RockWoofBest regions by county
Ranked by the number of USGS-recorded sites, not by access or quality.
- Iron County: 895 sites; most recorded: Hematite, Goethite, Limonite
- Marquette County: 370 sites; most recorded: Hematite, Goethite, Magnetite
- Keweenaw County: 154 sites; most recorded: Copper, Chalcocite, Silver
- Houghton County: 133 sites; most recorded: Copper, Silver, Chalcocite
- Gogebic County: 103 sites; most recorded: Hematite, Goethite, Copper
Top minerals
- Hematite: 251 sites
- Goethite: 205 sites
- Copper: 161 sites
- Magnetite: 122 sites
- Gold: 38 sites
- Quartz: 24 sites
- Chalcocite: 22 sites
- Silver: 22 sites
Mineral cards
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
426 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
287 sites
Magnetite
Mohs 5.5–6.5. Black and strongly magnetic. Mindat
145 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
103 sites
Mica
Mohs 2–3. Peels into thin, flexible, shiny sheets. Mindat
101 sites
Silver
Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
97 sites
Feldspar
Mohs 6–6.5. Blocky crystals with flat cleavage faces. Mindat
94 sites
Gold
Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat
72 sites
Garnet
Mohs 6.5–7.5. Usually deep red, round many-faced crystals. Mindat
15 sites
Tourmaline
Mohs 7–7.5. Long striated crystals, often black (schorl) or green and pink (elbaite). Mindat
11 sites
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals most often recorded
Hematite 251Goethite 205Copper 161Magnetite 122Gold 38Quartz 24Chalcocite 22Silver 22Limonite 21Grunerite 10Dolomite 4Graphite 3Counties
| County | Sites |
|---|---|
| Iron County | 895 |
| Marquette County | 370 |
| Keweenaw County | 154 |
| Houghton County | 133 |
| Gogebic County | 103 |
| Ontonagon County | 91 |
| Dickinson County | 47 |
| Baraga County | 41 |
| Wayne County | 10 |
| Berrien County | 7 |
| Manistee County | 7 |
| Muskegon County | 6 |
| St. Clair County | 5 |
| Mason County | 5 |
| Midland County | 5 |
| Ottawa County | 5 |
| Van Buren County | 5 |
| Arenac County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 4 |
| Jackson County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 3 |
| Chippewa County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 3 |
| Oakland County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 2 |
| Saginaw County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 2 |
| Schoolcraft County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 2 |
| Washtenaw County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 2 |
| Allegan County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 2 |
| Eaton County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 2 |
| Macomb County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 2 |
| Alpena County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 2 |
| Wexford County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 2 |
| Mackinac County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 2 |
| Hillsdale County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 1 |
| Grand Traverse County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 1 |
| Lapeer County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 1 |
| Monroe County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 1 |
| Montcalm County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 1 |
| Gratiot County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 1 |
| Branch County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 1 |
| Kent County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 1 |
| Huron County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 1 |
| Calhoun County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 1 |
| Mecosta County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 1 |
| Osceola County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 1 |
| Benzie County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 1 |
| Tuscola County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 1 |
| Menominee County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 1 |
Mineral guides
- Tourmaline in Michigan (11)
- Quartz in Michigan (287)
- Garnet in Michigan (15)
- Gold in Michigan (72)
- Mica in Michigan (101)
- Feldspar in Michigan (94)
- Magnetite in Michigan (145)
- Pyrite in Michigan (103)
- Copper in Michigan (426)
- Silver in Michigan (97)
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