RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Hope Group
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 4 gem or collectible minerals (Quartz, Gold, Fluorite, Silver) and 7 of our card minerals overall. No other named site here scores as high on both counts. USGS lists it as past producer for Silver, Copper, Lead. Minerals mentioned: Quartz, Gold, Pyrite, Galena, Fluorite, Copper, Silver. Approx. location 46.340, -113.275. 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?
Produced ore or material at some point in the past.
The mineral was noted here, without development.
Status not recorded.
Explored or test-dug, with no recorded production.
Was producing when the record was made.
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
432 sites
Silver
Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
432 sites
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
262 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
181 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
103 sites
Galena
Mohs 2.5–2.75. Heavy, silvery lead ore that breaks into cubes. Mindat
67 sites
Fluorite
Mohs 4. Cubes in purple, green or yellow; many glow under UV. Mindat
23 sites
Scheelite
Mohs 4.5–5. Tungsten mineral that glows blue-white under shortwave UV. Mindat
21 sites
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Gold 155Galena 63Chalcopyrite 32Tetrahedrite 31Sphalerite 28Copper 28Scheelite 21Malachite 19Silver 17Lead 11Psilomelane 11Pyrolusite 8Commodities
Gold 388Silver 303Copper 187Lead 177Zinc 88Manganese 78Tungsten 60Phosphorus-Phosphates 37Iron 9Molybdenum 8Sites (first 40)
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sand Basin | Niobium (Columbium), Tantalum, REE, Thorium | Allanite, Euxenite, Monazite, Thorianite | Occurrence | 46.200, -113.718 |
| Forest Rose | Lead, Silver, Zinc | Anglesite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Gold, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 46.516, -113.086 |
| Hope Group | Silver, Copper, Lead | Argentite, Cerargyrite, Chalcocite, Galena, Gold, Malachite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 46.340, -113.275 |
| Philipsburg | Silver, Manganese | Argentite, Cerargyrite, Chalcopyrite, Chlorargyrite, Galena, Gold, Magnetite, Powellite, Psilomelane, Pyrolusite, Scheelite, Silver, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite, Tremolite | Producer | 46.358, -113.259 |
| Granite - Bimetallic Mine | Gold, Silver | Argentite, Cerargyrite, Chalcopyrite, Chrysocolla, Galena, Gold, Malachite, Proustite, Pyrargyrite, Pyromorphite, Silver, Sphalerite, Tennantite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 46.316, -113.243 |
| Cadgie Taylor Mine | Silver | Argentite, Cerargyrite, Chlorargyrite | Producer | 46.347, -113.271 |
| Clay Deposit N Side of East Fork Reservoir | Bentonite | Bentonite, Montmorillonite, Quartz | Occurrence | 46.128, -113.376 |
| Flint Creek Mine | Gold | Bismuth | Past Producer | 46.236, -113.212 |
| Fairview Mine | Gold, Silver | Bismuth, Chalcopyrite, Molybdenite, Silver, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 46.814, -113.329 |
| Sunrise Mine | Gold, Silver, Copper | Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Cuprite, Galena, Scheelite | Past Producer | 46.485, -113.329 |
| Deerlodge Basin Prospect | Copper, Lead, Silver | Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Galena | Occurrence | 46.395, -113.081 |
| Modoc and American Flag Claims | Gold | Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Gold | Past Producer | 46.280, -113.171 |
| Clear Grit Claim | Silver, Gold | Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Gold | Past Producer | 46.437, -113.043 |
| Anderson Prospect | Silver, Copper, Lead | Bournonite, Covellite, Galena, Tetrahedrite | Occurrence | 46.038, -113.678 |
| Miller Mine | Gold, Silver, Lead | Bournonite, Galena, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 46.030, -113.681 |
| Mulkey Gulch | — | Calomel | Occurrence | 46.901, -113.292 |
| Bourard Lode | Lead, Zinc | Cerussite, Galena | Occurrence | 46.530, -113.069 |
| O'Brien Mine | Silver, Gold | Chalcopyrite | Occurrence | 46.005, -113.661 |
| Goat Mountain Vein | Silver | Chalcopyrite | Occurrence | 46.380, -113.066 |
| Cascade Mine | Gold | Chalcopyrite, Chrysocolla, Gold, Malachite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 46.827, -113.348 |
| Travonia Claim | Lead, Zinc | Chalcopyrite, Copper, Galena, Gold, Sphalerite | Occurrence | 46.411, -113.161 |
| Headlight Mine | Manganese, Silver | Chalcopyrite, Copper, Galena, Lead, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 46.335, -113.268 |
| Last Chance Mine | Copper | Chalcopyrite, Copper, Gold | Occurrence | 46.475, -113.270 |
| Sixteen-To-One Claim | Gold, Copper | Chalcopyrite, Copper, Gold | Occurrence | 46.388, -113.090 |
| Rombauer Mine | Lead, Silver | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Gold | Occurrence | 46.379, -113.124 |
| Red Cloud Group | Gold, Silver | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Gold, Molybdenite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 46.820, -113.340 |
| Shamrock Mine | Gold | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Gold, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 46.827, -113.343 |
| Nancy Hanks Mine | Gold, Silver | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Gold, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 46.827, -113.346 |
| Fourth of July | Silver, Gold | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Gold, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 46.820, -113.335 |
| Sunset Mine | Silver, Lead | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Lead | Producer | 46.532, -113.083 |
| Senate Mine | Copper, Silver | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Malachite, Silver | Past Producer | 45.992, -113.551 |
| Dunkelberg | Silver, Lead, Zinc, Copper, Gold | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Pyrite, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 46.500, -113.084 |
| Shamrock Mine | Lead, Zinc | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 46.496, -113.095 |
| Wasa Mine | Zinc, Lead, Silver | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 46.497, -113.095 |
| Potosi | Silver, Copper | Chalcopyrite, Gold | Past Producer | 46.435, -113.065 |
| Gold Reef Mine | Gold | Chalcopyrite, Gold | Past Producer | 46.381, -113.199 |
| Northern Cross Mine | Gold | Chalcopyrite, Gold, Malachite | Past Producer | 46.292, -113.120 |
| Kirkendal Mine | Zinc, Lead | Chalcopyrite, Gold, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Occurrence | 46.495, -113.093 |
| Grant and Hartford Mine | Gold, Silver | Chalcopyrite, Gold, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 46.823, -113.338 |
| Dewey Mine | Gold | Chalcopyrite, Gold, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 46.827, -113.344 |
Fossil collections
The Paleobiology Database lists 8 fossil collection records in Granite County. These are research records, not public dig sites.
Nearby counties
Deer Lodge County · Powell County · Silver Bow County · Missoula County · Ravalli 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