. Mindat
7 sites
Magnetite
Mohs 5.5–6.5. Black and strongly magnetic. Mindat
4 sites
Tourmaline
Mohs 7–7.5. Long striated crystals, often black (schorl) or green and pink (elbaite). Mindat
2 sites
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Chromite 28Chalcopyrite 16Bornite 15Gold 9Tetrahedrite 6Galena 5Chalcocite 4Malachite 4Rhodonite 3Silver 3Sphalerite 3Bementite 2Commodities
Gold 638Copper 84Chromium 60Silver 34Manganese 20Iron 14Uranium 7Lead 6Nickel 5Asbestos 5Sites (first 40)
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dickie Bird Deposit | Manganese | Bementite, Rhodonite | Producer | 40.087, -120.976 |
| Lost Soldier Deposit | — | Bementite, Rhodonite | Occurrence | 40.059, -120.910 |
| Big Cliff | Copper, Gold, Silver | Bornite | Occurrence | 40.085, -120.694 |
| Ruby Mine | Copper | Bornite | Past Producer | 40.185, -120.800 |
| Hinchman | Copper, Gold | Bornite | Past Producer | 40.057, -120.791 |
| Shoofly | — | Bornite | Occurrence | 40.052, -120.964 |
| U.S. Smelting, Refining, and Mining Co. | — | Bornite, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite | Occurrence | 39.962, -120.686 |
| Engels | Copper | Bornite, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Enargite, Galena, Ilmenite | Producer | 40.203, -120.775 |
| Superior | Copper | Bornite, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Magnetite, Pyrite, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Producer | 40.203, -120.775 |
| Copper King and Copper Queen | — | Bornite, Chalcopyrite | Occurrence | 40.094, -120.297 |
| Beardsley Mine | Copper | Bornite, Chalcopyrite | Past Producer | 40.116, -120.710 |
| Golden Horseshoe | Copper | Bornite, Chalcopyrite | Past Producer | 40.082, -120.292 |
| El Dorado | Copper | Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Malachite | Past Producer | 39.901, -120.141 |
| Gruss | Copper, Gold | Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Gold, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 40.031, -120.721 |
| Reward | Copper | Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Malachite | Past Producer | 40.070, -120.732 |
| Austrian Syndicate | Gold | Bornite, Gold | Past Producer | 40.012, -120.693 |
| Trask and Copper | Copper | Bornite, Gold, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 40.178, -120.797 |
| Barnes | — | Chalcocite | Occurrence | 40.243, -120.755 |
| Native Son | — | Chalcopyrite | Occurrence | 40.012, -120.693 |
| Little Field | — | Chalcopyrite | Occurrence | 40.159, -121.093 |
| Walker | Copper | Chalcopyrite, Cubanite, Galena, Jamesonite, Pyrrhotite, Stibnite, Tetrahedrite | Producer | 39.960, -120.669 |
| Copper Bullion | — | Chalcopyrite, Gold | Occurrence | 39.813, -120.849 |
| Iron Dike | Copper | Chalcopyrite, Malachite | Past Producer | 40.065, -120.844 |
| Mccarty Mine | Chromium | Chromite | Past Producer | 39.855, -120.943 |
| Poodle Dog Claim | Chromium | Chromite | Past Producer | 40.148, -121.023 |
| Pine Flat Nos. 1-3 Claims | Chromium | Chromite | Past Producer | 39.869, -120.990 |
| Skyline No. 1, 2, Rodhill Calims | Chromium | Chromite | Past Producer | 40.037, -121.184 |
| Cedar Flat Claim | Chromium | Chromite | Past Producer | 39.881, -121.024 |
| Wolf Creek Claim | Chromium | Chromite | Past Producer | 40.152, -121.029 |
| Spot Claim | Chromium | Chromite | Producer | 39.862, -120.996 |
| Last Chance Group | Chromium | Chromite | Past Producer | 39.815, -120.986 |
| Jack Forth Claims | Chromium | Chromite | Past Producer | 40.026, -121.127 |
| White Pine Mine | Chromium | Chromite | Past Producer | 39.864, -120.993 |
| Horseshoe Nos. 1, 2 Claims | Chromium | Chromite | Occurrence | 39.844, -120.986 |
| Fido Claim | Chromium | Chromite | Occurrence | 39.853, -120.974 |
| Cattle Spring Claims Nos. 1, 2 | Chromium | Chromite | Past Producer | 39.872, -120.979 |
| Fuller Claims | Chromium | Chromite | Past Producer | 39.949, -121.085 |
| Sect. 36 Deposit | Chromium | Chromite | Past Producer | 39.903, -121.032 |
| Spillover Placer and Quartz Claims | Chromium | Chromite | Occurrence | 40.145, -121.018 |
| General Macarthur, General Wainwright Occurrences | Chromium | Chromite | Occurrence | 39.867, -120.943 |
Fossil collections
The Paleobiology Database lists 10 fossil collection records in Plumas County. These are research records, not public dig sites.
Nearby counties
Sierra County · Lassen County · Butte County · Yuba County · Nevada 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