RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
September Morn Mine
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 2 gem or collectible minerals (Quartz, Silver) and 3 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, Galena, Silver. Approx. location 45.953, -111.025. 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.
Explored or test-dug, with no recorded production.
Produced ore or material at some point in the past.
Was producing when the record was made.
Status not recorded.
A processing plant site.
Status terms come from USGS MRDS records.
Mineral cards
Gold
Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat
17 sites
Silver
Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
14 sites
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
13 sites
Fluorite
Mohs 4. Cubes in purple, green or yellow; many glow under UV. Mindat
7 sites
Mica
Mohs 2–3. Peels into thin, flexible, shiny sheets. Mindat
4 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
2 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
2 sites
Galena
Mohs 2.5–2.75. Heavy, silvery lead ore that breaks into cubes. Mindat
2 sites
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Anthophyllite 4Corundum 3Chalcopyrite 2Galena 2Molybdenite 2Sphalerite 2Sillimanite 2Malachite 1Vermiculite 1Chromite 1Muscovite 1Commodities
Phosphorus-Phosphates 19Gold 17Copper 13Asbestos 12Lead 9Silver 8Corundum 7Kyanite 4Geothermal 4Mica 3Sites (first 40)
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moon Lake Asbestos Deposit | Asbestos | Anthophyllite | Occurrence | 45.317, -111.282 |
| Six Bits Lode | Asbestos | Anthophyllite | Prospect | 45.357, -111.184 |
| Karst Asbestos Deposit | Asbestos | Anthophyllite | Past Producer | 45.356, -111.183 |
| Table Mountain Prospect | Chromium, Asbestos | Anthophyllite, Chromite | Occurrence | 45.327, -111.261 |
| Deer Creek Prospect | Copper, Nickel | Chalcopyrite | Occurrence | 45.300, -111.213 |
| Unidentified Copper Occurrence | Copper | Chalcopyrite | Occurrence | 45.249, -111.226 |
| Beaver Creek | Corundum | Corundum | Occurrence | 44.934, -111.364 |
| Bozeman Corundum Deposit | Corundum | Corundum, Sillimanite | Past Producer | 45.618, -111.281 |
| Elk Creek Corundom Deposit | Corundum | Corundum, Sillimanite | Past Producer | 45.562, -111.334 |
| September Morn Mine | Lead | Galena, Molybdenite, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 45.953, -111.025 |
| Pass Creek Mine | Lead, Zinc, Molybdenum | Galena, Molybdenite, Sphalerite | Occurrence | 45.967, -111.034 |
| Unidentified Occurance | Copper | Malachite | Occurrence | 45.279, -111.229 |
| Thumper Lode Mica Mine | Mica | Muscovite | Past Producer | 45.461, -111.148 |
| Mica. Creek Deposit | Vermiculite | Vermiculite | Occurrence | 45.446, -111.157 |
| Last Chance Prospect | Copper, Gold, Silver | — | Occurrence | 45.302, -111.322 |
| Mountain Goat No. 5 Claim | Gold, Silver | — | Occurrence | 45.319, -111.238 |
| Lava Lake Pyrite | Gold, Silver | — | Occurrence | 45.383, -111.252 |
| Sunshine Mine | Gold, Silver, Lead | — | Past Producer | 45.532, -111.031 |
| Karat Lode | Asbestos | — | Prospect | 45.357, -111.184 |
| Unidentified Asbestos Occurrence | Asbestos | — | Occurrence | 45.318, -111.209 |
| Unidentified Asbestos Occurrence | Asbestos | — | Occurrence | 45.483, -111.147 |
| Buck Lode | Asbestos | — | Prospect | 45.357, -111.184 |
| Tepee Creek Phosphate | Phosphorus-Phosphates | — | Occurrence | 45.074, -111.171 |
| Last Chance Prospect | Iron | — | Prospect | 45.302, -111.321 |
| W. Fork-Gallatin River Phosphate | Phosphorus-Phosphates | — | Occurrence | 45.268, -111.261 |
| Unnamed Location | Copper | — | Occurrence | 46.145, -111.264 |
| Sunshine Mine | Lead | — | Occurrence | 45.531, -111.030 |
| Sage Peak Phosphate | Phosphorus-Phosphates | — | Occurrence | 44.933, -111.253 |
| Table Mountain Prospect | Chromium | — | Prospect | 45.332, -111.255 |
| West Fork Gallatin River Placers | Gold | — | Past Producer | 45.260, -111.269 |
| Sheridan | Lead | — | Prospect | 45.952, -111.056 |
| Manhattan Onyx Marble Deposit | Marble, Dimension | — | Prospect | 45.926, -111.316 |
| Copper Occurrence | Copper | — | Occurrence | 44.914, -111.369 |
| Moon Lake Kyanite | Kyanite | — | Occurrence | 45.319, -111.279 |
| Bakers Hole Well | Geothermal | — | Producer | 44.708, -111.100 |
| Three Forks Placer | Gold | — | Prospect | 45.903, -111.560 |
| Jefferson River Placers | Gold | — | Prospect | 45.604, -111.211 |
| Three Forks Mill | Talc-Soapstone | — | Producer | 45.810, -111.545 |
| Michener Property | Gold | — | Occurrence | 45.268, -111.259 |
| Unnamed Location | Gold | — | Occurrence | 45.592, -110.929 |
Fossil collections
The Paleobiology Database lists 65 fossil collection records in Gallatin County. These are research records, not public dig sites.
Nearby counties
Park County · Madison County · Sweet Grass County · Stillwater County · Broadwater 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