RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Little Mattie Lode
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 3 gem or collectible minerals (Quartz, Gold, Silver) and 6 of our card minerals overall. That ties with 3 other site(s), so we broke the tie by mine status (past producers first), then USGS record quality, then name. USGS lists it as prospect for Gold, Silver, Lead. Minerals mentioned: Quartz, Gold, Pyrite, Galena, Copper, Silver. Approx. location 37.369, -104.969. 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.
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
5 sites
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
5 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
4 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
4 sites
Galena
Mohs 2.5–2.75. Heavy, silvery lead ore that breaks into cubes. Mindat
4 sites
Silver
Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
4 sites
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Chalcopyrite 4Galena 4Sphalerite 4Tetrahedrite 4Carnotite 2Tyuyamunite 1Gold 1Commodities
Uranium 7Gold 5Silver 4Lead 4Copper 4Sites
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fan Dyke No. 1 | Uranium | Carnotite | Prospect | 37.252, -105.130 |
| Virginia No. 14 Mine | Uranium | Carnotite, Tyuyamunite | Past Producer | 37.288, -105.146 |
| Little Mattie Lode | Gold, Silver, Lead | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Prospect | 37.369, -104.969 |
| Monitor Lode | Gold | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Prospect | 37.376, -104.974 |
| Uncle Sam Lode | Gold | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Prospect | 37.373, -104.974 |
| Spanish Gold Mine Lode | Gold | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Prospect | 37.371, -104.973 |
| Unnamed Placer | Gold | Gold | Past Producer | 37.364, -104.929 |
| Booster Claim No. 1 | Uranium | — | Occurrence | 37.346, -103.931 |
| Unnamed Uranium Occurrence | Uranium | — | Occurrence | 37.565, -103.121 |
| Mike's Mine | Uranium | — | Occurrence | 37.636, -103.167 |
| Airborne Anomaly | Uranium | — | Occurrence | 37.242, -104.256 |
| Dave Welsh Claim | Uranium | — | Occurrence | 37.248, -104.264 |
Fossil collections
The Paleobiology Database lists 26 fossil collection records in Las Animas County. These are research records, not public dig sites.
Nearby counties
Huerfano County · Costilla County · Alamosa County · Custer County · Pueblo 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