RockWoofFound alongside
Tourmaline
Mohs 7–7.5. Long striated crystals, often black (schorl) or green and pink (elbaite). Mindat
36 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
31 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
30 sites
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
28 sites
Silver
Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
28 sites
Gold
Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat
27 sites
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
By county
King County (11) · Stevens County (6) · Skamania County (6) · Chelan County (4) · Okanogan County (2) · Whatcom County (2) · Snohomish County (1) · Pend Oreille County (1) · Pierce County (1) · Yakima County (1) · Skagit County (1)
Sites
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polar Star Mine | Copper | Arsenopyrite, Bornite, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Malachite, Pyrite | Prospect | 46.352, -122.107 |
| Quartz Creek | Molybdenum, Copper, Gold, Silver | Bornite, Brannerite, Chalcopyrite, Covellite, Molybdenite, Pyrite, Pyrrhotite, Scheelite | Past Producer | 47.570, -121.556 |
| Margaret | Copper, Molybdenum | Bornite, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Chrysocolla, Copper, Covellite, Galena, Magnetite, Malachite, Molybdenite, Pyrite, Sphalerite | Prospect | 46.356, -122.082 |
| Black Jack Prospect | Copper, Silver, Gold | Bornite, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Magnetite, Molybdenite, Pyrite, Sphalerite | Occurrence | 45.772, -122.201 |
| Miners Queen Mine | Copper, Molybdenum | Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Gold, Malachite, Molybdenite, Pyrite, Pyrrhotite, Wolframite | Past Producer | 45.775, -122.191 |
| Copper Mining Co. | Copper | Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Malachite, Molybdenite, Pyrite, Scheelite | Past Producer | 46.769, -121.350 |
| Quartz Creek | Copper, Gold, Silver, Molybdenum | Brannerite, Chalcopyrite, Molybdenite | Occurrence | 47.570, -121.556 |
| Glacier Peak | Molybdenum, Copper | Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Covellite, Cuprite, Enargite, Galena, Malachite, Marcasite, Molybdenite, Pyrite, Pyrrhotite, Scheelite, Sphalerite, Tennantite, Azurite, Copper, Gold | Prospect | 48.198, -120.980 |
| Holden Mine | Copper | Chalcopyrite, Bournonite, Sphalerite, Galena, Gold, Silver, Molybdenite, Chalcocite, Malachite, Pitchblende, Pyrrhotite, Scheelite | Past Producer | 48.197, -120.780 |
| Germania Mine | Tungsten | Chalcopyrite, Chlorite, Fluorite, Molybdenite, Scheelite, Tourmaline | Producer | 48.017, -118.101 |
| Little Noisy Mine | — | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Molybdenite, Scheelite, Sphalerite | Occurrence | 48.791, -117.278 |
| Norway-Sweden Group | Copper | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Pyrite, Pyrrhotite, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 46.297, -122.112 |
| Apex | Zinc, Gold, Silver, Copper, Lead | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Pyrite, Sphalerite, Stibnite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 47.695, -121.513 |
| Damon and Pythias | Gold, Silver, Lead | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Pyrite, Sphalerite, Stibnite, Tetrahedrite | Occurrence | 47.698, -121.527 |
| Apex | Gold, Silver, Copper, Lead | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Sphalerite, Stibnite, Tetrahedrite | Occurrence | 47.695, -121.513 |
| Damon and Pythias | Gold, Silver, Lead, Copper, Zinc | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Occurrence | 47.698, -121.527 |
| Dutch Miller | Copper, Gold, Silver | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Occurrence | 47.559, -121.240 |
| Sampson | — | Chalcopyrite, Gold, Pyrite, Silver, Azurite, Malachite | Prospect | 46.358, -122.077 |
| Una | Gold, Copper, Silver | Chalcopyrite, Malachite | Occurrence | 47.659, -121.416 |
| Una | Copper, Silver, Gold | Chalcopyrite, Malachite | Occurrence | 47.659, -121.416 |
| Keefer Brothers | Molybdenum | Chalcopyrite, Molybdenite, Pyrite, Scheelite, Uraninite | Producer | 48.155, -120.890 |
| Columbia Tungsten | Tungsten, Molybdenum, Zinc, Silver, Gold | Chalcopyrite, Molybdenite, Pyrite, Scheelite, Wolframite | Prospect | 48.253, -118.083 |
| Mount Si | Copper | Chalcopyrite, Pyrite | Occurrence | 47.513, -121.706 |
| American Flag | Copper, Silver, Gold | Chalcopyrite, Pyrite, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 48.593, -120.387 |
| American Flag | Silver, Gold, Zinc, Copper, Lead | Chalcopyrite, Sphalerite | Occurrence | 48.593, -120.387 |
| Ribbon | Chromium | Chromite | Past Producer | 48.715, -121.956 |
| Germania | Tungsten | Molybdenite, Pyrite, Scheelite, Wolframite | Past Producer | 48.008, -118.101 |
| Washington Metals | Tungsten, Molybdenum | Molybdenite, Scheelite, Wolframite | Prospect | 48.255, -118.072 |
| Germania Mine | Tungsten | Molybdenite, Scheelite, Wolframite | Past Producer | 48.008, -118.101 |
| Addy Mine | Tungsten | Molybdenite, Wolframite | Past Producer | 48.254, -118.071 |
| Unnamed Prospect | Copper | Pyrite | Occurrence | 48.952, -121.168 |
| Carbon River | Gold, Copper, Silver | — | Occurrence | 47.018, -121.815 |
| Hamilton Iron Deposit | Iron | — | Prospect | 48.500, -121.953 |
| Esmeralda | Gold | — | Prospect | 48.158, -120.885 |
| Apex Mine | — | — | Past Producer | 47.695, -121.513 |
| Carmen Group | Silver | — | Prospect | 48.278, -120.880 |
Back to Rockhounding in Washington.
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