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. Crittenden County: 104 sites; most recorded: Sphalerite, Galena, Smithsonite
  2. Livingston County: 47 sites; most recorded: Sphalerite, Fluorite, Galena
  3. Caldwell County: 24 sites; most recorded: Barite, Fluorite, Galena
  4. Monroe County: 8 sites
  5. Bath County: 6 sites

Top minerals

  • Sphalerite: 24 sites
  • Barite: 18 sites
  • Galena: 18 sites
  • Fluorite: 11 sites
  • Smithsonite: 3 sites
  • Strontianite: 2 sites
  • Anglesite: 1 sites
  • Pyromorphite: 1 sites

Mineral cards

  • Fluorite

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

    171 sites

  • Galena

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

    31 sites

  • Quartz

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

    13 sites

  • Pyrite

    Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat

    5 sites

  • Silver

    Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat

    3 sites

  • Mica

    Mohs 2–3. Peels into thin, flexible, shiny sheets. Mindat

    1 site

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

Minerals most often recorded

Sphalerite 24Barite 18Galena 18Fluorite 11Smithsonite 3Strontianite 2Anglesite 1Pyromorphite 1Pyrite 1

Counties

CountySites
Crittenden County104
Livingston County47
Caldwell County24
Monroe County8
Bath County6
Hardin County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)4
Cumberland County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)3
Bourbon County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)3
Fayette County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)3
Owen County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)3
Marshall County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)3
Boyd County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)3
Carter County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)3
Franklin County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)2
Boyle County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)2
Jessamine County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)2
Scott County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)2
Laurel County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)2
Hancock County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)2
Jackson County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)2
Anderson County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)2
Letcher County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)2
Harrison County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Henry County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Mercer County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Allen County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Bullitt County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Graves County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Union County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Floyd County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Garrard County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Shelby County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Bell County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Johnson County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Edmonson County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
McCreary County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
McLean County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Hickman County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Meade County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Breckinridge County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Jefferson County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Lawrence County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Wolfe County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Fulton County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Mason County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Logan County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Christian County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Henderson County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Harlan 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