RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Copper Queen
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 2 gem or collectible minerals (Gold, Silver) and 3 of our card minerals overall. That ties with 4 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, Copper, Silver. Approx. location 37.265, -107.010. 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.
Was producing when the record was made.
Status not recorded.
Explored or test-dug, with no recorded production.
Status terms come from USGS MRDS records.
Mineral cards
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
8 sites
Silver
Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
8 sites
Gold
Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat
5 sites
Feldspar
Mohs 6–6.5. Blocky crystals with flat cleavage faces. Mindat
5 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
1 site
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Calcite 3Carnotite 2Molybdenite 1Pyrite 1Commodities
Feldspar 5Uranium 3Calcium 3Gold 3Silver 2Lead 2Copper 2Zinc 1Vanadium 1Geothermal 1Sites
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meadows Property | Calcium | Calcite | Occurrence | 37.370, -107.118 |
| Seavy Ranch Property | Calcium | Calcite | Occurrence | 37.228, -107.129 |
| Oak Grove Ranch Property | Calcium | Calcite | Occurrence | 37.291, -107.096 |
| Sunetha Anticline | Uranium | Carnotite | Occurrence | 37.250, -107.084 |
| Sunetha Claim Group | Uranium, Vanadium | Carnotite | Occurrence | 37.226, -107.047 |
| Unnamed Silver-Lead-Copper-Molybdenum Occurrence | — | Molybdenite, Pyrite | Occurrence | 37.401, -106.742 |
| Unnamed Prospect | Silver, Lead, Copper | — | Occurrence | 37.388, -106.696 |
| Unnamed Silver-Lead Occurrence | — | — | Occurrence | 37.349, -106.756 |
| Banded Peak District | Silver, Lead, Zinc | — | Occurrence | 37.179, -106.679 |
| Unnamed Silver-Lead-Copper Occurrence | — | — | Occurrence | 37.362, -106.724 |
| Unnamed Silver-Lead-Copper Occurrence | — | — | Occurrence | 37.358, -106.716 |
| Meadows Property | Feldspar | — | Past Producer | 37.249, -107.147 |
| Treasure-Comstock | Gold | — | Past Producer | 37.265, -107.010 |
| Pagosa Springs | Geothermal | — | Producer | 37.264, -107.011 |
| Iceland Spar | Feldspar | — | Past Producer | 37.371, -107.010 |
| Meadows Property | Feldspar | — | Past Producer | 37.372, -107.118 |
| Seavy Ranch | Feldspar | — | Past Producer | 37.226, -107.027 |
| Oak Grove Ranch | Feldspar | — | Unknown | 37.298, -107.100 |
| Copper Queen | Gold | — | Past Producer | 37.265, -107.010 |
| Sunetha Anticline Claims | Uranium | — | Prospect | 37.260, -107.070 |
Fossil collections
The Paleobiology Database lists 2 fossil collection records in Archuleta County. These are research records, not public dig sites.
Nearby counties
Rio Grande County · Conejos County · Mineral County · San Juan County · Hinsdale 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