RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Paris-Bloomington
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 3 gem or collectible minerals (Quartz, 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 Phosphorus-Phosphates. Minerals mentioned: Quartz, Mica, Feldspar, Pyrite, Fluorite, Silver. Approx. location 42.193, -111.438. 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.
Explored or test-dug, with no recorded production.
Status not recorded.
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
14 sites
Silver
Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
10 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
6 sites
Gold
Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat
6 sites
Galena
Mohs 2.5–2.75. Heavy, silvery lead ore that breaks into cubes. Mindat
5 sites
Mica
Mohs 2–3. Peels into thin, flexible, shiny sheets. Mindat
3 sites
Feldspar
Mohs 6–6.5. Blocky crystals with flat cleavage faces. Mindat
3 sites
Fluorite
Mohs 4. Cubes in purple, green or yellow; many glow under UV. Mindat
2 sites
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Galena 5Malachite 5Copper 4Wulfenite 2Brochantite 2Psilomelane 1Pyrolusite 1Cerussite 1Sphalerite 1Chalcocite 1Covellite 1Apatite 1Commodities
Phosphorus-Phosphates 27Copper 11Lead 7Manganese 4Gold 2Sulfur 2Silver 2Magnesite 2Uranium 1Geothermal 1Sites (first 40)
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgetown Canyon Mine | Phosphorus-Phosphates | Apatite | Past Producer | 42.538, -111.239 |
| Nounan Group | — | Brochantite, Copper, Malachite | Occurrence | 42.468, -111.460 |
| Humming Bird Group | Lead, Copper | Brochantite, Copper, Malachite | Past Producer | 42.237, -111.505 |
| Berrett and Ricks Prospect | Lead | Cerussite, Galena | Occurrence | 42.236, -111.493 |
| Duke Mine | Copper | Chalcocite, Covellite, Malachite | Past Producer | 42.222, -111.183 |
| Bonneville Group | Copper | Copper | Past Producer | 42.267, -111.181 |
| Co-op Creek Prospects | Copper | Copper | Prospect | 42.456, -111.472 |
| Spence Group | Lead | Galena | Occurrence | 42.186, -111.477 |
| Boulder - Bonanza Group | Lead | Galena | Past Producer | 42.255, -111.497 |
| Blackstone Mine | Lead | Galena, Sphalerite, Wulfenite | Past Producer | 42.109, -111.447 |
| Idaho Gem Group | Lead | Galena, Wulfenite | Prospect | 42.122, -111.450 |
| Bonanza Shaft | Copper | Malachite | Past Producer | 42.226, -111.182 |
| Evening Star Group | Uranium, Copper | Malachite | Occurrence | 42.339, -111.189 |
| Waterloo Mine | Phosphorus-Phosphates | Oil Shale | Past Producer | 42.322, -111.238 |
| Worm Creek Prospect | Manganese | Psilomelane, Pyrolusite | Occurrence | 42.151, -111.456 |
| Bear Lake Mine | Phosphorus-Phosphates | — | Past Producer | 42.234, -111.450 |
| Tiptop Prospect | — | — | Occurrence | 42.355, -111.401 |
| Colorado - Idaho Mine | Gold | — | Past Producer | 42.149, -111.150 |
| Manganese Deposit | — | — | Occurrence | 42.174, -111.436 |
| Phosphate Deposit | — | — | Occurrence | 42.578, -111.411 |
| Phosphate Deposit | Phosphorus-Phosphates | — | Occurrence | 42.412, -111.399 |
| Phosphate Deposit | Phosphorus-Phosphates | — | Occurrence | 42.246, -111.454 |
| Phosphate Deposit | — | — | Occurrence | 42.488, -111.260 |
| Bennington Canyon Mine | Phosphorus-Phosphates | — | Past Producer | 42.382, -111.275 |
| Hots Springs Phosphate Deposit | Phosphorus-Phosphates | — | Occurrence | 42.107, -111.259 |
| Copper Prospect | — | — | Occurrence | 42.274, -111.180 |
| Phosphate Deposit | Phosphorus-Phosphates | — | Occurrence | 42.462, -111.424 |
| Phosphate Deposit | Phosphorus-Phosphates | — | Occurrence | 42.323, -111.264 |
| Home Canyon Mine | Phosphorus-Phosphates | — | Past Producer | 42.331, -111.238 |
| Unnamed Location | Phosphorus-Phosphates | — | Occurrence | 42.187, -111.431 |
| McIlwee Mine | Phosphorus-Phosphates | — | Unknown | 42.209, -111.451 |
| Bear River Area | Phosphorus-Phosphates | — | Unknown | 42.425, -111.384 |
| Paris-Bloomington | Phosphorus-Phosphates | — | Past Producer | 42.193, -111.438 |
| Unnamed Sulfur Occurrence | Sulfur | — | Occurrence | 42.558, -111.392 |
| Pine Gap No.1 | Manganese | — | Unknown | 42.102, -111.159 |
| Bear Lake Hot Spring | Geothermal | — | Occurrence | 42.115, -111.264 |
| Unnamed Location | Phosphorus-Phosphates | — | Occurrence | 42.131, -111.263 |
| Worm Creek Prospect | Manganese | — | Unknown | 42.148, -111.439 |
| Clark Mine | Silver | — | Past Producer | 42.148, -111.451 |
| Utah Fertilizer & Chemical Mfg. Co. | Phosphorus-Phosphates | — | Past Producer | 42.479, -111.260 |
Fossil collections
The Paleobiology Database lists 37 fossil collection records in Bear Lake County. These are research records, not public dig sites.
Nearby counties
Franklin County · Caribou County · Oneida County · Bannock County · Bingham County
Idaho mineral guides
Back to all Idaho 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