Home › Missouri › Washington CountyRockhounding in Washington County, Missouri Sniff around Washington County and you’ll be following old miners and prospectors. USGS records 321 named mineral sites here, not counting sand, gravel, crushed stone and clay pits.
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.
Sketch map Dry Bone Shaft + 1 more nearby (Occurrence) Unknown - Lead (Past Producer) Poverty Flat Workings + 1 more nearby (Past Producer) Little Saturday Shaft + 7 more nearby (Occurrence) Unknown - Iron + 1 more nearby (Past Producer) Blanton Specular Mine + 2 more nearby (Past Producer) Primrose Hill Mine (Past Producer) Unknown - Lead (Past Producer) Unknown - ? (Past Producer) Abbeyville Mines (Past Producer) Pea Ridge + 2 more nearby (Producer) Broks Mine (Past Producer) Coffee Pot Diggings (Past Producer) Unknown - Barite (Past Producer) Old McKindsey Mine (Past Producer) Picayune Diggings (Past Producer) Unknown-Iron (Past Producer) Woods Mine + 1 more nearby (Past Producer) Unknown - Barite + 1 more nearby (Past Producer) St. Joe Iron Mine (Producer) Palmer (Past Producer) Unknown - Barite (Past Producer) Parole Mine (Past Producer) Unknown-Lead + 4 more nearby (Past Producer) Unknown-Lead (Past Producer) Unknown-Lead (Past Producer) Unknown - Barite (Past Producer) Unknown - Lead + 1 more nearby (Past Producer) Unknown - Lead (Past Producer) Unknown - Lead (Past Producer) Unknown - Lead and Zinc + 1 more nearby (Past Producer) Tailings Pond -Barite -M+B Mining + 3 more nearby (Past Producer) Cyclone Mine (Past Producer) Cook Prospect (Past Producer) Unknown - Barite (Past Producer) Tirrel Mine (Past Producer) Brock Diggings (Past Producer) Unknown - Lead (Past Producer) Unknown-Lead (Past Producer) Unknown-Lead (Past Producer) Palmer Mine + 3 more nearby (Past Producer) Unknown - Lead and Barite (Past Producer) Unknown - Barite (Past Producer) Indian Creek Division (Past Producer) Unknown-Lead (Past Producer) Desloge Land + 1 more nearby (Occurrence) Unknown-Lead (Past Producer) A-Plant & Quarry (Producer) Unknown - Barite (Past Producer) Unknown - Lead + 1 more nearby (Past Producer) Ives Mines (Past Producer) Shore Diggings + 2 more nearby (Past Producer) Unknown - Lead (Past Producer) Unknown - Lead (Past Producer) Buzzard Roost Diggings (Past Producer) Casey and Clancy Diggings (Past Producer) Krueger Zinc Mine (Past Producer) Unknown - Iron (Past Producer) Unknown - Copper (Past Producer) Unknown - Lead (Past Producer) Careys Mine + 2 more nearby (Past Producer) Unknown - Lead (Past Producer) Hinkson Diggings (Past Producer) Rogers Diggings (Past Producer) Darley Lead Mine (Past Producer) Tailings Pond -Barite -Desoto Min + 1 more nearby (Past Producer) Tailings Pond -Barite -Desoto Min + 5 more nearby (Past Producer) Duclois Diggings + 2 more nearby (Unknown) Luaton Mine + 2 more nearby (Past Producer) Tailings Pond -Barite -Breton Creek + 2 more nearby (Past Producer) Arnault Mine + 2 more nearby (Producer) Gun Club Mine + 2 more nearby (Past Producer) Strawberry Diggings + 1 more nearby (Past Producer) Unknown-Barite + 5 more nearby (Past Producer) Tailings Pond -Barite - (Past Producer) Unknown-Barite (Past Producer) Unknown-Barite (Past Producer) Unknown-Iron + 1 more nearby (Past Producer) Adams Property (Past Producer) Plant B + 1 more nearby (Producer) Unknown - Ba + 3 more nearby (Past Producer) Tailings Pond -Barite -Desoto Min + 2 more nearby (Past Producer) Bee and Scott Diggings + 2 more nearby (Past Producer) Unknown-Lead + 2 more nearby (Past Producer) Tailings Pond -Barite - + 4 more nearby (Past Producer) Unknown - Lead + 3 more nearby (Past Producer) Unknown-Barite (Past Producer) Unknown-Lead + 1 more nearby (Past Producer) Dry Fork Diggings + 2 more nearby (Past Producer) Peach Orchard Diggings (Occurrence) Thornhill Property + 2 more nearby (Past Producer) Richwoods (Producer) Unknown - Lead + 3 more nearby (Past Producer) Elliot Mines (Past Producer) Unknown - Lead + 1 more nearby (Past Producer) Unknown-Barite + 4 more nearby (Past Producer) Mcgregor Tract + 2 more nearby (Past Producer) Unknown - Lead + 1 more nearby (Past Producer) Unknown - Lead and Zinc (Past Producer) Unknown-Lead + 1 more nearby (Past Producer) Faguaher Diggings (Past Producer) Plant A (Producer) Kingston Mine (Producer) Tailings Pond -Barite -Kingston (Past Producer) Whaley-Scott West Mine + 1 more nearby (Past Producer) Unknown - Ba + 2 more nearby (Past Producer) Tailings Pond -Barite - + 1 more nearby (Unknown) Unknown - Ba. (Past Producer) Whaley-Scott Mine + 2 more nearby (Past Producer) Keyes Branch Pit + 2 more nearby (Producer) Unknown-Barite + 1 more nearby (Past Producer) Unknown - Lead and Zinc + 1 more nearby (Past Producer) Unknown-Lead and Zinc (Past Producer) Faquaher Diggings (Past Producer) Tailings Pond -Barite -Star Pond + 3 more nearby (Past Producer) Racola Mine (Past Producer) Unknown - Ba + 1 more nearby (Unknown) Tailings Pond -Barite - + 2 more nearby (Unknown) Dresser No. 7 Mine + 1 more nearby (Past Producer) Gulf Prospect (Past Producer) Unknown - Lead + 1 more nearby (Past Producer) Dresser Minerals Mill + 2 more nearby (Producer) Unknown-Barite (Past Producer) New Diggings (Past Producer) Unknown-Barite + 2 more nearby (Past Producer) Jordans Copper Diggings (Past Producer) Unknown-Lead + 1 more nearby (Past Producer) Unknown - Lead Furnace (Past Producer) Cannon Mines (Past Producer) Prairie Diggings (Past Producer) Tailings Pond -Barite -Bottom Pond + 1 more nearby (Past Producer) Tailings Pond -Barite (Past Producer) Fountain Farm Mill + 1 more nearby (Producer) Mineral Point Mine + 1 more nearby (Past Producer) Mineral Point Area + 3 more nearby (Past Producer) Washington County Zinc Works (Past Producer) Eversole Mine + 1 more nearby (Past Producer) Fertile Mine + 6 more nearby (Past Producer) Unknown - Lead (Unknown) Bellefontaine Mines + 2 more nearby (Past Producer) Cadet Barite Mine + 5 more nearby (Producer) Cadet + 3 more nearby (Producer) Tailings Pond -Barite -Wolf Pond (Past Producer) Amex Mine + 1 more nearby (Producer) Evans Mine (Past Producer) Irondale Mine and Blast Furnace (Past Producer) Unknown - Iron & Zinc (Past Producer) Unknown-Ss + 1 more nearby (Past Producer) Tailings Pond -Barite -Big River + 1 more nearby (Past Producer) Tailings Pond -Barite -Sun Mine + 1 more nearby (Past Producer) Blackwell Area (Past Producer) Dresser No 4 Mine (Producer) Hornsey Bros. Mine + 1 more nearby (Producer) Apex/Mineral Point (Producer) Mineral Point Group (Past Producer) Guignon Lagiaue Mine (Past Producer) Big River Mine (Past Producer) Stone Spring + 2 more nearby (Prospect) West Blackwell Property (Prospect) Tailings Pond -Barite -Tiff Pond + 1 more nearby (Unknown) Blackwell Pit + 3 more nearby (Producer) Tailings Pond -Barite -Cadet Plant (Past Producer)
162 paw pins; nearby sites are grouped into one pin. Hover or tap a pin for the site name. 11 site(s) with USGS coordinates outside the outline are not pinned. County outline: US Census Bureau cartographic boundary file (2023). Locations approximate.Woof’s favorite find
Indian Creek Division We picked it because its USGS record mentions 2 gem or collectible minerals (Quartz, Silver) and 5 of our card minerals overall. That ties with 1 other site(s), so we broke the tie by mine status (past producers first), then USGS record quality, then name. USGS lists it as past producer for Lead. Minerals mentioned: Quartz, Pyrite, Galena, Copper, Silver. Approx. location 38.044, -90.911. 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? 258
Past Producer Produced ore or material at some point in the past.
43
Producer Was producing when the record was made.
7
Occurrence The mineral was noted here, without development.
7
Unknown Status not recorded.
5
Prospect Explored or test-dug, with no recorded production.
1
Plant A processing plant site.
Status terms come from USGS MRDS records.
