RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Twin Lakes Beach
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 1 gem or collectible mineral (Gold) and 1 of our card minerals overall. That ties with 9 other site(s), so we broke the tie by mine status (past producers first), then USGS record quality, then name. USGS lists it as past producer for Gold. Minerals mentioned: Gold. Approx. location 36.962, -121.999. 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.
Was producing when the record was made.
Status not recorded.
Produced ore or material at some point in the past.
Status terms come from USGS MRDS records.
Mineral cards
Gold
Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat
9 sites
Magnetite
Mohs 5.5–6.5. Black and strongly magnetic. 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
Ilmenite 1Magnetite 1Commodities
Gold 9Granite 5Iron 2Silver 1Calcium 1Titanium 1Flagstone 1Sites
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aptos Placer | Iron | Ilmenite, Magnetite | Producer | 36.983, -121.918 |
| Twin Lakes Beach | Gold | — | Producer | 36.962, -121.999 |
| Majors Creek | Gold | — | Unknown | 37.008, -122.120 |
| Cabrillo Pit and Mill | Silver | — | Producer | 37.526, -121.829 |
| Unnamed Location | Gold | — | Occurrence | 37.151, -122.201 |
| Decomposed Granite Pit | Granite | — | Occurrence | 37.034, -122.105 |
| Stribling Mine | Gold | — | Unknown | 37.020, -122.051 |
| Bachellor Ranch Quarry | Granite | — | Occurrence | 37.031, -121.996 |
| Twin Lakes Beach | Gold | — | Past Producer | 36.962, -121.999 |
| Quarry | Granite | — | Occurrence | 37.043, -122.005 |
| Unnamed Location | Gold | — | Occurrence | 37.076, -122.121 |
| Olive Springs Quarry | Granite | — | Producer | 37.066, -121.926 |
| Waddell Creek | Gold | — | Occurrence | 37.112, -122.274 |
| Davenport Cement Plant | Calcium | — | Producer | 37.017, -121.201 |
| Gold Gulch | Gold | — | Unknown | 37.031, -122.107 |
| Decomposed Granite Pit | Granite | — | Occurrence | 37.036, -122.007 |
| Triumph Steel Co | Titanium | — | Occurrence | 36.854, -121.810 |
| Big Boulder Mine | Gold | — | Unknown | 37.037, -122.107 |
| Central Supply Co | Flagstone | — | Unknown | 37.082, -122.059 |
| Triumph Steel Co | Iron | — | Occurrence | 36.952, -121.881 |
Fossil collections
The Paleobiology Database lists 111 fossil collection records in Santa Cruz County. These are research records, not public dig sites.
Nearby counties
Santa Clara County · San Mateo County · Alameda County · Stanislaus County · San Francisco 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