RockWoofBest regions by county
Ranked by the number of USGS-recorded sites, not by access or quality.
- Polk County: 107 sites; most recorded: Collophane, Sand
- Hillsborough County: 54 sites; most recorded: Sand, Collophane
- Lake County: 30 sites
- Alachua County: 29 sites
- Hardee County: 27 sites; most recorded: Collophane, Sand
Top minerals
- Sand: 45 sites
- Collophane: 44 sites
- Rutile: 17 sites
- Zircon: 17 sites
- Ilmenite: 15 sites
- Kyanite: 12 sites
- Leucoxene: 9 sites
- Dolomite: 5 sites
Mineral cards
Fluorite
Mohs 4. Cubes in purple, green or yellow; many glow under UV. Mindat
122 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
110 sites
Tourmaline
Mohs 7–7.5. Long striated crystals, often black (schorl) or green and pink (elbaite). Mindat
3 sites
Garnet
Mohs 6.5–7.5. Usually deep red, round many-faced crystals. Mindat
1 site
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 most often recorded
Sand 45Collophane 44Rutile 17Zircon 17Ilmenite 15Kyanite 12Leucoxene 9Dolomite 5Clay 4Monazite 3Staurolite 2Brine 1Counties
| County | Sites |
|---|---|
| Polk County | 107 |
| Hillsborough County | 54 |
| Lake County | 30 |
| Alachua County | 29 |
| Hardee County | 27 |
| Manatee County | 25 |
| Bay County | 24 |
| Santa Rosa County | 24 |
| Jackson County | 23 |
| Clay County | 22 |
| Escambia County | 19 |
| St. Lucie County | 17 |
| Gadsden County | 16 |
| Citrus County | 16 |
| DeSoto County | 16 |
| Washington County | 16 |
| Levy County | 15 |
| Putnam County | 14 |
| Marion County | 14 |
| Leon County | 14 |
| Pasco County | 14 |
| Seminole County | 11 |
| Hamilton County | 10 |
| Walton County | 10 |
| Sarasota County | 9 |
| Brevard County | 7 |
| Palm Beach County | 7 |
| Calhoun County | 7 |
| Indian River County | 6 |
| Columbia County | 6 |
| Broward County | 6 |
| Charlotte County | 6 |
| Taylor County | 6 |
| Collier County | 5 |
| Glades County | 5 |
| Duval County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 4 |
| Gulf County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 4 |
| Liberty County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 4 |
| Hendry County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 4 |
| Hernando County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 4 |
| Sumter County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 4 |
| Orange County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 4 |
| Okaloosa County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 4 |
| Wakulla County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 4 |
| Nassau County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 3 |
| St. Johns County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 3 |
| Jefferson County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 3 |
| Franklin County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 3 |
| Volusia County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 3 |
| Gilchrist County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 2 |
| Holmes County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 2 |
| Bradford County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 2 |
| Baker County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 2 |
| Suwannee County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 2 |
| Martin County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 2 |
| Lafayette County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 2 |
| Pinellas County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 2 |
| Flagler County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 2 |
| Highlands County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 2 |
| Osceola County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 1 |
| Miami-Dade County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 1 |
| Lee County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 1 |
| Madison County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 1 |
| Dixie County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 1 |
Mineral guides
- Quartz in Florida (110)
- Fluorite in Florida (122)
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