RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Cherry Creek Mine
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 1 gem or collectible mineral (Gold) and 1 of our card minerals overall. That ties with 5 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 39.588, -104.913. 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?
Status not recorded.
The mineral was noted here, without development.
Explored or test-dug, with no recorded production.
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
6 sites
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Gold 2Psilomelane 1Commodities
Gold 6Manganese 2Sites
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Dry Creek Placers | Gold | Gold | Occurrence | 39.595, -104.959 |
| Little Dry Creek Placers | Gold | Gold | Occurrence | 39.595, -104.922 |
| Buckley Field Manganese Deposits | — | Psilomelane | Occurrence | 39.623, -104.548 |
| Buckley Field Mn Deposit | — | — | Prospect | 39.716, -104.695 |
| Denver Basin Mn Deposits | Manganese | — | Unknown | 39.587, -104.577 |
| Buckley Field Mn Deposit #1 | Manganese | — | Unknown | 39.603, -104.614 |
| Little Dry Creek Placers | Gold | — | Unknown | 39.529, -104.952 |
| Cherry Creek Mine | Gold | — | Past Producer | 39.588, -104.913 |
| Cherry Creek Placers | Gold | — | Unknown | 39.635, -104.832 |
| Big Dry Creek Placers | Gold | — | Unknown | 39.585, -104.951 |
Fossil collections
The Paleobiology Database lists 12 fossil collection records in Arapahoe County. These are research records, not public dig sites.
Nearby counties
Denver County · Elbert County · Jefferson County · Douglas County · Gilpin County
Colorado mineral guides
- Beryl in Colorado
- Tourmaline in Colorado
- Quartz in Colorado
- Garnet in Colorado
- Gold in Colorado
- Mica in Colorado
Back to all Colorado 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