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.

Best regions by county

Ranked by the number of USGS-recorded sites, not by access or quality.

  1. Clear Creek County: 1,268 sites; most recorded: Pyrite, Galena, Sphalerite
  2. Montrose County: 1,254 sites; most recorded: Carnotite, Uraninite, Bornite
  3. San Miguel County: 1,008 sites; most recorded: Carnotite, Gold, Sphalerite
  4. Boulder County: 985 sites; most recorded: Gold, Silver, Ferberite
  5. Gunnison County: 688 sites; most recorded: Thorite, Gold, Silver

Top minerals

  • Galena: 925 sites
  • Sphalerite: 799 sites
  • Gold: 780 sites
  • Pyrite: 743 sites
  • Chalcopyrite: 737 sites
  • Silver: 421 sites
  • Beryl: 186 sites
  • Thorite: 179 sites

Mineral cards

  • Gold

    Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat

    5,559 sites

  • Silver

    Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat

    4,864 sites

  • Copper

    Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat

    2,479 sites

  • Pyrite

    Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat

    1,373 sites

  • Quartz

    Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat

    1,163 sites

  • Galena

    Mohs 2.5–2.75. Heavy, silvery lead ore that breaks into cubes. Mindat

    1,052 sites

  • Fluorite

    Mohs 4. Cubes in purple, green or yellow; many glow under UV. Mindat

    512 sites

  • Feldspar

    Mohs 6–6.5. Blocky crystals with flat cleavage faces. Mindat

    443 sites

  • Mica

    Mohs 2–3. Peels into thin, flexible, shiny sheets. Mindat

    368 sites

  • Beryl

    Mohs 7.5–8. Six-sided crystals; aquamarine and emerald are beryl. Mindat

    195 sites

Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.

Minerals most often recorded

Galena 925Sphalerite 799Gold 780Pyrite 743Chalcopyrite 737Silver 421Beryl 186Thorite 179Molybdenite 172Tetrahedrite 172Carnotite 147Chalcocite 120

Counties

CountySites
Clear Creek County1,268
Montrose County1,254
San Miguel County1,008
Boulder County985
Gunnison County688
San Juan County580
Teller County550
Chaffee County449
Saguache County428
Lake County422
Mesa County397
Park County396
Gilpin County391
Summit County368
Fremont County366
La Plata County279
Dolores County245
Larimer County225
Pitkin County221
Jefferson County218
Custer County215
Moffat County182
Mineral County160
Ouray County158
Hinsdale County145
Montezuma County101
Routt County80
Douglas County77
Eagle County65
Jackson County62
Rio Grande County58
El Paso County56
Conejos County50
Costilla County48
Huerfano County46
Grand County45
Weld County43
Baca County36
Garfield County33
Rio Blanco County31
Archuleta County20
Delta County13
Las Animas County12
Pueblo County11
Arapahoe County10
Bent County5
Alamosa County5
Elbert County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)3
Denver County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)3
Logan County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)2
Kit Carson County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)2
Prowers County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Crowley County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Cheyenne County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Washington County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Morgan County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Sedgwick County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1

Mineral guides

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