Found alongside
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
1,854 sites
Gold
Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat
1,163 sites
Silver
Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
1,102 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
1,092 sites
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
849 sites
Galena
Mohs 2.5–2.75. Heavy, silvery lead ore that breaks into cubes. Mindat
648 sites
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
By county
Lemhi County (257) · Custer County (223) · Idaho County (222) · Blaine County (169) · Shoshone County (165) · Valley County (124) · Elmore County (101) · Boise County (100) · Bonner County (84) · Owyhee County (76) · Washington County (41) · Boundary County (40) · Latah County (30) · Kootenai County (30) · Gem County (27) · Caribou County (27) · Adams County (26) · Cassia County (19) · Camas County (17) · Clearwater County (15) · Butte County (13) · Ada County (11) · Bannock County (10) · Benewah County (6) · Bear Lake County (6) · Clark County (5) · Bonneville County (4) · Franklin County (3) · Bingham County (2) · Nez Perce 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 |
| Williams Mine | Gold | Acanthite, Electrum | Past Producer | 44.602, -114.556 |
| Allanite Occurrence | Thorium | Allanite | Occurrence | 45.160, -114.257 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Sparky Prospect | Thorium, REE | Allanite, Monazite, Thorite | Occurrence | 44.987, -113.480 |
| Dismal Swamp Placer Mine | Niobium (Columbium) | Anatase, Cassiterite, Columbite, Garnet, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Monazite, Rutile, Xenotime, Zircon | Past Producer | 43.729, -115.370 |
| Snake Creek Placer | Gold | Andalusite, Garnet, Kyanite | Past Producer | 46.609, -115.926 |
| Woodrat Mountain Kyanite Prospect | Kyanite | Andalusite, Kyanite, Sillimanite | Prospect | 46.185, -115.763 |
| 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 |
| Wilbert Mine | Lead | Anglesite, Calamine, Galena, Smithsonite, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 43.978, -113.028 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Worthing-Kaufman Mine | Lead | Anglesite, Covellite, Galena, Plumbojarosite, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 44.232, -112.871 |
| Lead Zone Mine | Lead, Silver | Anglesite, Galena | Past Producer | 44.822, -116.777 |
| Blue Lead Prospect | Lead, Silver | Anglesite, Galena | Past Producer | 44.764, -113.349 |
| Drummond Claim | Lead, Gold, Copper | Anglesite, Galena | Occurrence | 43.671, -113.925 |
| 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 |
| Lucky Strike Prospect | Silver | Anglesite, Jamesonite | Prospect | 44.186, -114.606 |
| 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 |
| Lucky Tuesday Prospect | Tungsten | Antimony, Bismuth, Scheelite | Occurrence | 47.604, -116.674 |
| 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 |
| Georgetown Canyon Mine | Phosphorus-Phosphates | Apatite | Past Producer | 42.538, -111.239 |
| North Star Lake Occurrence | Beryllium | Aquamarine | Occurrence | 43.613, -115.503 |
| Blue Gem Claims Prospect | Beryllium | Aquamarine | Occurrence | 43.940, -114.977 |
| Rainbow Claim | — | Aquamarine | Past Producer | 45.106, -114.526 |
| Mt. Everly Beryl Occurrence | Beryllium | Aquamarine | Occurrence | 43.967, -115.085 |
| Pinchot Creek Beryl Deposit | Beryllium | Aquamarine | Occurrence | 43.993, -115.108 |
| Allgood Prospect | — | Aquamarine | Occurrence | 46.382, -115.834 |
| Glens Peak Prospects | Beryllium | Aquamarine, Beryl | Prospect | 43.947, -115.013 |
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