RockWoofCheck 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.
Found alongside
Magnetite
Mohs 5.5–6.5. Black and strongly magnetic. Mindat
280 sites
Gold
Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat
178 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
146 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
123 sites
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
109 sites
Garnet
Mohs 6.5–7.5. Usually deep red, round many-faced crystals. Mindat
86 sites
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
By county
Lemhi County (95) · Idaho County (42) · Valley County (31) · Custer County (30) · Shoshone County (26) · Elmore County (13) · Washington County (10) · Latah County (6) · Boundary County (5) · Clearwater County (5) · Bonner County (4) · Boise County (3) · Blaine County (2) · Adams County (2) · Bingham County (1) · Gem County (1) · Cassia County (1) · Bonneville County (1) · Kootenai County (1) · Owyhee County (1)
Sites (first 60)
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minidoka | Gold | Allanite, Augite, Garnet, Gold, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Platinum, Zircon | Past Producer | 42.671, -113.441 |
| N. W. Prospecting & Development Prospect | — | Allanite, Cenosite, Thorite | Occurrence | 48.986, -116.409 |
| Cago No. 12 Claim | Thorium | Allanite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Monazite, Rutile, Thorite, Xenotime | Past Producer | 44.952, -113.489 |
| H. R. Roberts' Claims | REE | Allanite, Chalcopyrite, Ilmenite, Monazite | Past Producer | 45.414, -114.219 |
| Lee Buck Group | Niobium (Columbium), REE, Thorium | Allanite, Chalcopyrite, Ilmenite, Monazite, Rutile | Occurrence | 45.450, -114.232 |
| Last Chance Prospect | Copper, Thorium | Allanite, Chalcopyrite, Ilmenite, Monazite, Rutile, Xenotime | Prospect | 45.396, -114.073 |
| Kay Claims | Thorium | Allanite, Chalcopyrite, Malachite, Monazite, Rutile, Thorite, Zircon | Occurrence | 44.631, -113.168 |
| Chamberlain Meadow Placer | Gold | Allanite, Cinnabar, Gold, Magnetite, Zircon | Prospect | 45.368, -115.194 |
| Root Ranch Placer | Gold | Allanite, Cinnabar, Ilmenite, Magnetite | Prospect | 45.307, -115.032 |
| Radiant Claims | Thorium | Allanite, Ilmenite, Monazite, Rutile | Occurrence | 45.380, -114.078 |
| Silver King Claims | REE | Allanite, Monazite | Prospect | 45.449, -114.255 |
| Cardinal Prospect | Phosphorus-Phosphates, Thorium | Allanite, Monazite | Occurrence | 45.421, -114.202 |
| Lee - Buck No. 4 Claim | Niobium (Columbium), REE, Phosphorus-Phosphates | Allanite, Monazite, Rutile | Occurrence | 45.447, -114.230 |
| Dismal Swamp Placer Mine | Niobium (Columbium) | Anatase, Cassiterite, Columbite, Garnet, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Monazite, Rutile, Xenotime, Zircon | Past Producer | 43.729, -115.370 |
| Champion Mine | Copper, Lead | Anglesite, Calamine, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Smithsonite | Producer | 43.860, -113.673 |
| Kamiah Asbestos Mine | Asbestos | Anthophyllite | Past Producer | 46.216, -115.839 |
| War Eagle Mine | Copper, Silver, Gold | Argentite, Chalcopyrite, Covellite, Galena, Gold, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 45.483, -115.611 |
| Barite Prospect | Barium-Barite | Barite, Chalcopyrite, Malachite | Occurrence | 45.095, -115.127 |
| Brown Bear Mine | Copper, Cobalt | Bismuth, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Cobaltite, Gold | Past Producer | 45.129, -114.352 |
| Chicago Mine | Cobalt | Bismuth, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Cobaltite, Gold, Safflorite | Past Producer | 45.126, -114.350 |
| Calera Mine | Cobalt, Copper | Bismuth, Chalcopyrite, Cobaltite, Safflorite | Past Producer | 45.126, -114.350 |
| Pope-Shenon Mine | Copper | Bornite, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Chrysocolla, Copper, Covellite, Cuprite, Delafossite, Malachite, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 45.075, -113.856 |
| Red Ledge Mine | Silver, Copper | Bornite, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Chrysocolla, Covellite, Galena, Malachite, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Producer | 45.229, -116.669 |
| Empire Mine | Gold, Copper, Silver | Bornite, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Covellite, Cuprite, Galena, Malachite, Molybdenite, Scheelite, Sphalerite, Tenorite, Tetrahedrite, Powellite | Past Producer | 43.892, -113.669 |
