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. Litchfield County: 104 sites; most recorded: Pyrite, Chalcopyrite, Limonite
  2. Middlesex County: 98 sites; most recorded: Quartz, Feldspar, Beryl
  3. Hartford County: 69 sites; most recorded: Quartz, Feldspar, Chalcocite
  4. New Haven County: 65 sites; most recorded: Barite, Malachite, Chalcocite
  5. Fairfield County: 56 sites; most recorded: Sphalerite, Galena, Feldspar

Top minerals

  • Quartz: 49 sites
  • Feldspar: 34 sites
  • Chalcopyrite: 23 sites
  • Pyrite: 23 sites
  • Muscovite: 19 sites
  • Plagioclase: 17 sites
  • Sphalerite: 16 sites
  • Barite: 16 sites

Mineral cards

  • Feldspar

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

    125 sites

  • Mica

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

    118 sites

  • Quartz

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

    94 sites

  • Garnet

    Mohs 6.5–7.5. Usually deep red, round many-faced crystals. Mindat

    45 sites

  • Pyrite

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

    42 sites

  • Copper

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

    41 sites

  • Tourmaline

    Mohs 7–7.5. Long striated crystals, often black (schorl) or green and pink (elbaite). Mindat

    32 sites

  • Beryl

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

    27 sites

  • Magnetite

    Mohs 5.5–6.5. Black and strongly magnetic. Mindat

    27 sites

  • Silver

    Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat

    16 sites

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

Minerals most often recorded

Quartz 49Feldspar 34Chalcopyrite 23Pyrite 23Muscovite 19Plagioclase 17Sphalerite 16Barite 16Beryl 15Galena 13Pyrrhotite 13Magnetite 11

Counties

CountySites
Litchfield County104
Middlesex County98
Hartford County69
New Haven County65
Fairfield County56
New London County35
Windham County15
Tolland County7

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