RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Albion Group Mine
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 2 other site(s), so we broke the tie by mine status (past producers first), then USGS record quality, then name. USGS lists it as past producer for Lead, Silver, Gold. Minerals mentioned: Quartz, Gold, Pyrite, Galena, Copper, Silver. Approx. location 42.308, -113.588. 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
29 sites
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
21 sites
Silver
Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
21 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
19 sites
Garnet
Mohs 6.5–7.5. Usually deep red, round many-faced crystals. Mindat
12 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
7 sites
Galena
Mohs 2.5–2.75. Heavy, silvery lead ore that breaks into cubes. Mindat
6 sites
Mica
Mohs 2–3. Peels into thin, flexible, shiny sheets. Mindat
2 sites
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Tetrahedrite 11Malachite 10Galena 6Pyromorphite 5Sphalerite 4Cinnabar 3Marble 3Chalcopyrite 3Smithsonite 3Jamesonite 2Pegmatite 2Magnetite 1Commodities
Geothermal 40Gold 27Lead 23Silver 12REE 11Copper 10Uranium 6Marble 5Dimension 5Lignite 5Sites (first 40)
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melcher Mine | Lead | Anglesite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Malachite, Pyromorphite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 42.307, -113.556 |
| Hazel Pine Mine | Silver, Lead, Gold | Calamine, Smithsonite | Past Producer | 42.082, -113.030 |
| Albion Group Mine | Lead, Silver, Gold | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Malachite, Pyromorphite, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 42.308, -113.588 |
| Big Bertha Group | Gold | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Pyromorphite, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 42.316, -113.582 |
| Last Chance Group Prospect | Copper | Chrysocolla, Malachite | Prospect | 42.195, -113.640 |
| Valentine Mine | Mercury | Cinnabar | Past Producer | 42.074, -113.037 |
| Miller Cinnabar | Mercury | Cinnabar, Jamesonite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 42.085, -113.052 |
| Ruth Mine | Zinc | Cinnabar, Malachite, Smithsonite, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 42.098, -113.047 |
| Clay Deposit | — | Clay | Occurrence | 42.512, -113.577 |
| Mineral Gulch Prospect | Gold | Copper, Gold, Tetrahedrite | Occurrence | 42.096, -113.033 |
| Old Dominion Mine | Silver, Lead | Galena, Lead, Malachite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 42.469, -113.530 |
| Boulder Creek Prospect | Copper, Silver, Lead | Galena, Malachite, Tetrahedrite | Occurrence | 42.301, -113.703 |
| Golden Eagle Mine | Lead | Galena, Pyromorphite | Past Producer | 42.305, -113.609 |
| Silver Hills Mine | Lead, Zinc, Silver | Jamesonite, Malachite, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 42.095, -113.074 |
| Cyanite Occurrence | — | Kyanite | Occurrence | 42.487, -113.547 |
| East Dry Fork Prospect | — | Limonite | Occurrence | 42.103, -113.072 |
| City of Rocks Uranium Deposit | Uranium, REE, Thorium | Magnetite | Occurrence | 42.074, -113.711 |
| Mineral Gulch Prospect | Copper | Malachite, Smithsonite | Occurrence | 42.097, -113.054 |
| War Eagle Peak Prospect | — | Malachite, Tetrahedrite | Occurrence | 42.110, -113.104 |
| Gray Copper Prospect | Copper | Malachite, Tetrahedrite | Prospect | 42.255, -113.720 |
| Marble Quarry | Marble, Dimension | Marble | Past Producer | 42.174, -113.766 |
| Marble Quarry | Marble, Dimension | Marble | Past Producer | 42.521, -113.562 |
| Marble Quarry | Marble, Dimension | Marble | Past Producer | 42.364, -113.709 |
| City of Rocks Mine | Feldspar, Uranium | Pegmatite | Past Producer | 42.047, -113.736 |
| South Mountain Pegmatites | Feldspar | Pegmatite | Occurrence | 42.035, -113.839 |
| Harris and Hume Prospect | Silver | Pyromorphite | Past Producer | 42.312, -113.609 |
| Excelsior | Silver, Gold | — | Producer | 42.304, -113.571 |
| Bancroft Claim Placer | Gold | — | Past Producer | 42.626, -113.278 |
| Idaho Placer | Gold | — | Past Producer | 42.673, -113.435 |
| City of Rocks Uranium Placer Deposit | Uranium | — | Prospect | 42.077, -113.691 |
| Snake River Placers | Gold | — | Past Producer | 42.555, -113.781 |
| G. W. Lish Farm Placer | Gold | — | Past Producer | 42.624, -113.223 |
| Marble Quarry | Marble, Dimension | — | Past Producer | 42.446, -113.616 |
| Sweetzer Farm Placer | Gold | — | Past Producer | 42.611, -113.242 |
| Uranium Deposit | Uranium | — | Occurrence | 42.105, -114.007 |
| General Grant Placer | Gold | — | Past Producer | 42.674, -113.418 |
| Spring Bar Placer | Gold | — | Past Producer | 42.616, -113.255 |
| Snake River Placer | Gold | — | Past Producer | 42.682, -113.396 |
| Durango Placer | Gold | — | Past Producer | 42.614, -113.249 |
| Sears Spring | Geothermal | — | Occurrence | 42.238, -113.587 |
Fossil collections
The Paleobiology Database lists 2 fossil collection records in Cassia County. These are research records, not public dig sites.
Nearby counties
Minidoka County · Jerome County · Power County · Twin Falls County · Oneida 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