| Sultana Project | Silver, Gold, Copper | Bornite, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Covellite, Cuprite, Galena, Malachite, Molybdenite, Scheelite, Sphalerite, Tenorite, Tetrahedrite, Powellite | Prospect | 43.890, -113.675 |
| Carmen Creek Mine | Gold, Silver, Copper | Bornite, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Gold, Malachite | Past Producer | 45.286, -113.738 |
| Hard Climb Prospect | Copper | Bornite, Chalcocite, Covellite, Magnetite, Malachite | Occurrence | 44.930, -114.713 |
| Copper Queen Claim | Cobalt, Copper | Bornite, Chalcocite, Gold, Malachite | Occurrence | 45.122, -114.325 |
| Bruce Claim Group | Lead | Bornite, Chalcopyrite | Past Producer | 44.377, -113.274 |
| IXL Mine | Molybdenum, Copper | Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Molybdenite | Producer | 44.742, -116.784 |
| Buffalo Mine | REE, Copper, Thorium, Titanium | Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Monazite, Rutile, Thorite | Past Producer | 44.979, -113.478 |
| Ambergris Mine | Silver, Lead | Bournonite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 47.549, -115.823 |
| Kelley Creek Placer | Gold | Brannerite, Cinnabar, Euxenite, Garnet, Gold, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Monazite, Rutile, Sphene | Prospect | 44.272, -114.927 |
| Centauras Workings | Gold | Brannerite, Euxenite, Garnet, Hematite, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Monazite, Sphene, Zircon | Past Producer | 44.256, -114.691 |
| Tyee Placer | Gold | Brannerite, Euxenite, Ilmenite | Past Producer | 45.728, -115.390 |
| Blackbird Mine | Cobalt, Copper | Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Cobaltite, Copper, Covellite, Cuprite, Electrum, Enargite, Erythrite, Galena, Gold, Heterogenite, Malachite, Safflorite, Silver, Sphalerite, Azurite | Past Producer | 45.117, -114.342 |
| Bohannon Prospect | Copper, Cobalt | Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Cobaltite, Gold | Past Producer | 45.119, -114.348 |
| Sunset Mine | Lead, Silver, Gold | Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Copper, Galena, Gold, Silver, Sphalerite | Producer | 47.498, -116.239 |
| Alamo Prospect | Gold, Silver, Copper | Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Covellite, Galena, Malachite | Occurrence | 48.193, -116.240 |
| Harmony Mine | Copper | Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Cuprite, Gold, Silver | Past Producer | 45.016, -113.828 |
| Combination Prospect | Lead, Zinc, Silver | Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Sphalerite | Occurrence | 45.038, -115.415 |
| Atlas Mine | Lead, Zinc | Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Sphalerite | Producer | 47.466, -115.777 |
| Helena-Frisco Mine | Zinc, Lead | Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 47.510, -115.861 |
| Copper Camp Prospect | Copper, Silver, Gold | Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Gold, Malachite, Silver | Occurrence | 45.257, -115.205 |
| East Brownlee Creek | — | Chalcopyrite | Occurrence | 44.754, -116.777 |
| Beaver Ridge Prospect | Copper | Chalcopyrite | Occurrence | 45.211, -115.271 |
| Climax Prospect | — | Chalcopyrite | Occurrence | 44.732, -116.814 |
| Mayflower Group Occurrence | Copper | Chalcopyrite | Occurrence | 45.281, -114.288 |
| Copper King Prospect | — | Chalcopyrite | Occurrence | 45.310, -114.284 |
| West Fork Cobalt Prospect | Cobalt | Chalcopyrite | Occurrence | 45.099, -114.370 |
| Fire Fly Claim | — | Chalcopyrite, Chrysocolla | Occurrence | 44.863, -113.927 |
| Birthday Claim | — | Chalcopyrite, Chrysocolla | Occurrence | 44.873, -113.895 |
| Copper Clad Group | — | Chalcopyrite, Chrysocolla, Malachite | Occurrence | 45.101, -115.141 |
| Merle Zone | Cobalt | Chalcopyrite, Cobaltite | Occurrence | 45.125, -114.336 |
| Edith B. Prospect | Copper | Chalcopyrite, Cobaltite | Occurrence | 45.089, -114.345 |
| Indian Point Tourmaline - Quartz Group | Copper | Chalcopyrite, Cobaltite | Occurrence | 45.205, -114.386 |
| St. Joe Prospect | Copper, Cobalt | Chalcopyrite, Cobaltite, Erythrite, Gold | Occurrence | 45.122, -114.348 |
| Idaho Cobalt | Copper, Cobalt | Chalcopyrite, Cobaltite, Erythrite, Pyrrhotite, Arsenopyrite, Linnaeite, Safflorite, Enargite | Producer | 45.130, -114.364 |
| Hawkeye Prospects | Copper, Cobalt | Chalcopyrite, Cobaltite, Erythrite, Safflorite | Occurrence | 45.118, -114.342 |
| Patty B Property | Copper | Chalcopyrite, Cobaltite, Pyrrhotite | Occurrence | 45.092, -114.310 |
Back to Rockhounding in Idaho.
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