RockWoof
Check access before you go. Most sites listed here are old mines, quarries or prospects, and many are on private land or active mining claims. Get the landowner's permission, check the rules of the agency that manages any public land, and never enter mine workings. Locations are approximate.

Best regions by county

Ranked by the number of USGS-recorded sites, not by access or quality.

  1. Martin County: 160 sites
  2. Lawrence County: 43 sites; most recorded: Sphalerite, Fluorite
  3. Greene County: 43 sites
  4. Clark County: 33 sites
  5. Monroe County: 13 sites; most recorded: Sphalerite

Top minerals

  • Sphalerite: 17 sites
  • Fluorite: 5 sites
  • Galena: 2 sites

Mineral cards

  • Fluorite

    Mohs 4. Cubes in purple, green or yellow; many glow under UV. Mindat

    18 sites

  • Quartz

    Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat

    7 sites

  • Galena

    Mohs 2.5–2.75. Heavy, silvery lead ore that breaks into cubes. Mindat

    2 sites

Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.

Minerals most often recorded

Sphalerite 17Fluorite 5Galena 2

Counties

CountySites
Martin County160
Lawrence County43
Greene County43
Clark County33
Monroe County13
Sullivan County10
Lake County7
Harrison County6
Marion County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)4
Scott County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)4
Daviess County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)4
Knox County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)4
Jennings County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)3
Clay County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)3
Washington County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)3
Brown County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)3
Allen County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)2
Jasper County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)2
Madison County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)2
Tippecanoe County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)2
Orange County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)2
Wells County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Shelby County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Howard County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Cass County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Carroll County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Crawford County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Newton County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Putnam County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Pulaski County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Dubois County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Jefferson County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
La Porte County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Warrick County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Morgan County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1

Mineral guides

Related articles

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