RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Last Chance Mine
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 4 gem or collectible minerals (Beryl, Tourmaline, Quartz, Garnet) 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 Mica. Minerals mentioned: Beryl, Tourmaline, Quartz, Garnet, Mica, Feldspar. Approx. location 46.878, -116.582. 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.
Was producing when the record was made.
Explored or test-dug, with no recorded production.
Status not recorded.
Status terms come from USGS MRDS records.
Mineral cards
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
30 sites
Gold
Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat
30 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
20 sites
Mica
Mohs 2–3. Peels into thin, flexible, shiny sheets. Mindat
19 sites
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
18 sites
Garnet
Mohs 6.5–7.5. Usually deep red, round many-faced crystals. Mindat
16 sites
Beryl
Mohs 7.5–8. Six-sided crystals; aquamarine and emerald are beryl. Mindat
10 sites
Tourmaline
Mohs 7–7.5. Long striated crystals, often black (schorl) or green and pink (elbaite). Mindat
7 sites
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Chalcopyrite 14Gold 14Beryl 10Clay 9Bornite 7Malachite 6Cuprite 4Muscovite 4Tetrahedrite 3Chalcocite 3Covellite 3Sillimanite 3Commodities
Gold 14Mica 11Copper 8Kaolin 6Silver 5Beryllium 5Silica 3Tungsten 1Gemstone 1Aluminum 1Sites (first 40)
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lucky Jim Prospect | Mica | Beryl | Past Producer | 46.903, -116.562 |
| Olson Mine | Mica | Beryl | Past Producer | 46.873, -116.580 |
| Campbell Mine | — | Beryl | Past Producer | 46.875, -116.580 |
| Last Chance Mine | Mica | Beryl | Past Producer | 46.878, -116.582 |
| Luella Mine | Mica | Beryl | Past Producer | 46.878, -116.603 |
| Morning Star Claims | — | Beryl | Occurrence | 46.900, -116.569 |
| Maxine No. 2 Mine | Mica | Beryl, Mica | Past Producer | 46.874, -116.584 |
| Muscovite Mine | Mica, Beryllium | Beryl, Muscovite | Past Producer | 46.890, -116.579 |
| Mc Kinney Prospect | Beryllium | Beryl, Muscovite | Past Producer | 46.879, -116.782 |
| Steel Smith Mica Mine | Mica | Beryl, Muscovite | Past Producer | 46.875, -116.571 |
| Mizpah Mine | Copper | Bornite, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Chrysocolla, Covellite, Cubanite, Cuprite, Malachite, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 46.997, -116.501 |
| Gemmill Prospect | Copper, Gold, Silver | Bornite, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Covellite | Occurrence | 46.719, -116.699 |
| O.K. Olson | Silver, Gold, Copper | Bornite, Chalcopyrite | Occurrence | 46.732, -116.699 |
| Copper Chief Mine | Copper | Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Cobaltite, Sillimanite | Past Producer | 46.729, -116.640 |
| Gold Bug Prospect | Gold, Silver, Copper | Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Cuprite, Galena, Malachite, Molybdenite, Tetrahedrite | Occurrence | 46.963, -116.744 |
| Bishop Claim Prospect | — | Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Cuprite, Malachite, Tetrahedrite | Occurrence | 46.967, -116.749 |
| Feather Creek Prospect | — | Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Malachite | Occurrence | 46.962, -116.418 |
| Gold Hill Prospect | — | Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Chrysocolla, Copper, Covellite, Cuprite, Malachite, Tetrahedrite | Occurrence | 46.957, -116.747 |
| Hecla Prospect | — | Chalcopyrite | Occurrence | 47.003, -116.505 |
| Copper King Mine | Copper | Chalcopyrite | Past Producer | 46.995, -116.497 |
| Copper Occurrence | — | Chalcopyrite | Occurrence | 46.977, -116.470 |
| Copper Occurrence | — | Chalcopyrite | Occurrence | 47.007, -116.480 |
| Black Horse Prospect | — | Chalcopyrite, Copper | Occurrence | 46.966, -116.768 |
| Mountain Gulch Prospect | — | Chalcopyrite, Sphalerite | Occurrence | 47.029, -116.520 |
| Park Clay Occurrence No. 1 | — | Clay | Occurrence | 46.730, -116.437 |
| Park Clay Occurrence No. 2 | — | Clay | Occurrence | 46.747, -116.382 |
| High Iron Olson Clay Deposit | — | Clay | Occurrence | 46.763, -116.625 |
| Ayer Deposit No. 1 | — | Clay | Occurrence | 46.794, -117.031 |
| Deary Clay Prospect East | — | Clay | Occurrence | 46.798, -116.542 |
| Joel Clay Mine | Kaolin | Clay | Past Producer | 46.720, -116.885 |
| Yale Clay Occurrence | — | Clay | Occurrence | 46.856, -116.692 |
| Potlatch South Clay Occurrence | — | Clay | Occurrence | 46.892, -116.966 |
| Pine Grove School Clay Deposit | — | Clay | Occurrence | 46.580, -116.797 |
| Sherwin Garnet Placer | — | Garnet | Occurrence | 46.918, -116.341 |
| Emerald Creek Garnet Occurrence | — | Garnet | Occurrence | 46.997, -116.376 |
| Hidden Treasure Placer | — | Gold | Occurrence | 47.000, -116.544 |
| Carrico Mine and Placer | Gold | Gold | Producer | 46.992, -116.806 |
| Silver King Property | — | Gold | Occurrence | 46.807, -116.337 |
| Mary Lee Placer | — | Gold | Occurrence | 47.011, -116.533 |
| Black Dust Placer | — | Gold | Occurrence | 47.004, -116.543 |
Nearby counties
Benewah County · Clearwater County · Kootenai County · Lewis County · Shoshone 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