RockWoofFound alongside
Mica
Mohs 2–3. Peels into thin, flexible, shiny sheets. Mindat
241 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
176 sites
Feldspar
Mohs 6–6.5. Blocky crystals with flat cleavage faces. Mindat
108 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
80 sites
Gold
Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat
72 sites
Magnetite
Mohs 5.5–6.5. Black and strongly magnetic. Mindat
55 sites
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
By county
Lemhi County (56) · Idaho County (38) · Latah County (19) · Clearwater County (18) · Boise County (16) · Caribou County (14) · Shoshone County (12) · Bonner County (9) · Valley County (9) · Custer County (8) · Elmore County (7) · Washington County (6) · Blaine County (5) · Owyhee County (5) · Adams County (4) · Boundary County (3) · Bear Lake County (3) · Ada County (2) · Cassia County (2) · Gem County (2) · Twin Falls County (1) · Bonneville County (1) · Kootenai County (1)
Sites (first 60)
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snowbird Mine | Tungsten | Acanthite, Chalcopyrite, Digenite, Electrum, Galena, Huebnerite, Scheelite, Silver, Sphalerite, Stolzite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 45.158, -115.410 |
| Allanite Occurrence | Thorium | Allanite | Occurrence | 45.160, -114.257 |
| 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 |
| Lucky Horseshoe Claim Group | Thorium, REE | Allanite, Chalcopyrite, Monazite, Rutile, Thorite, Xenotime | Prospect | 44.984, -113.496 |
| Payette Placer | Garnet, Zirconium, Thorium, Tantalum, Niobium (Columbium), Gold, Uranium | Allanite, Euxenite, Garnet, Zircon | Occurrence | 44.104, -115.149 |
| Radiant Claims | Thorium | Allanite, Ilmenite, Monazite, Rutile | Occurrence | 45.380, -114.078 |
| Silver King Claims | REE | Allanite, Monazite | Prospect | 45.449, -114.255 |
| Sparky Prospect | Thorium, REE | Allanite, Monazite, Thorite | Occurrence | 44.987, -113.480 |
| Snake Creek Placer | Gold | Andalusite, Garnet, Kyanite | Past Producer | 46.609, -115.926 |
| Blackdome Occurrence | — | Andalusite, Kyanite, Mullite | Occurrence | 46.977, -115.822 |
| Monumental Ridge Kyanite Deposit | Kyanite | Andalusite, Kyanite, Sillimanite | Occurrence | 47.025, -115.808 |
| Smith Ridge Kyanite Deposit | — | Andalusite, Kyanite, Sillimanite | Occurrence | 46.866, -115.853 |
| Woodrat Mountain Kyanite Prospect | Kyanite | Andalusite, Kyanite, Sillimanite | Prospect | 46.185, -115.763 |
| Ima Mine | Tungsten, Zinc, Silver | Anglesite, Bornite, Cerargyrite, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Covellite, Cuprite, Galena, Huebnerite, Malachite, Molybdenite, Pyromorphite, Scheelite, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 44.533, -113.691 |
| Eaglebird Mine | Lead, Silver, Copper, Zinc | Anglesite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Scheelite, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 43.642, -113.915 |
| Kamiah Asbestos Mine | Asbestos | Anthophyllite | Past Producer | 46.216, -115.839 |
| Georgetown Canyon Mine | Phosphorus-Phosphates | Apatite | Past Producer | 42.538, -111.239 |
| Allgood Prospect | — | Aquamarine | Occurrence | 46.382, -115.834 |
| North Star Lake Occurrence | Beryllium | Aquamarine | Occurrence | 43.613, -115.503 |
| Rainbow Claim | — | Aquamarine | Past Producer | 45.106, -114.526 |
| Pinchot Creek Beryl Deposit | Beryllium | Aquamarine | Occurrence | 43.993, -115.108 |
| Mt. Everly Beryl Occurrence | Beryllium | Aquamarine | Occurrence | 43.967, -115.085 |
