Found alongside
Mica
Mohs 2–3. Peels into thin, flexible, shiny sheets. Mindat
1,694 sites
Feldspar
Mohs 6–6.5. Blocky crystals with flat cleavage faces. Mindat
647 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
121 sites
Garnet
Mohs 6.5–7.5. Usually deep red, round many-faced crystals. Mindat
63 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
28 sites
Tourmaline
Mohs 7–7.5. Long striated crystals, often black (schorl) or green and pink (elbaite). Mindat
14 sites
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
By county
Mitchell County (384) · Yancey County (307) · Cleveland County (193) · Avery County (189) · Macon County (165) · Jackson County (145) · Swain County (32) · Lincoln County (32) · Gaston County (29) · Rutherford County (24) · Burke County (19) · Stokes County (18) · Catawba County (18) · Haywood County (17) · Rockingham County (12) · Caldwell County (12) · Madison County (11) · Buncombe County (10) · Alexander County (9) · Randolph County (7) · Iredell County (7) · Moore County (6) · Wilkes County (6) · Warren County (6) · Caswell County (6) · Franklin County (5) · Polk County (3) · Montgomery County (3) · McDowell County (3) · Transylvania County (3) · Yadkin County (3) · Alamance County (2) · Ashe County (2) · Wake County (2) · Union County (1) · Chatham County (1) · Orange County (1) · Granville County (1)
Sites (first 60)
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teer Prospect | Talc-Soapstone, Kyanite | Andalusite, Pyrophyllite, Sericite | Occurrence | 35.963, -79.215 |
| All Healing Springs Northern Barite Prospect | Barium-Barite | Barite | Occurrence | 35.242, -81.271 |
| All Healing Springs Southern Barite Prospect | Barium-Barite | Barite | Occurrence | 35.242, -81.270 |
| Lawton Barite Property Mid-Southern Workings | Barium-Barite | Barite, Galena, Sericite, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 35.222, -81.270 |
| Beryl Pegmatite Occurrence | — | Beryl | Occurrence | 35.379, -83.528 |
| Cullowhee Mine | Copper | Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Covellite, Cuprite, Malachite, Pyrite, Pyrrhotite, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 35.264, -83.153 |
| Hoover Hill Mine | Silver, Gold | Bornite, Galena, Gold, Pyrite, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 35.751, -79.973 |
| Camp Creek Monazite Placer S Tributary | REE, Thorium | Cassiterite, Corundum, Garnet, Ilmenite, Kyanite, Magnetite, Monazite, Rutile, Staurolite, Tourmaline, Zircon | Past Producer | 35.190, -81.688 |
| Ross Tin Prospect | Tin | Cassiterite, Feldspar, Mica, Quartz | Occurrence | 35.189, -81.393 |
| Unnamed Tin Prospect Fl-136 | Tin, Lithium | Cassiterite, Feldspar, Muscovite, Quartz, Spodumene | Occurrence | 35.224, -81.356 |
| Unnamed Tin Prospect Fl-133 | Lithium, Tin | Cassiterite, Feldspar, Muscovite, Quartz, Spodumene | Occurrence | 35.228, -81.346 |
| Falls Tin Prospect | Tin, Lithium | Cassiterite, Feldspar, Muscovite, Quartz, Spodumene | Past Producer | 35.233, -81.343 |
| Unnamed Tin Occurrence Fl-139 | Tin, Lithium | Cassiterite, Feldspar, Muscovite, Quartz, Spodumene | Occurrence | 35.215, -81.358 |
| Unnamed Tin Occurrence Fl-143 | Lithium, Tin | Cassiterite, Feldspar, Muscovite, Quartz, Spodumene | Occurrence | 35.202, -81.375 |
| Unnamed Spodumene Prospect and Tin Occurrence | Lithium, Tin | Cassiterite, Feldspar, Muscovite, Quartz, Spodumene | Occurrence | 35.193, -81.385 |
| J. Patterson Tin Prospect | Tin, Lithium | Cassiterite, Feldspar, Muscovite, Quartz, Spodumene | Occurrence | 35.182, -81.406 |
| Atlas Tin Shaft | Tin, Lithium | Cassiterite, Feldspar, Muscovite, Quartz, Spodumene | Past Producer | 35.228, -81.348 |
| Unnamed Tin Prospect Fl-137 | Tin, Lithium | Cassiterite, Feldspar, Muscovite, Quartz, Spodumene | Occurrence | 35.223, -81.351 |
| Faires Tin Mine | Tin, Lithium | Cassiterite, Feldspar, Muscovite, Quartz, Spodumene | Past Producer | 35.228, -81.348 |
| Old Ledoux Tin Prospects | Tin, Lithium | Cassiterite, Feldspar, Muscovite, Quartz, Spodumene | Occurrence | 35.219, -81.355 |
