Home › California › Sierra CountyRockhounding in Sierra County, California Sniff around Sierra County and you’ll be following old miners and prospectors. USGS records 1,110 named mineral sites here, not counting sand, gravel, crushed stone and clay pits.
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 Unidentified Working (Unknown) Poverty Hill + 3 more nearby (Producer) Union Hill (Unknown) Unidentified Workings + 3 more nearby (Past Producer) Sailor Boy Diggings + 6 more nearby (Producer) Arizona Mine + 9 more nearby (Past Producer) Russell Hill Drift Mine + 7 more nearby (Producer) Tough & Hardy + 1 more nearby (Unknown) Occurrence (Occurrence) Unidentified Workings + 3 more nearby (Past Producer) Lucky Gold Hill Co. + 2 more nearby (Producer) Ariel + 6 more nearby (Producer) Bunker Hill Mine (Unknown) Lost River + 3 more nearby (Producer) Indian Hill + 12 more nearby (Producer) American Flag + 10 more nearby (Past Producer) Unidentified Workings + 14 more nearby (Past Producer) Unidentified Workings + 9 more nearby (Past Producer) Bellevue Mine + 2 more nearby (Producer) Sierra Union + 4 more nearby (Producer) Pioneer + 14 more nearby (Producer) Bella Union Consolidated + 4 more nearby (Unknown) Sailor Boy Diggings + 3 more nearby (Past Producer) Bald Top (Unknown) Jacksons Claim Placer + 7 more nearby (Producer) Rising Sun + 3 more nearby (Past Producer) Bowman + 2 more nearby (Past Producer) Middle Yuba River + 5 more nearby (Occurrence) Gibsonville Consolidated + 19 more nearby (Producer) Unidentified + 10 more nearby (Past Producer) Pacific Alta Gp. + 17 more nearby (Past Producer) Morristown and Angora Group + 12 more nearby (Producer) Eureka + 5 more nearby (Past Producer) Mugginsville + 2 more nearby (Producer) Brown Bear Mine + 4 more nearby (Producer) Iron Door Mine + 7 more nearby (Past Producer) Brush Creek + 1 more nearby (Past Producer) Hardy Kate Prospect + 11 more nearby (Past Producer) Red Ledge Mine Area + 11 more nearby (Occurrence) Unidentified Workings + 3 more nearby (Past Producer) Bunker Hill + 18 more nearby (Producer) Virginia & Linclon + 12 more nearby (Producer) Table Rock + 3 more nearby (Producer) Poker Flats Prospects + 2 more nearby (Occurrence) Telegraph Mining Co. + 8 more nearby (Past Producer) Chloride + 16 more nearby (Producer) Casserly Prospect + 16 more nearby (Occurrence) Old Mexican Group + 15 more nearby (Producer) Kirkpatrick Mine + 23 more nearby (Producer) Dorris Group + 39 more nearby (Past Producer) Scotia + 47 more nearby (Past Producer) Mount Rainier + 1 more nearby (Occurrence) Unidentified Working + 1 more nearby (Prospect) Mount Filmore Cons. Grp. + 5 more nearby (Past Producer) Lassiat + 15 more nearby (Occurrence) Luella + 12 more nearby (Past Producer) Sol Wood Mine + 2 more nearby (Past Producer) Sierra Standard Mng Co + 10 more nearby (Past Producer) Montpelier + 24 more nearby (Past Producer) Bannister + 25 more nearby (Past Producer) Jumper & Tippecanoe + 22 more nearby (Past Producer) F & F Gp + 36 more nearby (Past Producer) Central Group + 65 more nearby (Past Producer) Seven Spot + 4 more nearby (Past Producer) Copper Mine + 2 more nearby (Occurrence) Gibraltor + 2 more nearby (Producer) Indelta + 2 more nearby (Past Producer) Unidentified Adit + 13 more nearby (Producer) Ostego + 9 more nearby (Past