RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Bay State Group Mine
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 4 gem or collectible minerals (Quartz, Garnet, Gold, Silver) and 7 of our card minerals overall. That ties with 3 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 Silver, Lead. Minerals mentioned: Quartz, Garnet, Gold, Pyrite, Galena, Copper, Silver. Approx. location 42.757, -116.931. 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?
Produced ore or material at some point in the past.
The mineral was noted here, without development.
Explored or test-dug, with no recorded production.
Status not recorded.
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
225 sites
Silver
Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
211 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
76 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
47 sites
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
43 sites
Galena
Mohs 2.5–2.75. Heavy, silvery lead ore that breaks into cubes. Mindat
18 sites
Garnet
Mohs 6.5–7.5. Usually deep red, round many-faced crystals. Mindat
6 sites
Mica
Mohs 2–3. Peels into thin, flexible, shiny sheets. Mindat
5 sites
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Gold 53Chalcopyrite 20Sphalerite 18Galena 17Silver 13Argentite 12Pyrargyrite 9Tetrahedrite 9Stibnite 8Miargyrite 7Polybasite 6Naumannite 5Commodities
Gold 192Silver 101Geothermal 81Lead 20Copper 17Zinc 11Mercury 10Antimony 10Uranium 9Volcanic Materials 7Sites (first 40)
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tunnel Group Mine | Gold, Lead, Silver | Anglesite, Bindheimite, Bornite, Calamine, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Chrysocolla, Copper, Galena, Gold, Linarite, Smithsonite, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 42.762, -116.931 |
| Bay State Group Mine | Silver, Lead | Anglesite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 42.757, -116.931 |
| Breccia Zone Silver Occurrence | — | Argentite | Occurrence | 43.058, -116.902 |
| Oro Fino Mine | Gold, Silver | Argentite | Past Producer | 43.011, -116.698 |
| Afterthought Mine | Gold, Silver | Argentite | Past Producer | 42.998, -116.698 |
| Black Jack-Trade Dollar Mine | Silver | Argentite, Cerargyrite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Jamesonite, Naumannite, Polybasite, Proustite, Sphalerite, Stephanite | Past Producer | 43.023, -116.758 |
| Silver City, War Eagle, Florida | Gold, Silver | Argentite, Cerargyrite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Proustite, Pyrargyrite, Pyrite, Sphalerite | Producer | 43.167, -116.751 |
| Rising Star Mine | Gold, Silver | Argentite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Jamesonite, Miargyrite, Naumannite, Polybasite, Pyrargyrite, Sphalerite, Stephanite, Stibnite, Stromeyerite | Past Producer | 42.919, -116.778 |
| Treasure Vault Mine | Silver | Argentite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Jamesonite, Miargyrite, Naumannite, Polybasite, Pyrargyrite, Sphalerite, Stephanite, Stibnite, Stromeyerite | Past Producer | 42.931, -116.779 |
| Potosi Mine | Silver | Argentite, Copper, Gold | Past Producer | 43.015, -116.733 |
| Silver City Region | Silver, Gold | Argentite, Electrum, Miargyrite, Pyrargyrite, Silver, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 43.017, -116.731 |
| Booneville Mine | Gold, Silver | Argentite, Gold | Past Producer | 43.028, -116.759 |
| Crescent Mine | Silver | Argentite, Miargyrite, Naumannite, Polybasite, Pyrargyrite, Stephanite, Stromeyerite | Past Producer | 42.931, -116.766 |
| Ben-Jel Bentonite Mine | Bentonite | Bentonite | Past Producer | 42.979, -116.353 |
| Standard Shaft Mine | Silver, Lead | Bornite, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Covellite, Galena, Gold, Malachite, Smithsonite, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 42.743, -116.909 |
| Texas Claim Mine | Silver, Gold, Lead | Bornite, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Covellite, Galena, Malachite, Smithsonite, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 42.745, -116.906 |
| Golconda Group Mine | Gold, Lead, Silver | Calamine, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Linarite, Malachite, Smithsonite, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 42.742, -116.923 |
| Poorman Mine | Silver, Gold | Cerargyrite, Chalcopyrite, Gold, Owyheeite, Polybasite, Proustite, Pyrargyrite, Silver, Sphalerite, Stephanite | Past Producer | 43.014, -116.710 |
| Coxcomb Peak Occurrence | Gold, Lead, Silver | Chalcopyrite, Copper, Gold, Sphalerite | Occurrence | 42.737, -116.894 |
| Berg Mine | Silver, Lead | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 43.154, -116.823 |
| Ida Belle Mine | Silver, Zinc, Lead | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 43.178, -116.807 |
| Monarca Mine | Silver, Lead | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 43.143, -116.830 |
| Queen of the Mountains and Kentuck Claims Mine | Lead, Silver, Gold | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 42.751, -116.927 |
| East Creek Mine | Copper, Lead, Antimony, Silver | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Tetrahedrite | Occurrence | 42.927, -116.754 |
| Big Boy Prospect | — | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Tetrahedrite | Occurrence | 42.953, -116.802 |
| Empire Veins Mine | Silver, Gold | Chalcopyrite, Gold | Past Producer | 43.004, -116.709 |
| Morning Star Mine | Silver, Gold | Chalcopyrite, Gold, Silver | Past Producer | 43.022, -116.728 |
| Copper King Prospect | Gold, Silver, Copper | Chalcopyrite, Tetrahedrite | Occurrence | 42.712, -116.984 |
| Grand View Placer | Gold | Chromite, Garnet, Gold, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Martite, Monazite, Platinum, Rutile, Xenotime, Zircon | Past Producer | 42.984, -116.075 |
| Fletcher & Brunzell | — | Cinnabar | Occurrence | 43.194, -116.593 |
| McD Mine | Mercury | Cinnabar | Past Producer | 43.530, -116.979 |
| Owyhee River | — | Cinnabar | Occurrence | 42.580, -116.165 |
| Chrisman Hill Mine | Zeolites | Clinoptilolite | Producer | 43.277, -117.013 |
| Copper Occurrence | — | Copper | Occurrence | 43.062, -116.821 |
| Diatomite Occurrence | Diatomite | Diatomite | Past Producer | 43.332, -116.676 |
| Diatomite Mine | Diatomite | Diatomite | Past Producer | 43.015, -116.553 |
| Diatomite Occurrence | Diatomite | Diatomite | Past Producer | 42.410, -116.560 |
| Pumice Occurrence | — | Diatomite, Pumice | Occurrence | 43.462, -116.830 |
| Last Chance Prospect | Gold, Silver, Lead, Zinc | Galena, Sphalerite | Occurrence | 42.888, -116.594 |
| Independent Claim | Lead, Silver | Galena, Sphalerite | Occurrence | 42.753, -116.933 |
Fossil collections
The Paleobiology Database lists 30 fossil collection records in Owyhee County. These are research records, not public dig sites.
Nearby counties
Canyon County · Ada County · Gem County · Payette County · Boise 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