RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
San Luis Mine
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 4 gem or collectible minerals (Quartz, Gold, Fluorite, Silver) and 6 of our card minerals overall. No other named site here scores as high on both counts. USGS lists it as past producer for Gold. Minerals mentioned: Quartz, Gold, Pyrite, Fluorite, Copper, Silver. Approx. location 37.258, -105.342. 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?
Explored or test-dug, with no recorded production.
Produced ore or material at some point in the past.
The mineral was noted here, without development.
Status terms come from USGS MRDS records.
Mineral cards
Gold
Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat
41 sites
Silver
Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
37 sites
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
17 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
15 sites
Galena
Mohs 2.5–2.75. Heavy, silvery lead ore that breaks into cubes. Mindat
6 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
4 sites
Magnetite
Mohs 5.5–6.5. Black and strongly magnetic. Mindat
4 sites
Garnet
Mohs 6.5–7.5. Usually deep red, round many-faced crystals. Mindat
3 sites
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Gold 13Chalcopyrite 7Pyrite 6Chalcocite 6Galena 6Hematite 5Magnetite 4Calaverite 4Anglesite 3Hessite 2Carnotite 1Jarosite 1Commodities
Gold 39Silver 35Copper 16Lead 6Iron 4Uranium 1Tungsten 1Molybdenum 1Sites (first 40)
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton Mine | Gold, Silver | Altaite, Gold, Hessite | Prospect | 37.556, -105.488 |
| Unnamed Prospect | Copper, Gold, Silver, Lead | Anglesite, Galena | Prospect | 37.263, -105.333 |
| Unnamed Prospect | Silver, Lead, Copper, Gold | Anglesite, Galena | Prospect | 37.259, -105.325 |
| Unnamed Prospect | Gold, Copper, Lead, Silver | Anglesite, Galena | Prospect | 37.263, -105.331 |
| Giant Gulch Placer | Gold | Calaverite, Gold | Past Producer | 37.580, -105.286 |
| Last Chance Placer | Gold | Calaverite, Gold | Past Producer | 37.616, -105.274 |
| Willow Gulch Placer | Gold | Calaverite, Gold | Past Producer | 37.609, -105.257 |
| Loco Alice Prospect | Uranium | Carnotite, Jarosite, Malachite, Volborthite | Prospect | 37.435, -105.206 |
| Lone Star of the West Mine | Copper | Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite | Past Producer | 37.594, -105.298 |
| Rico Claims | Copper | Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite | Prospect | 37.576, -105.299 |
| Copper Queen Mine | Copper | Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite | Prospect | 37.566, -105.276 |
| X. T. C. Claim | Copper, Silver | Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite | Prospect | 37.582, -105.287 |
| Silver Tip Mine | Copper | Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite | Past Producer | 37.600, -105.297 |
| Blue Bird Mine | Copper | Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite | Prospect | 37.570, -105.281 |
| El Plomo Mine | Gold | Galena | Past Producer | 37.254, -105.330 |
| Sunnyside Tunnel | Gold, Silver | Galena, Pyrite | Past Producer | 37.618, -105.268 |
| Otero Placers 1 and 2 | Gold | Gold | Past Producer | 37.562, -105.289 |
| San Luis Mine | Gold | Gold | Past Producer | 37.258, -105.342 |
| Blanca Peak Mining Co. Claims | Gold, Silver | Gold | Prospect | 37.534, -105.478 |
| Gold Anchor Mine | Gold, Silver | Gold | Prospect | 37.563, -105.488 |
| Denver Placers 6-8 | Gold | Gold | Past Producer | 37.569, -105.286 |
| Badger State Placers 1-5 | Gold | Gold | Past Producer | 37.580, -105.288 |
| Blanca Mutual Mining and Milling Co. Claims | Gold, Silver | Gold | Past Producer | 37.567, -105.488 |
| Spanish Basin Placer Co. Claims | Gold | Gold | Past Producer | 37.577, -105.278 |
| Climax Tunnel | Gold | Gold, Silver | Prospect | 37.612, -105.276 |
| Excelsior Tunnel | Silver | Hematite | Prospect | 37.614, -105.270 |
| Upper Star of the West Mine | Iron | Hematite, Magnetite | Past Producer | 37.613, -105.269 |
| Lower Star of the West Mine | Iron | Hematite, Magnetite | Past Producer | 37.611, -105.276 |
| Star of the West Mine | Iron | Hematite, Magnetite | Past Producer | 37.612, -105.271 |
| John Moore and Lucky Claims | Iron | Hematite, Magnetite, Pyrite, Chalcopyrite | Past Producer | 37.612, -105.275 |
| Mountain View Mine | Gold | Pyrite | Past Producer | 37.620, -105.257 |
| Homestake Tunnel | Gold, Silver | Pyrite | Prospect | 37.617, -105.269 |
| Hidden Treasure Claim | Gold | Pyrite | Prospect | 37.618, -105.264 |
| Blanca District | Tungsten, Gold, Silver | Pyrite, Scheelite, Galena, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite, Wolframite, Sylvanite, Calaverite, Hessite, Pearceite | Past Producer | 37.572, -105.488 |
| Merrimac Claim | Gold | — | Occurrence | 37.627, -105.267 |
| Mamarth Claim | Gold | — | Prospect | 37.632, -105.270 |
| Hub Hall Claim | Copper | — | Occurrence | 37.575, -105.292 |
| Paul H. and Daisy Claims | Gold | — | Prospect | 37.641, -105.268 |
| Monte Christo Mine | Gold | — | Past Producer | 37.587, -105.283 |
| Midnight Sun | Gold, Silver | — | Prospect | 37.616, -105.274 |
Nearby counties
Huerfano County · Alamosa County · Las Animas County · Custer County · Fremont 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