RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Deer Creek Mine
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 3 gem or collectible minerals (Quartz, Gold, Silver) and 5 of our card minerals overall. No other named site here scores as high on both counts. USGS lists it as producer for Gold. Minerals mentioned: Quartz, Gold, Pyrite, Copper, Silver. Approx. location 46.056, -116.710. 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?
Explored or test-dug, with no recorded production.
Produced ore or material at some point in the past.
Status not recorded.
The mineral was noted here, without development.
Was producing when the record was made.
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
15 sites
Gold
Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat
11 sites
Silver
Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
11 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
2 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
1 site
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Chalcopyrite 2Granite 1Chrysocolla 1Copper 1Molybdenite 1Sylvanite 1Commodities
Copper 10Gold 8Silver 4Granite 1Calcium 1Sites
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horseman's Prospect | Copper | Chalcopyrite, Chrysocolla, Copper, Molybdenite | Prospect | 46.068, -116.710 |
| Deer Creek Mine | Gold | Chalcopyrite, Sylvanite | Producer | 46.056, -116.710 |
| Corral Creek Granite Quarry | Granite | Granite | Past Producer | 46.012, -116.912 |
| Fadio | Copper | — | Unknown | 46.143, -116.890 |
| Empress No.1&2 | Copper | — | Prospect | 46.145, -116.892 |
| Riggs Quarry | Gold | — | Prospect | 45.969, -116.886 |
| Mission Creek Lime Quarry | Calcium | — | Past Producer | 45.312, -116.729 |
| Prospects No.15 | Copper | — | Unknown | 46.086, -116.939 |
| Gold Ring | Copper | — | Prospect | 46.082, -116.938 |
| Golden Crown Group | Copper | — | Unknown | 46.073, -116.946 |
| Sylvanite Gold-Copper Property | Gold | — | Occurrence | 46.495, -116.334 |
| Gold Leaf | Gold | — | Occurrence | 46.086, -116.935 |
| Evergreen Mine | Copper | — | Prospect | 46.147, -116.896 |
| Yellowboy Mine | Gold | — | Prospect | 45.979, -116.889 |
| Rosebud | Gold | — | Past Producer | 46.142, -116.887 |
| Cottonwood Creek Adit | Silver | — | Prospect | 45.942, -116.869 |
| Evening Star Lode | Copper | — | Prospect | 46.030, -116.892 |
| Copper Springs Prospect | Copper | — | Past Producer | 45.879, -116.745 |
| Hether Group | Gold | — | Prospect | 46.155, -116.902 |
| Cache Creek Rapids Adit | Gold | — | Prospect | 45.988, -116.904 |
| Gold Pan | Silver | — | Prospect | 46.081, -116.931 |
Fossil collections
The Paleobiology Database lists 3 fossil collection records in Nez Perce County. These are research records, not public dig sites.
Nearby counties
Lewis County · Latah County · Adams County · Clearwater County · Idaho 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