RockWoofCheck access before you go. Most sites listed here are old mines, quarries or prospects, and many are on private land or active mining claims. Get the landowner's permission, check the rules of the agency that manages any public land, and never enter mine workings. Locations are approximate.
Found alongside
Tourmaline
Mohs 7–7.5. Long striated crystals, often black (schorl) or green and pink (elbaite). Mindat
167 sites
Mica
Mohs 2–3. Peels into thin, flexible, shiny sheets. Mindat
161 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
157 sites
Feldspar
Mohs 6–6.5. Blocky crystals with flat cleavage faces. Mindat
155 sites
Beryl
Mohs 7.5–8. Six-sided crystals; aquamarine and emerald are beryl. Mindat
60 sites
Garnet
Mohs 6.5–7.5. Usually deep red, round many-faced crystals. Mindat
17 sites
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
By county
Custer County (146) · Pennington County (20) · Lawrence County (1)
Sites (first 60)
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tin Mountain Mine | Cesium, Feldspar, Lithium, Mica | Albite, Amblygonite, Andesine, Beryl, Biotite, Columbite, Muscovite, Pollucite, Spodumene | Past Producer | 43.746, -103.719 |
| Highland Mine | Beryllium, Mica, Feldspar | Albite, Beryl, Lithiophilite, Microcline, Muscovite | Past Producer | 43.766, -103.679 |
| Earl Lode | Feldspar, Mica, Beryllium | Albite, Beryl, Lithiophilite, Muscovite | Past Producer | 43.752, -103.528 |
| Payday Lode | Feldspar, Mica, Beryllium | Albite, Beryl, Mica | Past Producer | 43.624, -103.609 |
| Michaud Prospect | Beryllium | Albite, Beryl, Muscovite | Past Producer | 43.689, -103.719 |
| Pine Top Lode | Mica, Feldspar | Albite, Muscovite | Past Producer | 43.727, -103.615 |
| Tiptop Lode | Feldspar | Amblygonite, Beryl, Biotite, Muscovite | Past Producer | 43.716, -103.670 |
| High Climb Mine | Feldspar, Beryllium, Mica, Lithium | Amblygonite, Beryl, Columbite, Feldspar, Muscovite | Past Producer | 43.852, -103.619 |
| Beecher Lode | Lithium, Beryllium, Mica | Amblygonite, Beryl, Columbite, Mica, Spodumene, Tantalite | Past Producer | 43.703, -103.578 |
| Eruption Lode | Lithium, Beryllium, Feldspar, Mica | Amblygonite, Beryl, Feldspar, Muscovite | Past Producer | 43.725, -103.697 |
| Giant-Volney Mine | Tantalum, Lithium | Amblygonite, Cassiterite, Columbite, Feldspar, Lithiophilite, Spodumene, Tantalite | Past Producer | 44.377, -104.049 |
| Put Lode | Beryllium | Beryl | Past Producer | 43.854, -103.373 |
| Smith Mine | Feldspar | Beryl | Past Producer | 43.622, -103.528 |
| Greene Mine | Beryllium, Feldspar | Beryl | Past Producer | 43.628, -103.523 |
| Jumbo Lode | Feldspar, Mica, Beryllium | Beryl, Biotite, Feldspar, Microcline, Muscovite | Occurrence | 43.833, -103.399 |
| New England Prospect | Feldspar, Beryllium, Mica | Beryl, Biotite, Feldspar, Microcline, Muscovite | Occurrence | 43.851, -103.394 |
| Big Tom Mine | Feldspar | Beryl, Biotite, Muscovite | Past Producer | 43.722, -103.694 |
| Dorothy V Prospect | Mica | Beryl, Biotite, Muscovite | Past Producer | 43.758, -103.641 |
| Mayo Lode | Feldspar | Beryl, Columbite, Feldspar, Mica, Tantalite | Past Producer | 43.687, -103.608 |
| New York Mine | Feldspar, Mica | Beryl, Columbite, Feldspar, Muscovite, Tantalite | Producer | 43.702, -103.686 |
| Pleasant Valley Mine | Feldspar | Beryl, Feldspar | Past Producer | 43.722, -103.681 |
| Ferguson Lode Claim | Feldspar, Beryllium | Beryl, Feldspar | Past Producer | 43.876, -103.368 |
| Mountain Beryl Claim | Feldspar, Beryllium, Mica | Beryl, Feldspar | Past Producer | 43.632, -103.614 |
| Lookout No. 5 Lode | Beryllium, Feldspar | Beryl, Feldspar | Past Producer | 43.679, -103.634 |
