RockWoofBest regions by county
Ranked by the number of USGS-recorded sites, not by access or quality.
- St. Louis County: 724 sites; most recorded: Magnetite, Hematite, Chalcopyrite
- Itasca County: 278 sites; most recorded: Magnetite, Hematite, Ankerite
- Crow Wing County: 193 sites; most recorded: Hematite, Magnetite
- Fillmore County: 66 sites
- Cook County: 31 sites; most recorded: Ilmenite, Magnetite, Chalcopyrite
Top minerals
- Magnetite: 564 sites
- Hematite: 528 sites
- Chalcopyrite: 27 sites
- Pentlandite: 22 sites
- Pyrrhotite: 22 sites
- Ilmenite: 21 sites
- Cubanite: 19 sites
- Gold: 18 sites
Mineral cards
Magnetite
Mohs 5.5–6.5. Black and strongly magnetic. Mindat
594 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
51 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
47 sites
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
29 sites
Gold
Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat
24 sites
Mica
Mohs 2–3. Peels into thin, flexible, shiny sheets. Mindat
11 sites
Tourmaline
Mohs 7–7.5. Long striated crystals, often black (schorl) or green and pink (elbaite). Mindat
8 sites
Feldspar
Mohs 6–6.5. Blocky crystals with flat cleavage faces. Mindat
8 sites
Silver
Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
7 sites
Galena
Mohs 2.5–2.75. Heavy, silvery lead ore that breaks into cubes. Mindat
3 sites
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals most often recorded
Magnetite 564Hematite 528Chalcopyrite 27Pentlandite 22Pyrrhotite 22Ilmenite 21Cubanite 19Gold 18Bornite 17Ankerite 14Siderite 14Minnesotaite 13Counties
| County | Sites |
|---|---|
| St. Louis County | 724 |
| Itasca County | 278 |
| Crow Wing County | 193 |
| Fillmore County | 66 |
| Cook County | 31 |
| Lake County | 13 |
| Carlton County | 11 |
| Stearns County | 8 |
| Koochiching County | 6 |
| Olmsted County | 6 |
| Redwood County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 4 |
| Aitkin County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 4 |
| Morrison County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 3 |
| Yellow Medicine County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 3 |
| Goodhue County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 3 |
| Mower County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 3 |
| Scott County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 2 |
| Le Sueur County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 2 |
| Beltrami County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 2 |
| Cass County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 2 |
| Lake of the Woods County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 2 |
| Roseau County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 2 |
| Anoka County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 2 |
| Washington County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 2 |
| Lac qui Parle County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 2 |
| Big Stone County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 2 |
| Renville County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 2 |
| Pine County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 2 |
| Ramsey County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 1 |
| Brown County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 1 |
| Hennepin County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 1 |
| Clay County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 1 |
| Blue Earth County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 1 |
| Wright County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 1 |
| Dakota County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 1 |
| Mille Lacs County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 1 |
| Becker County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 1 |
Mineral guides
- Quartz in Minnesota (47)
- Gold in Minnesota (24)
- Mica in Minnesota (11)
- Magnetite in Minnesota (594)
- Pyrite in Minnesota (51)
- Copper in Minnesota (29)
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