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. Franklin County: 102 sites; most recorded: Galena, Pyrite, Magnetite
  2. Berkshire County: 75 sites; most recorded: Limonite, Goethite, Calcite
  3. Hampshire County: 56 sites; most recorded: Galena, Feldspar, Barite
  4. Hampden County: 55 sites; most recorded: Emery, Mica, Feldspar
  5. Middlesex County: 33 sites; most recorded: Granite, Andalusite

Top minerals

  • Limonite: 37 sites
  • Granite: 17 sites
  • Galena: 13 sites
  • Feldspar: 11 sites
  • Mica: 9 sites
  • Talc: 8 sites
  • Emery: 8 sites
  • Barite: 7 sites

Mineral cards

  • Copper

    Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat

    40 sites

  • Mica

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

    26 sites

  • Silver

    Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat

    25 sites

  • Feldspar

    Mohs 6–6.5. Blocky crystals with flat cleavage faces. Mindat

    22 sites

  • Galena

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

    13 sites

  • Pyrite

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

    11 sites

  • Gold

    Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat

    9 sites

  • Magnetite

    Mohs 5.5–6.5. Black and strongly magnetic. Mindat

    7 sites

  • Quartz

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

    5 sites

  • Beryl

    Mohs 7.5–8. Six-sided crystals; aquamarine and emerald are beryl. Mindat

    2 sites

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

Minerals most often recorded

Limonite 37Granite 17Galena 13Feldspar 11Mica 9Talc 8Emery 8Barite 7Magnetite 7Pyrite 6Sphalerite 4Chalcopyrite 3

Counties

CountySites
Franklin County102
Berkshire County75
Hampshire County56
Hampden County55
Middlesex County33
Worcester County19
Essex County16
Norfolk County11
Suffolk County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)3
Plymouth 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