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. Madison County: 1,206 sites; most recorded: Gold, Galena, Silver
  2. Jefferson County: 986 sites; most recorded: Gold, Galena, Sphalerite
  3. Beaverhead County: 983 sites; most recorded: Galena, Gold, Thorite
  4. Granite County: 822 sites; most recorded: Gold, Galena, Chalcopyrite
  5. Lewis and Clark County: 638 sites; most recorded: Gold, Galena, Chalcopyrite

Top minerals

  • Gold: 977 sites
  • Galena: 651 sites
  • Chalcopyrite: 471 sites
  • Sphalerite: 408 sites
  • Tetrahedrite: 190 sites
  • Silver: 163 sites
  • Malachite: 149 sites
  • Pyrite: 115 sites

Mineral cards

  • Gold

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

    4,812 sites

  • Silver

    Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat

    4,321 sites

  • Copper

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

    2,624 sites

  • Quartz

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

    1,181 sites

  • Pyrite

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

    1,027 sites

  • Galena

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

    773 sites

  • Fluorite

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

    206 sites

  • Magnetite

    Mohs 5.5–6.5. Black and strongly magnetic. Mindat

    168 sites

  • Scheelite

    Mohs 4.5–5. Tungsten mineral that glows blue-white under shortwave UV. Mindat

    112 sites

  • Garnet

    Mohs 6.5–7.5. Usually deep red, round many-faced crystals. Mindat

    91 sites

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

Minerals most often recorded

Gold 977Galena 651Chalcopyrite 471Sphalerite 408Tetrahedrite 190Silver 163Malachite 149Pyrite 115Scheelite 107Chalcocite 77Bornite 75Molybdenite 67

Counties

CountySites
Madison County1,206
Jefferson County986
Beaverhead County983
Granite County822
Lewis and Clark County638
Silver Bow County514
Park County475
Powell County430
Broadwater County391
Lincoln County273
Mineral County256
Deer Lodge County244
Sanders County234
Missoula County223
Ravalli County196
Sweet Grass County149
Fergus County133
Judith Basin County119
Meagher County115
Cascade County111
Gallatin County99
Flathead County86
Carbon County82
Phillips County46
Stillwater County37
Glacier County23
Big Horn County23
Carter County19
Lake County17
Blaine County15
Teton County13
Fallon County11
Pondera County10
Chouteau County8
Liberty County6
Rosebud County6
Hill County5
Treasure County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)4
Garfield County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)3
Powder River County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)3
Richland County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)3
Custer County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)2
Valley County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)2
Roosevelt County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)2
Yellowstone County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)2
Sheridan County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)2
Golden Valley County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Wibaux County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Wheatland 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