RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Bearpaw Mtns
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 2 gem or collectible minerals (Gold, Silver) and 4 of our card minerals overall. No other named site here scores as high on both counts. USGS lists it as occurrence for Gold, Silver, Lead, Zinc. Minerals mentioned: Gold, Pyrite, Galena, Silver. Approx. location 48.250, -109.501. 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?
The mineral was noted here, without development.
Status not recorded.
Explored or test-dug, with no recorded production.
Status terms come from USGS MRDS records.
Mineral cards
Gold
Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat
1 site
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
1 site
Galena
Mohs 2.5–2.75. Heavy, silvery lead ore that breaks into cubes. Mindat
1 site
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
1 site
Silver
Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
1 site
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Chalcopyrite 1Galena 1Pyrite 1Pyrrhotite 1Commodities
Uranium 3Lead 2Gold 1Silver 1Zinc 1Silica 1Salt 1Potassium 1Cobalt 1Copper 1Sites
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bearpaw Mtns | Gold, Silver, Lead, Zinc | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Pyrite, Pyrrhotite | Occurrence | 48.250, -109.501 |
| Rocky Boy Stock | Uranium | — | Occurrence | 48.169, -109.736 |
| Rocky Boy Stock | Uranium | — | Occurrence | 48.169, -109.738 |
| Rocky Boy Area | Lead | — | Occurrence | 48.170, -109.741 |
| Virgelle Sandstone | Silica | — | Unknown | 48.014, -110.238 |
| White Lake | Salt | — | Occurrence | 47.687, -110.438 |
| United Petroleum Good 1 | Uranium | — | Prospect | 47.756, -111.263 |
| Big Lake Deposits | Potassium | — | Occurrence | 47.633, -110.419 |
Fossil collections
The Paleobiology Database lists 8 fossil collection records in Chouteau County. These are research records, not public dig sites.
Nearby counties
Hill County · Blaine County · Phillips County · Fergus County · Liberty County
Montana mineral guides
- Tourmaline in Montana
- Quartz in Montana
- Garnet in Montana
- Gold in Montana
- Mica in Montana
- Feldspar in Montana
Back to all Montana 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