| Unnamed Tin Prospect Fl-141 | Tin, Lithium | Cassiterite, Feldspar, Muscovite, Quartz, Spodumene | Occurrence | 35.208, -81.369 |
| Unnamed Tin Occurrence Fl-144 | Tin, Lithium | Cassiterite, Feldspar, Muscovite, Quartz, Spodumene | Occurrence | 35.193, -81.384 |
| Unnamed Tin Occurrence Fl-147 | Tin, Lithium | Cassiterite, Feldspar, Muscovite, Quartz, Spodumene | Occurrence | 35.186, -81.395 |
| Shiloh Church Tin Occurrence | Tin, Lithium | Cassiterite, Feldspar, Muscovite, Quartz, Spodumene | Occurrence | 35.168, -81.430 |
| Unnamed Tin Occurrence Fl-142 | Tin, Lithium | Cassiterite, Feldspar, Muscovite, Quartz, Spodumene | Occurrence | 35.206, -81.367 |
| Blue Ridge Mine and Placer | Tin, Lithium | Cassiterite, Feldspar, Muscovite, Quartz, Spodumene | Past Producer | 35.212, -81.362 |
| Unnamed King Mountain Tin Occurrences | Tin, Lithium | Cassiterite, Feldspar, Muscovite, Quartz, Spodumene | Occurrence | 35.240, -81.342 |
| Kings Mountain Tin Mine | Tin, Lithium | Cassiterite, Quartz, Spodumene | Past Producer | 35.246, -81.342 |
| Savannah Mine | Copper | Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Limonite, Pyrite, Pyrrhotite, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 35.282, -83.302 |
| Otto Prospect | Iron, Pig Iron, Copper | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Limonite, Pyrite, Pyrrhotite, Sphalerite | Occurrence | 35.065, -83.315 |
| Fontana Mine | Copper, Zinc | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Magnetite, Pyrite, Pyrrhotite, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 35.478, -83.770 |
| Ore Knob Mine | Copper | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Pyrite, Pyrrhotite, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 36.399, -81.328 |
| Portis Mine | Gold | Chalcopyrite, Gold, Pyrite, Pyrrhotite | Past Producer | 36.200, -78.016 |
| Masons Branch | Garnet | Corundum, Gold, Sperrylite | Past Producer | 35.259, -83.378 |
| Lackey Feldspar Mine | Feldspar | Feldspar | Past Producer | 35.448, -83.462 |
| Hyatt No. 2 Feldspar Prospect | — | Feldspar | Occurrence | 35.446, -83.462 |
| Branton Feldspar Mine | Feldspar | Feldspar | Past Producer | 35.444, -83.467 |
| Cochran Feldspar Prospect | — | Feldspar | Occurrence | 35.443, -83.467 |
| Ball No. 1 Feldspar Mine | Feldspar | Feldspar | Past Producer | 35.433, -83.474 |
| Harrison T. Crisp Feldspar Prospect | — | Feldspar | Occurrence | 35.418, -83.484 |
| Dugger Mine | Feldspar, Mica | Feldspar | Past Producer | 36.053, -82.061 |
| Biddix Spar Mine | Feldspar, Mica | Feldspar | Past Producer | 36.065, -82.095 |
| Puncheon Camp Mine | Mica, Feldspar | Feldspar | Past Producer | 36.075, -82.021 |
| Pritchard Prospect | Feldspar, Mica | Feldspar | Past Producer | 36.070, -82.018 |
| Unnamed Feldspar Prospect Southern Nofat Mountain | Feldspar | Feldspar | Occurrence | 35.798, -82.503 |
| Ball Feldspar Mine | Feldspar | Feldspar | Past Producer | 35.855, -82.568 |
| Powdermill Mine | Feldspar, Mica | Feldspar | Past Producer | 36.056, -82.044 |
| Sam Cox #1 | Feldspar | Feldspar | Past Producer | 35.840, -82.502 |
| Unnamed Feldspar Occurrence | — | Feldspar | Occurrence | 35.831, -82.608 |
| Stocksville Mica Mine | — | Feldspar | Past Producer | 35.770, -82.538 |
| Unnamed Feldspar Occurrence | — | Feldspar | Occurrence | 35.798, -82.614 |
| Unnamed Feldspar Occurrence | — | Feldspar | Occurrence | 35.790, -82.546 |
| Unnamed Feldspar Occurrence | — | Feldspar | Occurrence | 35.822, -82.544 |
| Unnamed Feldspar Occurrence | — | Feldspar | Occurrence | 35.788, -82.597 |
| Sam Cox #2 | Feldspar | Feldspar | Past Producer | 35.842, -82.502 |
| Unnamed Feldspar Occurrence | — | Feldspar | Occurrence | 35.790, -82.553 |
| Arrowood Mine | Kaolin, Mica, Feldspar | Feldspar, Halloysite | Past Producer | 35.779, -82.501 |
| Payne and Sullivan Kaolin Mine | Kaolin | Feldspar, Kaolin | Past Producer | 35.395, -83.495 |
| Dehart Feldspar Mine | Feldspar | Feldspar, Kaolin | Past Producer | 35.402, -83.475 |
| Swain Kaolin and Feldspar Mine | Kaolin, Feldspar | Feldspar, Kaolin | Past Producer | 35.455, -83.453 |
Back to Rockhounding in North Carolina.
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