RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
South Filson Creek deposit
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 2 gem or collectible minerals (Gold, Silver) and 7 of our card minerals overall. No other named site here scores as high on both counts. USGS lists it as prospect for Nickel, Copper. Minerals mentioned: Gold, Mica, Magnetite, Pyrite, Galena, Copper, Silver. Approx. location 47.822, -91.674. USGS record.
Ask first: a USGS record doesn’t mean you can visit. Find out who owns the land and get permission before collecting.
Field cards: what kind of sites?
Explored or test-dug, with no recorded production.
Status not recorded.
The mineral was noted here, without development.
Was producing when the record was made.
Produced ore or material at some point in the past.
Status terms come from USGS MRDS records.
Mineral cards
Magnetite
Mohs 5.5–6.5. Black and strongly magnetic. Mindat
6 sites
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
4 sites
Gold
Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat
3 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
3 sites
Galena
Mohs 2.5–2.75. Heavy, silvery lead ore that breaks into cubes. Mindat
2 sites
Silver
Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
2 sites
Mica
Mohs 2–3. Peels into thin, flexible, shiny sheets. Mindat
1 site
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Magnetite 5Bornite 3Chalcocite 3Digenite 3Pentlandite 3Sphalerite 3Ilmenite 3Cuprite 2Galena 2Pyrite 2Tenorite 2Chalcopyrite 2Commodities
Iron 6Copper 4Titanium 4Nickel 3Platinum 3Palladium 3Cobalt 3Gold 3Metal 2Silver 2Sites
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spruce Road deposit | Copper, Nickel, Platinum, Palladium | Bornite, Bravoite, Chalcocite, Copper, Cuprite, Digenite, Galena, Magnetite, Pentlandite, Pyrite, Sphalerite, Tenorite, Troilite | Prospect | 47.830, -91.681 |
| Maturi Nokomis Deposit | Copper, Nickel, Palladium, Platinum | Bornite, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Covellite, Cubanite, Cuprite, Digenite, Pentlandite, Pyrite, Pyrrhotite, Sphalerite, Tenorite | Prospect | 47.801, -91.756 |
| South Filson Creek deposit | Nickel, Copper | Bornite, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Covellite, Cubanite, Digenite, Galena, Millerite, Niccolite, Pentlandite, Pyrrhotite, Sperrylite, Sphalerite | Prospect | 47.822, -91.674 |
| Section 30 Mine | Iron | Hematite, Magnetite | Past Producer | 47.912, -91.796 |
| Thomas Lake Deposit | Iron, Titanium, Metal | Ilmenite, Magnetite | Unknown | 48.007, -91.239 |
| Fraser Lake Deposit | Iron, Titanium, Metal | Ilmenite, Magnetite | Unknown | 48.023, -91.182 |
| Duluth Complex Fe Ti mineralization | — | Magnetite, Ilmenite | Occurrence | 48.050, -90.933 |
| E.W. Davis Works | Iron | — | Producer | 47.298, -91.261 |
| Lake and Cook County Anorthosite | — | — | Occurrence | 47.442, -91.198 |
| Silver Bay Plant | Iron | — | Producer | 47.286, -91.262 |
| Reserve Pellet Plant | Iron | — | Producer | 47.650, -91.975 |
| Birch Lake Prospect | Copper | — | Unknown | 47.817, -91.733 |
| Duluth Gabbro | Vanadium, Titanium | — | Occurrence | 47.500, -91.500 |
Nearby counties
Cook County · St. Louis County · Itasca County · Koochiching County · Cass County
Minnesota mineral guides
- Quartz in Minnesota
- Gold in Minnesota
- Mica in Minnesota
- Magnetite in Minnesota
- Pyrite in Minnesota
- Copper in Minnesota
Back to all Minnesota counties.
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