Mineral cards Galena Mohs 2.5–2.75. Heavy, silvery lead ore that breaks into cubes. Mindat
31 sites
Pyrite Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
28 sites
Quartz Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
22 sites
Agate Mohs 6.5–7. Banded, translucent chalcedony. Mindat
5 sites
Copper Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
5 sites
Silver Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
3 sites
Magnetite Mohs 5.5–6.5. Black and strongly magnetic. Mindat
2 sites
Fluorite Mohs 4. Cubes in purple, green or yellow; many glow under UV. Mindat
1 site
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here 12 11 4 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 Commodities 177 125 25 25 5 3 1 1 1 1 Sites (first 40) Site Commodity Minerals recorded Status Approx. location Parole Mine Barium-Barite, Lead Anglesite, Barite, Galena Past Producer 37.865, -90.967 Pea Ridge Iron Apatite, Hematite, Magnetite Producer 38.127, -91.047 Blackwell Pit Barium-Barite Barite Producer 37.999, -90.644 Arnault Mine Barium-Barite Barite Producer 37.995, -90.822 Palmer Mine Barium-Barite Barite Past Producer 37.823, -90.923 Hornsey Bros. Mine Barium-Barite Barite Producer 37.992, -90.664 Dresser No. 7 Mine Barium-Barite Barite Past Producer 37.992, -90.727 Cadet Barite Mine Barium-Barite Barite Producer 37.998, -90.702 Keyes Branch Pit Barium-Barite Barite Producer 37.955, -90.758 Whaley-Scott Mine Barium-Barite Barite Past Producer 37.996, -90.753 Mineral Point Group Lead, Barium-Barite Barite, Galena Past Producer 37.917, -90.667 Strawberry Diggings Lead, Zinc, Barium-Barite Barite, Galena Past Producer 37.959, -90.817 Kellogg Shaft Lead, Barium-Barite, Zinc Barite, Galena, Sphalerite Occurrence 37.868, -91.086 Little Saturday Shaft Lead Galena Occurrence 37.874, -91.073 Poverty Flat Workings Zinc, Lead Galena Past Producer 37.885, -91.077 Indian Creek Division Lead Galena, Chalcopyrite, Bravoite, Linnaeite, Marcasite, Pyrite, Sphalerite Past Producer 38.044, -90.911 Peach Orchard Diggings Lead, Silver, Zinc Galena, Smithsonite Occurrence 37.821, -90.806 Faguaher Diggings Lead, Zinc Galena, Smithsonite Past Producer 37.838, -90.769 Dry Bone Shaft Lead, Zinc Galena, Sphalerite Occurrence 37.868, -91.095 Viburnum Trend Lead, Zinc Galena, Sphalerite, Bornite, Bravoite, Chalcopyrite, Linnaeite, Marcasite, Millerite, Pyrite, Siegenite Producer 37.538, -91.129 Prewitt Mountain — — Occurrence 37.748, -91.163 Southeast Washington Barium-Barite — Producer 38.250, -90.917 Adams Property — — Occurrence 37.777, -91.177 Desloge Land Iron — Occurrence 37.812, -90.912 Nicholson Bank Iron — Past Producer 37.796, -91.180 Mcgregor Tract Barium-Barite — Past Producer 37.932, -90.771 Pruitt Mountain Mine Iron — Past Producer 37.761, -91.961 Tailings Pond -Barite -Tiff Pond Barium-Barite — Unknown 38.018, -90.645 Unknown - Lead Lead — Past Producer 38.156, -90.773 Unknown-Barite Barium-Barite — Past Producer 37.952, -90.789 Jordans Copper Diggings Copper — Past Producer 37.866, -90.745 Kellogg Shaft Barium-Barite, Lead — Past Producer 37.868, -91.084 Unknown - Lead Lead — Unknown 38.053, -90.705 Woods Mine Barium-Barite — Past Producer 37.847, -91.019 Unknown - Lead Furnace Lead — Past Producer 38.074, -90.712 Unknown - Barite Barium-Barite — Past Producer 38.163, -90.955 Unknown - Ba Barium-Barite — Past Producer 38.182, -90.791 Tailings Pond -Barite -M+B Mining Barium-Barite — Past Producer 37.838, -90.959 Unknown-Lead Lead — Past Producer 37.855, -90.770 Gun Club Mine Barium-Barite — Past Producer 37.968, -90.817
Fossil collections The Paleobiology Database lists 41 fossil collection records in Washington County. These are research records, not public dig sites.
Nearby counties St. Francois County · Jefferson County · Franklin County · Crawford County · Iron County
Missouri mineral guides Back to all Missouri 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 October 2026
RockWoof