RockWoofFound alongside
Garnet
Mohs 6.5–7.5. Usually deep red, round many-faced crystals. Mindat
91 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
40 sites
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
40 sites
Gold
Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat
39 sites
Silver
Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
33 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
29 sites
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
By county
Beaverhead County (31) · Madison County (20) · Powell County (11) · Granite County (6) · Lewis and Clark County (5) · Deer Lodge County (5) · Ravalli County (4) · Silver Bow County (3) · Lincoln County (2) · Park County (1) · Gallatin County (1) · Meagher County (1) · Jefferson County (1)
Sites (first 60)
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unnamed Garnet Occurrence | Garnet | Almandite | Occurrence | 45.093, -112.397 |
| Unnamed Garnet Occurrence | Garnet | Almandite | Occurrence | 45.080, -112.418 |
| Unnamed Gar Occ | Garnet | Almandite | Occurrence | 45.170, -112.418 |
| Unnamed Garnet Occurrence | Garnet | Almandite | Occurrence | 45.083, -112.408 |
| Unnamed Garnet Occurrence | Garnet | Almandite | Occurrence | 45.105, -112.476 |
| Nick Preen Mine | Silver, Copper, Lead | Anglesite, Galena | Occurrence | 45.315, -113.033 |
| Little Daisy Mine | Gold, Silver | Antimony, Galena, Gold | Past Producer | 46.686, -112.497 |
| Main Range Beryl | — | Beryl | Occurrence | 46.033, -113.137 |
| Calvert Red Buttons Mine | Tungsten | Beryl, Scheelite | Producer | 45.848, -113.152 |
| Lookout Mine | Gold, Silver, Copper | Bornite | Past Producer | 45.160, -112.977 |
| Noble Mine | Gold, Silver, Copper | Bornite, Cerargyrite, Chalcopyrite, Gold, Malachite, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 45.537, -112.109 |
| Indian Queen Mine | Silver, Copper, Gold | Bornite, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Chrysocolla, Copper, Cuprite, Malachite, Melaconite, Scheelite | Past Producer | 45.398, -112.820 |
| Copper Mtn Mine | Iron, Copper | Bornite, Chalcocite, Chrysocolla, Copper, Magnetite, Malachite | Occurrence | 45.427, -112.044 |
| Golden Leaf Group (Bannack) | Gold, Silver, Copper, Lead | Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Chrysocolla, Galena, Gold, Malachite, Melaconite, Silver, Smithsonite, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 45.155, -112.986 |
| Johnston - Moffet Copper | Copper | Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Chrysocolla, Cuprite, Malachite | Past Producer | 45.603, -112.188 |
| Clancy Mine | Copper | Chalcopyrite | Occurrence | 45.712, -112.344 |
| Mullin Claim | Gold | Chalcopyrite, Chrysocolla, Gold | Past Producer | 46.684, -112.077 |
| Boston Mine | Copper | Chalcopyrite, Chrysocolla, Gold, Malachite | Occurrence | 46.826, -113.265 |
| Mountain Mine | Copper | Chalcopyrite, Chrysocolla, Gold, Malachite | Past Producer | 46.817, -113.272 |
| Spring Hill Mine | Gold | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Gold, Pyrrhotite | Past Producer | 46.555, -112.097 |
| Big Eight Mine | Lead, Zinc | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Pyrite, Pyrrhotite, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 48.437, -115.992 |
| Esmeralda Mine | Silver, Gold | Chalcopyrite, Gold, Malachite | Past Producer | 46.688, -112.443 |
| Snowshoe Gulch Tungsten Property | Tungsten, Copper | Chalcopyrite, Gold, Scheelite | Past Producer | 46.678, -112.468 |
| Cherry Creek Pegmatite. | Kyanite | Chalcopyrite, Kyanite, Psilomelane | Occurrence | 45.094, -111.772 |