Producer) High Commission Mine + 6 more nearby (Past Producer) Golden Star + 13 more nearby (Past Producer) Cold Spring Group + 12 more nearby (Producer) Mable Hertz + 8 more nearby (Producer) Plumbago + 2 more nearby (Past Producer) Wolf Creek + 5 more nearby (Past Producer) E.Crowell Prospect (Prospect) Burnham Consolidated (Prospect) Sisson Mine (Prospect) Dragon Fly Mine + 5 more nearby (Producer) Melrose (Past Producer) Unidentified Workings + 5 more nearby (Past Producer) Jim Crow + 8 more nearby (Past Producer) Black Jack + 9 more nearby (Past Producer) Yellow Jacket + 9 more nearby (Past Producer) Urelene + 3 more nearby (Past Producer) Four Hills + 3 more nearby (Past Producer) Lorenzo + 4 more nearby (Past Producer) Placer Operations + 4 more nearby (Producer) Unidentified Workings + 4 more nearby (Past Producer) Cleveland + 4 more nearby (Producer) Twenty Two & Twenty Three + 9 more nearby (Past Producer) Unidentified Workings + 4 more nearby (Past Producer) Nixon + 1 more nearby (Past Producer) Oakland + 1 more nearby (Prospect) Lone Star Group + 4 more nearby (Past Producer) Bucther Ranch + 5 more nearby (Producer) Primrose + 9 more nearby (Past Producer) Unidentified Workings + 21 more nearby (Past Producer) Bolivia + 6 more nearby (Past Producer) Gabland + 1 more nearby (Past Producer) Forest Queen + 1 more nearby (Past Producer) Lone Wolf Group + 3 more nearby (Past Producer) Mountaineer + 2 more nearby (Past Producer) Young America + 8 more nearby (Past Producer) Pat Young + 22 more nearby (Past Producer) Unidentified Workings + 11 more nearby (Past Producer) Commodore Placer (Prospect) Gold Lake + 3 more nearby (Past Producer) Sebastapol + 7 more nearby (Past Producer) Marguerite + 6 more nearby (Past Producer) Unidentified Workings + 4 more nearby (Past Producer) Dudley + 12 more nearby (Past Producer) Milton Claim + 3 more nearby (Past Producer) Unidentified Working + 4 more nearby (Prospect) Mountaineer + 4 more nearby (Past Producer) Sierra Homestake + 2 more nearby (Past Producer) Basset Pride + 5 more nearby (Occurrence) Hapgood and Miller + 7 more nearby (Occurrence) Keystone (Past Producer) Oakland + 1 more nearby (Past Producer) Hartman (Past Producer) Antelope Neck (Occurrence) Antelope Neck Mine (Prospect) Unidentified Adit (Prospect) Crystal Peak + 3 more nearby (Producer) Summit Queen Group (Past Producer) Dog Creek + 1 more nearby (Occurrence) Dana Park Pit (Producer) Beacon Light + 1 more nearby (Occurrence) Beacon Light (Past Producer) Silver Streak Valley (Past Producer)
131 paw pins; nearby sites are grouped into one pin. Hover or tap a pin for the site name. 21 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
Oriental Mine We picked it because its USGS record mentions 3 gem or collectible minerals (Quartz, Gold, Silver) and 5 of our card minerals overall. That ties with 2 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: Quartz, Gold, Mica, Feldspar, Silver. Approx. location 39.460, -120.859. 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? 479
Past Producer Produced ore or material at some point in the past.
272
Occurrence The mineral was noted here, without development.
158
Producer Was producing when the record was made.
121
Prospect Explored or test-dug, with no recorded production.
79
Unknown Status not recorded.
