Found alongside
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
1,415 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
1,092 sites
Gold
Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat
937 sites
Silver
Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
930 sites
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
905 sites
Galena
Mohs 2.5–2.75. Heavy, silvery lead ore that breaks into cubes. Mindat
695 sites
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
By county
Lemhi County (220) · Shoshone County (175) · Custer County (155) · Idaho County (132) · Blaine County (125) · Valley County (104) · Bonner County (79) · Boise County (76) · Elmore County (51) · Owyhee County (47) · Washington County (37) · Boundary County (28) · Adams County (27) · Gem County (27) · Kootenai County (23) · Latah County (20) · Butte County (17) · Caribou County (13) · Clearwater County (12) · Bannock County (10) · Bonneville County (7) · Cassia County (7) · Benewah County (6) · Ada County (6) · Camas County (5) · Clark County (2) · Nez Perce County (2) · Bingham County (1) · Bear Lake 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Lee - Buck No. 4 Claim | Niobium (Columbium), REE, Phosphorus-Phosphates | Allanite, Monazite, Rutile | Occurrence | 45.447, -114.230 |
| Woodrat Mountain Kyanite Prospect | Kyanite | Andalusite, Kyanite, Sillimanite | Prospect | 46.185, -115.763 |
| Sunset Mine | Silver, Lead | Anglesite, Antimony, Bismuth, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 44.706, -113.307 |
| Franklin D. Prospect | Lead, Silver, Gold | Anglesite, Barite, Galena | Occurrence | 44.666, -115.299 |
| Tunnel Group Mine | Gold, Lead, Silver | Anglesite, Bindheimite, Bornite, Calamine, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Chrysocolla, Copper, Galena, Gold, Linarite, Smithsonite, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 42.762, -116.931 |
| 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 |
| Mineral Mountain Mine | Silver | Anglesite, Boulangerite, Bournonite, Chalcopyrite, Erythrite, Galena, Gersdorffite, Proustite, Pyrargyrite, Tetrahedrite | Producer | 47.505, -116.055 |
| Buckhorn Mine | Manganese, Iron | Anglesite, Boulangerite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Jamesonite, Psilomelane, Pyrargyrite, Pyrolusite, Smithsonite, Sphalerite, Stibnite, Wulfenite | Past Producer | 44.791, -113.466 |
| Champion Mine | Copper, Lead | Anglesite, Calamine, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Smithsonite | Producer | 43.860, -113.673 |
| Wilbert Mine | Lead | Anglesite, Calamine, Galena, Smithsonite, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 43.978, -113.028 |
| Weimer Mine | Copper | Anglesite, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Chrysocolla, Cuprite, Galena, Malachite, Wulfenite | Past Producer | 44.185, -112.859 |
| Center Star Mine | Silver, Gold | Anglesite, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Covellite, Galena, Gold, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 45.808, -115.560 |
| G. B. Williams Antimony Mine | Antimony | Anglesite, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Enargite, Galena, Jamesonite, Pentlandite, Proustite, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Prospect | 44.137, -114.607 |
| Broken Hill Mine | Silver, Lead, Copper | Anglesite, Chalcopyrite, Chrysocolla, Galena, Malachite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 44.975, -114.541 |
| Copper Prospect | Lead | Anglesite, Chalcopyrite, Covellite, Jamesonite, Tetrahedrite | Occurrence | 44.191, -114.601 |
| Silver Bell Mine | Lead, Silver | Anglesite, Chalcopyrite, Covellite, Malachite, Rhodochrosite, Smithsonite, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 43.502, -113.618 |
| Silver Bell Group (CH_510) | Silver | Anglesite, Chalcopyrite, Cubanite, Digenite, Galena, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Prospect | 44.226, -114.590 |
| Lucky Lad Mine | Lead, Silver, Gold | Anglesite, Chalcopyrite, Galena | Past Producer | 44.662, -115.274 |
| Silver Star Property | Gold, Lead | Anglesite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Malachite, Pyromorphite, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 45.334, -113.832 |
| Melcher Mine | Lead | Anglesite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Malachite, Pyromorphite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 42.307, -113.556 |
