RockWoof
Check 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.

Best regions by county

Ranked by the number of USGS-recorded sites, not by access or quality.

  1. Jasper County: 1,828 sites
  2. Newton County: 830 sites
  3. Lawrence County: 345 sites
  4. Washington County: 321 sites; most recorded: Barite, Galena, Sphalerite
  5. Wayne County: 299 sites; most recorded: Limonite, Marcasite, Pyrite

Top minerals

  • Limonite: 86 sites
  • Galena: 46 sites
  • Hematite: 24 sites
  • Barite: 19 sites
  • Chalcopyrite: 17 sites
  • Sphalerite: 13 sites
  • Pyrite: 13 sites
  • Marcasite: 11 sites

Mineral cards

  • Pyrite

    Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat

    489 sites

  • Galena

    Mohs 2.5–2.75. Heavy, silvery lead ore that breaks into cubes. Mindat

    305 sites

  • Quartz

    Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat

    282 sites

  • Copper

    Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat

    143 sites

  • Silver

    Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat

    39 sites

  • Feldspar

    Mohs 6–6.5. Blocky crystals with flat cleavage faces. Mindat

    16 sites

  • Fluorite

    Mohs 4. Cubes in purple, green or yellow; many glow under UV. Mindat

    15 sites

  • Magnetite

    Mohs 5.5–6.5. Black and strongly magnetic. Mindat

    11 sites

  • Gold

    Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat

    9 sites

  • Agate

    Mohs 6.5–7. Banded, translucent chalcedony. Mindat

    6 sites

Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.

Minerals most often recorded

Limonite 86Galena 46Hematite 24Barite 19Chalcopyrite 17Sphalerite 13Pyrite 13Marcasite 11Chalcocite 8Malachite 8Linnaeite 8Bornite 7

Counties

CountySites
Jasper County1,828
Newton County830
Lawrence County345
Washington County321
Wayne County299
Morgan County206
Crawford County180
Howell County173
St. Francois County161
Madison County159
Dent County129
Phelps County127
Franklin County123
Jefferson County120
Oregon County98
Moniteau County86
Miller County81
Shannon County80
Iron County75
Cole County68
Camden County63
Christian County53
Benton County52
Reynolds County49
Butler County42
Wright County42
Carter County39
Barry County38
Ozark County37
Ste. Genevieve County36
Texas County36
Greene County35
Bollinger County33
Hickory County26
Webster County19
Cooper County17
Ripley County17
Stoddard County16
Taney County16
Perry County14
Gasconade County14
Dallas County13
Maries County13
Callaway County10
Stone County10
Douglas County10
Osage County9
St. Clair County8
Pettis County8
Dade County8
McDonald County7
Laclede County6
Polk County5
Pulaski County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)4
Cape Girardeau County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)4
Barton County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)3
Cedar County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)3
Boone County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)3
St. Louis County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)3
Jackson County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)2
Henry County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)2
Ralls County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)2
New Madrid County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)2
Saline County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)2
Livingston County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Howard County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
St. Charles County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Johnson County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Clark County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Warren County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Vernon County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Marion County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Worth County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Lincoln County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Scott County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1

Mineral guides

Related articles

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