| War Eagle Mine | Copper, Silver, Gold | Argentite, Chalcopyrite, Covellite, Galena, Gold, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 45.483, -115.611 |
| Rising Star Mine | Gold, Silver | Argentite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Jamesonite, Miargyrite, Naumannite, Polybasite, Pyrargyrite, Sphalerite, Stephanite, Stibnite, Stromeyerite | Past Producer | 42.919, -116.778 |
| B and B No. 4 Claim | Antimony, Mercury | Barite, Boulangerite, Cinnabar, Covellite, Sphalerite, Stibnite | Occurrence | 45.062, -115.413 |
| Lucky Jim Prospect | Mica | Beryl | Past Producer | 46.903, -116.562 |
| Olson Mine | Mica | Beryl | Past Producer | 46.873, -116.580 |
| Pierce Divide Occurrence | — | Beryl | Occurrence | 46.452, -115.845 |
| Luella Mine | Mica | Beryl | Past Producer | 46.878, -116.603 |
| Stanley Prospect | Beryllium | Beryl | Prospect | 43.666, -116.126 |
| Heywood Creek Occurrence | — | Beryl | Occurrence | 46.416, -115.850 |
| Morning Star Claims | — | Beryl | Occurrence | 46.900, -116.569 |
| Tri-State Cedar Corp. Prospect | Beryllium | Beryl | Prospect | 47.231, -116.026 |
| Lakeview Prospect | — | Beryl | Occurrence | 48.607, -116.952 |
| State Line Occurrence | — | Beryl | Occurrence | 48.437, -117.034 |
| Adanac Claim | Beryllium | Beryl | Prospect | 44.215, -116.221 |
| Campbell Mine | — | Beryl | Past Producer | 46.875, -116.580 |
| Last Chance Mine | Mica | Beryl | Past Producer | 46.878, -116.582 |
| Soldier Creek Prospects | — | Beryl | Occurrence | 48.496, -116.775 |
| L. and M. Prospect | — | Beryl | Occurrence | 48.800, -117.005 |
| Inama Prospect | Beryllium | Beryl | Prospect | 43.971, -115.002 |
| Maxine No. 2 Mine | Mica | Beryl, Mica | Past Producer | 46.874, -116.584 |
| Muscovite Mine | Mica, Beryllium | Beryl, Muscovite | Past Producer | 46.890, -116.579 |
| Mc Kinney Prospect | Beryllium | Beryl, Muscovite | Past Producer | 46.879, -116.782 |
| Steel Smith Mica Mine | Mica | Beryl, Muscovite | Past Producer | 46.875, -116.571 |
| Mountain Mica | Mica | Biotite, Muscovite | Occurrence | 47.133, -116.001 |
| 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 |
| Mizpah Mine | Copper | Bornite, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Chrysocolla, Covellite, Cubanite, Cuprite, Malachite, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 46.997, -116.501 |
| Wonder Mine | Thorium, REE | Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Chrysocolla, Malachite, Rutile, Sphalerite, Thorite | Past Producer | 44.958, -113.471 |
| Hungry Hill Mine | Gold | Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Gold, Silver | Past Producer | 45.208, -113.678 |
| Feather Creek Prospect | — | Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Malachite | Occurrence | 46.962, -116.418 |
| 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 |
| The Great Centennial Placer | Gold | Brannerite, Euxenite, Garnet, Gold, Ilmenite, Monazite, Zircon | Past Producer | 44.249, -114.677 |
| Centauras Workings | Gold | Brannerite, Euxenite, Garnet, Hematite, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Monazite, Sphene, Zircon | Past Producer | 44.256, -114.691 |
| 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 |
| Cumo Prospect | Copper, Molybdenum | Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Covellite, Galena, Molybdenite, Sphalerite | Prospect | 44.036, -115.784 |
| Helena-Frisco Mine | Zinc, Lead | Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 47.510, -115.861 |
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