RockWoofFound alongside
Feldspar
Mohs 6–6.5. Blocky crystals with flat cleavage faces. Mindat
67 sites
Mica
Mohs 2–3. Peels into thin, flexible, shiny sheets. Mindat
20 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
18 sites
Magnetite
Mohs 5.5–6.5. Black and strongly magnetic. Mindat
16 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
9 sites
Garnet
Mohs 6.5–7.5. Usually deep red, round many-faced crystals. Mindat
8 sites
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
By county
Madison County (27) · Beaverhead County (23) · Lewis and Clark County (6) · Granite County (3) · Lincoln County (2) · Jefferson County (1) · Silver Bow County (1) · Powell County (1) · Deer Lodge County (1) · Park County (1) · Gallatin County (1)
Sites (first 60)
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pohndorf Mine | Gemstone | Amethyst | Past Producer | 45.869, -112.354 |
| Main Range Beryl | — | Beryl | Occurrence | 46.033, -113.137 |
| Noble Mine | Gold, Silver, Copper | Bornite, Cerargyrite, Chalcopyrite, Gold, Malachite, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 45.537, -112.109 |
| Copper King Mine | Silver, Copper | Bornite, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Magnetite, Sphalerite | Producer | 45.123, -109.907 |
| Heddleston Deposit | Copper | Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Covellite, Molybdenite, Pyrite, Sphalerite, Galena, Arsenopyrite, Bornite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 47.023, -112.363 |
| Mullin Claim | Gold | Chalcopyrite, Chrysocolla, Gold | Past Producer | 46.684, -112.077 |
| Clay Deposit In Haskell Area | Bloating Material | Chlorite, Feldspar, Montmorillonite, Quartz | Occurrence | 46.619, -113.056 |
| Horse Creek Quartz Diorite Pegmatite | Chromium, Mica, Feldspar, Quartz | Chromite | Occurrence | 45.435, -112.117 |
| Beartrap Corumdum Deposit | Corundum | Corundum, Sillimanite | Occurrence | 45.517, -111.537 |
| Claystone Deposit West of Blossburg | Kaolin | Feldspar, Illite, Quartz | Occurrence | 46.633, -112.329 |
| Clay Deposit Near Antelope Creek | Aluminum | Feldspar, Kaolin, Montmorillonite | Occurrence | 46.689, -113.288 |
| Clay Deposit Near Miles Crossing | Aggregate, Light Weight | Feldspar, Montmorillonite, Pyrophyllite, Quartz | Occurrence | 46.011, -112.709 |
| Watseca Mine | Gold | Galena, Sphalerite, Gold, Arsenopyrite | Past Producer | 45.620, -112.506 |
| Big Ben | Feldspar | Gold | Occurrence | 46.802, -112.443 |
| Buckeye | Feldspar | Gold | Occurrence | 46.802, -112.443 |
| The Reef Titanium/Iron Occurrence | — | Ilmenite, Magnetite | Occurrence | 47.127, -112.116 |
| Unnamed Feldspar Occurrence | Feldspar | Microcline | Occurrence | 45.205, -112.383 |
| Unnamed Feldspar Occurrence | Feldspar | Microcline | Occurrence | 45.186, -112.410 |
| Unnamed Fld Occ | Feldspar | Microcline | Occurrence | 45.164, -112.411 |
| Vetter Deposit | Feldspar, Mica | Muscovite | Past Producer | 45.162, -111.771 |
| Thumper Lode Mica Mine | Mica | Muscovite | Past Producer | 45.461, -111.148 |
| Rim Rock Deposit | Mica | Muscovite | Occurrence | 45.171, -111.768 |
| Lawyer Deposit | Mica | Muscovite | Occurrence | 45.374, -111.906 |
| Little Bill Placer Claim | Feldspar, Quartz, Garnet, Titanium, Metal, Iron | Sand and Gravel | Prospect | 46.200, -113.696 |
| Unnamed Thorium Occurrence | Thorium | Thorite | Occurrence | 44.947, -113.476 |
| Unnamed Thorium Occurrence | Thorium | Thorite | Occurrence | 44.947, -113.473 |
| Last Chance-Shady Tree Mine | Thorium | Thorite | Occurrence | 44.937, -113.463 |
| Unnamed Thorium Occurrence | Thorium | Thorite | Occurrence | 44.946, -113.479 |
| G & G Nos. 1 , 2 and 5 | Thorium | Thorite | Occurrence | 44.925, -113.424 |
| Atomic Blast | Thorium | Thorite | Occurrence | 44.889, -113.396 |
| Danpatch Nos. 1 and 2 | Thorium | Thorite | Occurrence | 44.902, -113.398 |
| Trapper No. 1 Mine | Thorium | Thorite | Occurrence | 44.950, -113.440 |
| Beaverhead | Thorium | Thorite | Occurrence | 44.947, -113.473 |
| Silver Tip Nos. 1 , 2 and 3 | Thorium | Thorite | Occurrence | 44.895, -113.476 |
| Shear Zone | Thorium | Thorite | Occurrence | 44.947, -113.463 |
| Reactor Nos. 1 , 3 and 5 | Thorium | Thorite | Occurrence | 44.884, -113.411 |
| Orpha | Thorium | Thorite | Occurrence | 44.887, -113.398 |
| G & G Nos 6 and 8 | Thorium | Thorite | Occurrence | 44.928, -113.375 |
| Unnamed Thorium Occurrence | Thorium | Thorite | Occurrence | 44.946, -113.472 |
| Unnamed Thorium Occurrence | Thorium | Thorite | Occurrence | 44.947, -113.477 |
| Gilliam Vermiculite Deposit | Vermiculite | Vermiculite | Producer | 45.712, -111.936 |
| Unnamed Feldspar Occurrence | Feldspar | — | Occurrence | 45.111, -112.459 |
| Lookout No. 1 Claim | Uranium | — | Occurrence | 44.906, -112.946 |
| Vermiculite Mountain Mine | Vermiculite | — | Producer | 48.433, -115.409 |
| Unnamed Feldspar | Feldspar | — | Unknown | 45.182, -112.406 |
| Unnamed Feldspar | Feldspar | — | Unknown | 45.330, -111.833 |
| Unnamed Quartz,Feldspar | Silica | — | Occurrence | 44.892, -112.949 |
| Lawyer | Feldspar | — | Occurrence | 45.371, -111.918 |
| Shelly No. 6-12 | Feldspar | — | Past Producer | 45.314, -112.926 |
| Unnamed Feldspar Deposit | Feldspar | — | Occurrence | 45.416, -112.020 |
| Unnamed Foldspar Deposit | Feldspar | — | Occurrence | 45.168, -112.407 |
| Unnamed Deposit | Feldspar | — | Occurrence | 45.706, -111.937 |
| Unnamed Mica Deposit | Mica | — | Occurrence | 45.167, -111.750 |
| Unnamed Feldspar & Mica | Feldspar | — | Occurrence | 48.407, -115.440 |
| Chromium Occurrence | Chromium | — | Occurrence | 45.430, -112.123 |
| Buckeye | Gold | — | Unknown | 46.802, -112.443 |
| Unnamed Feldspar Deposit | Feldspar | — | Occurrence | 45.211, -112.385 |
| Unnamed Feldspar | Feldspar | — | Occurrence | 45.110, -112.467 |
| Lookout No.1 Claim | Uranium | — | Unknown | 44.907, -112.948 |
| Unnamed Feldspar | Feldspar | — | Unknown | 45.605, -112.515 |
Back to Rockhounding in Montana.
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