RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Gay Mine
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 3 gem or collectible minerals (Quartz, Agate, Fluorite) and 5 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, Feldspar, Agate, Pyrite, Fluorite. Approx. location 43.049, -112.114. 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.
Status not recorded.
Explored or test-dug, with no recorded production.
Was producing when the record was made.
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
Fluorite
Mohs 4. Cubes in purple, green or yellow; many glow under UV. Mindat
3 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
2 sites
Feldspar
Mohs 6–6.5. Blocky crystals with flat cleavage faces. Mindat
1 site
Agate
Mohs 6.5–7. Banded, translucent chalcedony. Mindat
1 site
Magnetite
Mohs 5.5–6.5. Black and strongly magnetic. Mindat
1 site
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
1 site
Silver
Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
1 site
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Gold 2Ilmenite 1Magnetite 1Platinum 1Zircon 1Dolomite 1Limestone 1Commodities
Phosphorus-Phosphates 13Gold 5Platinum 1Sites
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homer Valley Limestone - Dolomite Deposit | — | Dolomite, Limestone | Occurrence | 43.204, -111.593 |
| Gold Point and Eagle Bend Placer | Gold | Gold | Past Producer | 43.145, -112.484 |
| Welch Ground, and Gold Point and Eagle Bend | Gold | Gold, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Platinum, Zircon | Producer | 43.186, -112.389 |
| Westvaco Mine | Phosphorus-Phosphates | — | Occurrence | 43.031, -112.058 |
| Gay Mine | Phosphorus-Phosphates | — | Producer | 43.049, -112.112 |
| Phosphate Deposit | Phosphorus-Phosphates | — | Unknown | 43.119, -112.205 |
| South Cranes Flat Phosphate Occurrence | Phosphorus-Phosphates | — | Occurrence | 43.051, -111.672 |
| Wolverine Creek Phosphate Deposit | Phosphorus-Phosphates | — | Prospect | 43.283, -111.885 |
| Taylor Creek Phosphate Deposit | — | — | Occurrence | 43.305, -111.941 |
| Miner Creek Phosphate Deposit | Phosphorus-Phosphates | — | Occurrence | 43.237, -111.878 |
| Phosphate Deposit | — | — | Occurrence | 43.112, -111.797 |
| Lincoln Canyon Phosphate Deposit | Phosphorus-Phosphates | — | Occurrence | 43.086, -112.095 |
| Phosphate Deposit | Phosphorus-Phosphates | — | Occurrence | 43.110, -112.075 |
| Blackfoot Mountains Phosphate Deposit | — | — | Occurrence | 43.041, -111.797 |
| Gay Mine | Phosphorus-Phosphates | — | Past Producer | 43.049, -112.114 |
| Williams Creek | Phosphorus-Phosphates | — | Prospect | 43.305, -111.941 |
| Flyg Farm | Gold | — | Unknown | 43.101, -112.368 |
| Snake River Placer | Gold | — | Past Producer | 43.186, -112.389 |
| Welch Ground | Gold | — | Past Producer | 43.149, -112.461 |
| Simplot Mine | Phosphorus-Phosphates | — | Unknown | 43.049, -112.110 |
| Blackfoot Mountains Prospects | Phosphorus-Phosphates | — | Prospect | 43.041, -111.797 |
| Sampson #1 | Phosphorus-Phosphates | — | Unknown | 43.259, -111.931 |
Fossil collections
The Paleobiology Database lists 4 fossil collection records in Bingham County. These are research records, not public dig sites.
Nearby counties
Bannock County · Bonneville County · Jefferson County · Caribou County · Teton 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