1
Plant 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
1,037 sites
Quartz Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
250 sites
Silver Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
79 sites
Pyrite Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
36 sites
Copper Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
31 sites
Galena Mohs 2.5–2.75. Heavy, silvery lead ore that breaks into cubes. Mindat
11 sites
Mica Mohs 2–3. Peels into thin, flexible, shiny sheets. Mindat
2 sites
Magnetite Mohs 5.5–6.5. Black and strongly magnetic. Mindat
2 sites
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here 252 35 15 11 6 2 2 2 2 1 1 Commodities 1032 46 14 13 4 4 2 2 2 2 Sites (first 40) Site Commodity Minerals recorded Status Approx. location Osceola Group Gold Arsenopyrite, Gold Past Producer 39.473, -120.839 Four Hills Gold Chalcopyrite, Galena, Gold, Pyrite Past Producer 39.698, -120.711 Phoenix Gold Chalcopyrite, Galena, Gold, Pyrite Past Producer 39.579, -120.623 Mccormick Prospect Chromium Chromite Past Producer 39.462, -120.872 Croesus Occurrence Chromium Chromite Occurrence 39.458, -120.876 Evans Prospect Chromium Chromite Occurrence 39.487, -120.880 Flynn and Woods Prospect Chromium Chromite Occurrence 39.452, -120.904 Macchaus Mine Chromium Chromite Past Producer 39.454, -120.872 Milton Claim Chromium Chromite Past Producer 39.530, -120.617 Poker Flats Prospects Chromium Chromite Occurrence 39.674, -120.858 Polar Occurrence Chromium Chromite Occurrence 39.500, -120.887 Roupe Property Chromium Chromite Past Producer 39.483, -120.994 Doriss Mine Chromium Chromite Producer 39.483, -120.872 Casserly Prospect Chromium Chromite Occurrence 39.571, -120.876 Brandy City Mine Chromium Chromite Producer 39.543, -121.028 Fraction Claim Chromium Chromite Producer 39.588, -120.841 Oxford Mine Chromium Chromite Past Producer 39.582, -120.842 Oxford Mine & Mill Gold Chromite, Gold Past Producer 39.578, -120.834 Ironsides Gold Galena, Gold Past Producer 39.504, -120.761 North Fork Mine Gold Galena, Gold, Pyrite Past Producer 39.498, -120.854 Empire Gold Galena, Gold, Pyrite Past Producer 39.649, -120.705 Colombo-Bullion Group Gold Galena, Gold, Pyrite Past Producer 39.579, -120.676 Willoughby Gold Galena, Gold, Pyrite Past Producer 39.656, -120.700 Sovereign Gold Galena, Gold, Pyrite Past Producer 39.582, -120.691 Mount Filmore Cons. Grp. Gold Galena, Gold, Pyrite Past Producer 39.725, -120.847 Eldorado Gold Galena, Gold, Pyrite, Tetrahedrite Past Producer 39.467, -120.834 Gold Canyon Gold Galena, Gold, Sphalerite Past Producer 39.442, -120.810 Mammoth Gold Gold Past Producer 39.709, -120.830 Tefft Gold Gold Past Producer 39.695, -120.848 Reese Ravine Mine Gold Gold Past Producer 39.666, -120.842 Finney Mine Gold Gold Past Producer 39.585, -120.879 Hughs Mine Gold Gold Past Producer 39.557, -120.824 Alhambra Group Gold Gold Past Producer 39.697, -120.845 Brown Bear Gold Gold Past Producer 39.487, -120.862 Nessler Mine Gold Gold Past Producer 39.631, -120.801 Unidentified Working Gold Gold Past Producer 39.757, -120.910 Unidentified Working Gold Gold Past Producer 39.755, -120.885 Bayes Mine Gold Gold Past Producer 39.451, -120.778 Salinas & Mercer Gold Gold Past Producer 39.557, -120.709 Unidentified Workings Gold Gold Past Producer 39.527, -120.779
Nearby counties Yuba County · Nevada County · Plumas County · Placer County · Butte County
California mineral guides 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 October 2026
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