| Cat Lode | Feldspar, Beryllium | Beryl, Feldspar | Past Producer | 43.671, -103.532 |
| Chipmunk No. 25 Claim | Feldspar, Beryllium | Beryl, Feldspar | Past Producer | 43.702, -103.608 |
| Blue Bird Lode | Feldspar, Beryllium | Beryl, Feldspar | Past Producer | 43.656, -103.604 |
| Bet Lode | Feldspar, Beryllium | Beryl, Feldspar | Past Producer | 43.671, -103.544 |
| Custer Mountain Lode | Beryllium, Feldspar, Mica, Lithium | Beryl, Feldspar, Lepidolite, Mica, Spodumene | Past Producer | 43.755, -103.566 |
| Dubuque and Royal Flush Claims | Beryllium, Mica, Feldspar | Beryl, Feldspar, Mica | Past Producer | 43.741, -103.694 |
| Rainbow No. 4 Claim | Mica, Feldspar, Beryllium | Beryl, Feldspar, Mica | Past Producer | 43.730, -103.696 |
| Lincoln No. 6 Lode | Beryllium | Beryl, Feldspar, Mica | Past Producer | 43.676, -103.633 |
| Mcarthur Mine | Mica | Beryl, Feldspar, Mica | Past Producer | 43.703, -103.627 |
| Elkhorn Mine | Feldspar, Mica, Beryllium | Beryl, Feldspar, Mica | Past Producer | 43.747, -103.517 |
| Mountain Rose Mine | Feldspar, Beryllium, Mica | Beryl, Feldspar, Muscovite | Past Producer | 43.621, -103.604 |
| Crown Mine | Mica, Beryllium | Beryl, Feldspar, Muscovite | Past Producer | 43.794, -103.643 |
| Lucky Twist Mine | Feldspar, Mica | Beryl, Feldspar, Muscovite | Past Producer | 43.674, -103.590 |
| Eureka | Mica, Beryllium, Feldspar | Beryl, Feldspar, Muscovite | Occurrence | 43.869, -103.389 |
| Scott's Rose Quartz Mine | Quartz, Mica, Feldspar | Beryl, Feldspar, Muscovite, Spodumene | Past Producer | 43.716, -103.516 |
| Tip Top Lode | Feldspar, Mica, Beryllium, Lithium | Beryl, Lithiophilite, Microcline, Muscovite | Past Producer | 43.716, -103.670 |
| Friday Lode | Mica, Feldspar | Beryl, Mica | Occurrence | 43.778, -103.651 |
| La Rue Mine | Beryllium, Mica | Beryl, Mica | Past Producer | 43.598, -103.505 |
| Beryl Mica Lode | Feldspar | Beryl, Mica, Microcline | Past Producer | 43.633, -103.557 |
| Queen Claim | Beryllium, Feldspar | Beryl, Microcline | Past Producer | 43.869, -103.382 |
| Ponca Group | Feldspar, Mica, Beryllium | Beryl, Microcline, Muscovite | Past Producer | 43.877, -103.371 |
| Big Spar No. 1 Mine | Feldspar, Mica, Beryllium | Beryl, Muscovite | Past Producer | 43.754, -103.653 |
| Silver Dollar Mine | Mica | Beryl, Muscovite | Past Producer | 43.723, -103.617 |
| Big Smoke Group | Feldspar, Beryllium | Beryl, Muscovite | Past Producer | 43.858, -103.375 |
| Tanner Property | Beryllium, Tantalum, Feldspar, Mica | Beryl, Muscovite, Plagioclase, Spodumene | Past Producer | 43.615, -103.546 |
| Knowles Lode Claim | Quartz, Mica, Beryllium | Beryl, Muscovite, Quartz | Occurrence | 43.785, -103.594 |
| Big Horn Lode Prospect | Feldspar | Biotite, Feldspar | Occurrence | 43.785, -103.584 |
| Burgess Mica Prospect | Mica | Biotite, Muscovite | Past Producer | 43.741, -103.600 |
| Surprise Mica Mine | Mica | Biotite, Muscovite | Past Producer | 43.781, -103.597 |
| Old Missouri Prospect | Feldspar, Mica | Biotite, Muscovite | Past Producer | 43.670, -103.644 |
| Lake Mica Prospect | Mica | Biotite, Muscovite | Past Producer | 43.845, -103.558 |
| Lucky Star Prospect | Mica | Biotite, Muscovite | Producer | 43.749, -103.613 |
| Ottumwa Lode | Tungsten, Tin, Feldspar, Mica | Cassiterite, Feldspar, Mica, Wolframite | Occurrence | 43.934, -103.493 |
| Gertie | Tin | Cassiterite, Feldspar, Muscovite | Past Producer | 43.923, -103.584 |
| Clara Belle | Gold, Tin, Silver | Cassiterite, Gold, Silver | Past Producer | 43.868, -103.607 |
| Black Metal Group | Tungsten, Tin | Cassiterite, Scheelite, Wolframite | Occurrence | 43.947, -103.559 |
Back to Rockhounding in South Dakota.
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