RockWoofFound alongside
Mica
Mohs 2–3. Peels into thin, flexible, shiny sheets. Mindat
11 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
10 sites
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
7 sites
Gold
Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat
6 sites
Magnetite
Mohs 5.5–6.5. Black and strongly magnetic. Mindat
6 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
4 sites
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
By county
St. Louis County (6) · Cook County (3) · Lake County (1) · Koochiching County (1)
Sites
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnamax Cu-Ni Prospect | Copper, Nickel, Palladium, Platinum | Bornite, Bravoite, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Copper, Covellite, Cubanite, Digenite, Galena, Magnetite, Pentlandite, Pyrite, Pyrrhotite, Silver, Sphalerite, Tenorite | Prospect | 47.632, -91.883 |
| South Filson Creek deposit | Nickel, Copper | Bornite, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Covellite, Cubanite, Digenite, Galena, Millerite, Niccolite, Pentlandite, Pyrrhotite, Sperrylite, Sphalerite | Prospect | 47.822, -91.674 |
| Gunflint Corridor East | — | Bornite, Chalcopyrite | Occurrence | 48.083, -90.740 |
| Gunflint Corridor West | — | Bornite, Chalcopyrite | Occurrence | 48.086, -90.847 |
| Dunka Road | Nickel, Platinum, Palladium, Copper | Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Cubanite, Gold, Pentlandite, Pyrrhotite, Sphalerite | Prospect | 47.666, -91.900 |
| Birch Lake | Copper, Nickel, Platinum, Palladium | Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Pentlandite, Pyrite, Pyrrhotite | Prospect | 47.750, -91.818 |
| Vermilion River Mines | Gold | Chalcopyrite, Gold, Pyrite, Pyrrhotite | Unknown | 48.241, -92.603 |
| Rove Slate Area Prospect Pits | — | Cubanite, Pentlandite | Unknown | 47.983, -90.919 |
| Bushyhead Island Prospect | Gold | Gold | Unknown | 48.606, -93.118 |
| Northshore Mine | Iron | — | Producer | 47.663, -91.942 |
| LTV Mine | Iron | — | Producer | 47.600, -92.142 |
Back to Rockhounding in Minnesota.
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