| Idaho Muldoon Mine | Lead, Silver | Anglesite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Malachite, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 43.604, -113.885 |
| Silverton Prospect | Lead, Silver | Anglesite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Malachite, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 45.215, -113.966 |
| Hub Group | Silver | Anglesite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Polybasite, Proustite, Psilomelane, Rhodochrosite, Smithsonite, Sphalerite, Stephanite | Past Producer | 43.506, -113.621 |
| Ruby Creek Mine | Gold | Anglesite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Pyromorphite, Smithsonite, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 46.811, -116.298 |
| Eaglebird Mine | Lead, Silver, Copper, Zinc | Anglesite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Scheelite, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 43.642, -113.915 |
| Hoodoo Prospects | Zinc, Silver | Anglesite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Smithsonite, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 44.171, -114.633 |
| Bay State Group Mine | Silver, Lead | Anglesite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 42.757, -116.931 |
| Silver Star Mine | Silver | Anglesite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 43.598, -114.711 |
| American Girl Mine | Silver, Lead | Anglesite, Chalcopyrite, Molybdenite, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 48.918, -116.330 |
| Last Chance Number Five Prospect | Lead | Anglesite, Covellite, Cubanite, Jamesonite, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Prospect | 44.192, -114.628 |
| Worthing-Kaufman Mine | Lead | Anglesite, Covellite, Galena, Plumbojarosite, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 44.232, -112.871 |
| Scott Mine | Silver, Lead | Anglesite, Galena, Plumbojarosite, Pyromorphite, Wulfenite | Past Producer | 44.066, -112.789 |
| Viola Mine | Lead | Anglesite, Galena, Plumbojarosite, Smithsonite, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 44.377, -112.348 |
| Maryland Mine | Lead, Silver | Anglesite, Galena, Psilomelane, Pyrolusite, Smithsonite, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 44.786, -113.444 |
| Diamond Prospect | Silver, Lead | Anglesite, Galena, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 43.511, -113.644 |
| Star Group Mine | Lead | Anglesite, Jamesonite, Libethenite, Malachite | Past Producer | 44.176, -114.582 |
| Redbird Mine | Silver, Lead | Anglesite, Smithsonite | Past Producer | 44.310, -114.475 |
| Haynes-Stellite Mine | Cobalt, Copper | Annabergite, Cobaltite, Smaltite | Past Producer | 45.112, -114.315 |
| Kamiah Asbestos Mine | Asbestos | Anthophyllite | Past Producer | 46.216, -115.839 |
| Blacktail Asbestos Prospect | Asbestos | Anthophyllite | Prospect | 45.922, -115.957 |
| North Star Mine | Lead, Silver, Gold, Zinc | Antimony, Boulangerite, Galena, Sphalerite, Stibnite | Past Producer | 43.653, -114.268 |
| Hermada Antimony Mine | Antimony | Antimony, Cervantite, Kermesite, Stibiconite, Stibnite | Past Producer | 43.860, -115.345 |
| Black Mine | Gold | Argentite | Past Producer | 44.369, -114.670 |
| Breccia Zone Silver Occurrence | — | Argentite | Occurrence | 43.058, -116.902 |
| Whale Mine | Gold | Argentite | Past Producer | 44.442, -114.752 |
| McClure Prospect | Gold | Argentite | Prospect | 44.377, -114.672 |
| Blue Jacket Mine | Copper | Argentite, Bornite, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Chrysocolla, Covellite, Cuprite, Malachite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 45.126, -116.640 |
| Conjecture Mine | Silver, Gold | Argentite, Boulangerite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Proustite, Tetrahedrite, Wolframite | Past Producer | 47.918, -116.423 |
| Charles Dickens Mine | Silver, Gold | Argentite, Cerargyrite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Gold, Silver, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 44.389, -114.718 |
| Black Jack-Trade Dollar Mine | Silver | Argentite, Cerargyrite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Jamesonite, Naumannite, Polybasite, Proustite, Sphalerite, Stephanite | Past Producer | 43.023, -116.758 |
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