RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Alder Pond
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 2 gem or collectible minerals (Quartz, Silver) and 7 of our card minerals overall. No other named site here scores as high on both counts. USGS lists it as prospect for Copper, Zinc, Lead. Minerals mentioned: Quartz, Mica, Feldspar, Pyrite, Galena, Copper, Silver. Approx. location 45.336, -70.208. 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.
A processing plant site.
Status not recorded.
Status terms come from USGS MRDS records.
Mineral cards
Silver
Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
11 sites
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
9 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
5 sites
Galena
Mohs 2.5–2.75. Heavy, silvery lead ore that breaks into cubes. Mindat
3 sites
Gold
Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat
2 sites
Feldspar
Mohs 6–6.5. Blocky crystals with flat cleavage faces. Mindat
2 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
1 site
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 recorded here
Chalcopyrite 5Molybdenite 3Galena 3Sphalerite 2Bornite 1Magnetite 1Zircon 1Pentlandite 1Pyrite 1Commodities
Silver 10Copper 6Lead 5Granite 4Molybdenum 3Zinc 3Rhenium 2Zirconium 1Nickel 1Arsenic 1Sites
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dodlin Hill | Molybdenum, Zirconium | Bornite, Magnetite, Molybdenite, Zircon | Occurrence | 44.683, -69.799 |
| Catheart Mtn. | Molybdenum, Rhenium | Chalcopyrite, Molybdenite | Occurrence | 45.533, -70.216 |
| Moxie Pond (Black Narrows) Pyrrhotite | Nickel, Copper | Chalcopyrite, Pentlandite | Occurrence | 45.315, -69.846 |
| Embden Mine | Lead, Silver | Galena | Past Producer | 44.961, -69.877 |
| Robinson Mine | Silver, Lead, Zinc | Galena, Sphalerite, Chalcopyrite | Past Producer | 44.999, -69.970 |
| Catheart Mountain | Copper, Molybdenum, Rhenium | Molybdenite, Chalcopyrite | Occurrence | 45.534, -70.216 |
| Alder Pond | Copper, Zinc, Lead | Sphalerite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Pyrite | Prospect | 45.336, -70.208 |
| Chase Stream (Squirtgun) | Copper | — | Occurrence | 45.491, -69.941 |
| New St. Albans Mining Company | Silver | — | Past Producer | 44.886, -69.347 |
| New St. Albans Milling Company | Silver | — | Plant | 44.886, -69.347 |
| New York and New England Prospect | Lead | — | Prospect | 44.936, -69.396 |
| Porter Mine | Silver | — | Prospect | 44.900, -69.348 |
| Gould Prospect | — | — | Unknown | 44.936, -69.396 |
| Moody Corner Prospect | Arsenic | — | Occurrence | 45.007, -69.700 |
| Lawton Quarry | Granite | — | Past Producer | 44.679, -69.797 |
| St. Albans Prospect | Silver | — | Prospect | 44.936, -69.396 |
| Mineral Spring Prospect | Silver | — | Prospect | 44.840, -69.356 |
| Robinson Mine | — | — | Past Producer | 44.979, -69.923 |
| Moxie Pluton | — | — | Occurrence | 45.617, -69.799 |
| Unnamed Prospect | Copper, Silver | — | Occurrence | 45.105, -69.695 |
| Tunnel Quarry | Slate, Dimension | — | Past Producer | 45.103, -69.703 |
| Hartland Quarry | Granite | — | Past Producer | 44.896, -69.497 |
| Taylor Quarry | Granite | — | Past Producer | 44.681, -69.801 |
| Indian Lead Prospect | Lead | — | Prospect | 43.444, -70.960 |
| Dodlin Hill Quarry | Granite | — | Past Producer | 44.682, -69.791 |
Fossil collections
The Paleobiology Database lists 5 fossil collection records in Somerset County. These are research records, not public dig sites.
Nearby counties
Piscataquis County · Franklin County · Penobscot County · Kennebec County · Waldo County
Maine mineral guides
Back to all Maine 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