| Brown's Lake | Tungsten | Chalcopyrite, Powellite, Scheelite, Bornite, Covellite, Malachite, Pyrrhotite | Past Producer | 45.521, -112.836 |
| Pearl Mine | Copper, Gold | Chrysocolla, Gold, Malachite | Past Producer | 46.822, -113.257 |
| Ready Cash | Silver, Copper, Lead, Zinc, Gold | Copper | Past Producer | 45.815, -112.456 |
| Lexington Mine | Silver, Lead | Copper, Galena, Gold | Past Producer | 46.662, -112.070 |
| Brooklyn Mine | Silver, Lead | Copper, Galena, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 46.390, -113.123 |
| Broadway Mine | Gold, Silver | Cuprite, Malachite | Past Producer | 45.696, -112.315 |
| Baker and Sullivan Mine | Silver, Lead | Galena | Producer | 46.783, -113.283 |
| Watseca Mine | Gold | Galena, Sphalerite, Gold, Arsenopyrite | Past Producer | 45.620, -112.506 |
| Galena | Silver, Lead | Galena, Tetrahedrite | Occurrence | 45.312, -112.857 |
| Dexter Mine | Silver, Lead | Galena, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 45.315, -112.865 |
| Meadow Lark Placer | Gold | Garnet, Goethite, Magnetite, Scheelite, Sphene, Zircon | Past Producer | 46.874, -112.855 |
| Black Chief Iron Mine | Iron | Garnet, Hematite, Magnetite | Past Producer | 46.181, -113.106 |
| Victor Placer Area | — | Garnet, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Monazite, Zircon | Occurrence | 46.417, -114.168 |
| Cameron Creek Placer | Titanium, Metal, Iron | Garnet, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Monazite, Zircon | Occurrence | 45.917, -113.959 |
| Mccalla Creek Placer Area | Garnet, Titanium, Metal, Thorium, Zirconium, Iron | Garnet, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Monazite, Zircon | Occurrence | 46.483, -114.134 |
| Colorado Gulch Deposits | Tungsten, Garnet | Garnet, Scheelite | Occurrence | 46.533, -112.168 |
| Alder Gulch - Virginia City | Gold, Garnet | Gold, Almandine | Past Producer | 45.324, -112.003 |
| Trail Creek Placer | Titanium, Metal, Iron | Gold, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Monazite | Occurrence | 45.667, -113.820 |
| Grey Rock Claim | Gold | Gold, Magnetite | Occurrence | 46.178, -113.108 |
| Cyclone Mine | Copper | Gold, Malachite | Past Producer | 46.699, -112.497 |
| Ajax Mine | Gold | Gold, Malachite | Past Producer | 46.715, -112.493 |
| Blue Bell Mine | Copper | Gold, Malachite, Molybdenite | Past Producer | 46.624, -112.305 |
| Gould-Corry Lode | Gold, Silver | Gold, Malachite, Scheelite | Past Producer | 46.283, -113.157 |
| Medona Mine | Tungsten | Gold, Scheelite | Past Producer | 45.045, -110.601 |
| Ophir Creek Placer | Gold | Gold, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 46.632, -112.543 |
| Kelly Iron | Iron | Hematite, Magnetite | Past Producer | 45.288, -112.159 |
| Mill Creek Occurence | Beryllium | Idocrase | Occurrence | 46.078, -113.090 |
| Madison Mine | Copper, Gold | Jasper, Garnet | Past Producer | 45.784, -112.908 |
| Rim Rock Deposit | Mica | Muscovite | Occurrence | 45.171, -111.768 |
| Lawyer Deposit | Mica | Muscovite | Occurrence | 45.374, -111.906 |
| Gold Nugget Claim | Molybdenum, Tungsten | Powellite, Scheelite | Occurrence | 45.396, -112.820 |
| Greenstone Mine | Copper, Silver | Powellite, Scheelite | Past Producer | 45.413, -112.803 |
| Little Bill Placer Claim | Feldspar, Quartz, Garnet, Titanium, Metal, Iron | Sand and Gravel | Prospect | 46.200, -113.696 |
| Fool Hen Property | — | Scheelite | Occurrence | 45.818, -113.130 |
| Adams Peak Claims | — | Scheelite | Occurrence | 45.476, -112.803 |
| Blue Grass Mine | Gold, Silver | Tetradymite | Past Producer | 45.160, -112.975 |
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