RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Marysville District
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 4 gem or collectible minerals (Quartz, Gold, Fluorite, Silver) and 8 of our card minerals overall. No other named site here scores as high on both counts. USGS lists it as past producer for Gold, Silver, Lead. Minerals mentioned: Quartz, Gold, Pyrite, Galena, Fluorite, Copper, Silver, Scheelite. Approx. location 46.750, -112.334. 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
442 sites
Silver
Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
308 sites
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
185 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
136 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
101 sites
Galena
Mohs 2.5–2.75. Heavy, silvery lead ore that breaks into cubes. Mindat
89 sites
Tourmaline
Mohs 7–7.5. Long striated crystals, often black (schorl) or green and pink (elbaite). Mindat
23 sites
Fluorite
Mohs 4. Cubes in purple, green or yellow; many glow under UV. Mindat
10 sites
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Gold 145Galena 70Chalcopyrite 38Sphalerite 33Malachite 19Tetrahedrite 15Lead 12Scheelite 10Chrysocolla 9Magnetite 5Silver 5Pyrite 4Commodities
Gold 360Silver 146Lead 136Copper 121Zinc 50Tungsten 17Iron 14Barium-Barite 8Silica 7Uranium 5Sites (first 40)
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seven-Up Pete Creek | Gold | Acanthite, Electrum, Gold | Past Producer | 46.959, -112.563 |
| Silver Coin Mine | Silver | Argentite, Cerargyrite, Cuprodescloizite, Gold, Stibiconite | Past Producer | 46.613, -112.144 |
| Monte Cristo Mine | Gold, Copper, Silver | Argentite, Chalcopyrite, Cuprite, Gold, Malachite, Silver | Producer | 46.450, -112.265 |
| Jay Gould Mine | Silver, Gold | Argentite, Chalcopyrite, Electrum, Gold, Malachite | Past Producer | 46.880, -112.452 |
| Lannigan Mountain Area | — | Barite, Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Malachite, Quartz | Occurrence | 47.070, -112.203 |
| Willis Creek Prospect | — | Barite, Chalcopyrite | Occurrence | 47.058, -112.171 |
| Bissonette Mine | Copper, Silver | Barite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Sphalerite, Tennantite | Past Producer | 46.998, -112.102 |
| Wolf Creek Bentonite Occurrence | — | Bentonite | Occurrence | 47.039, -112.096 |
| Wolf Creek Coal Mine | Subbituminous | Bentonite | Past Producer | 47.002, -112.069 |
| Hudson Mine | Copper | Bornite, Malachite | Past Producer | 46.990, -112.123 |
| Little Sampson Mine | Lead, Silver | Boulangerite, Bournonite, Chalcopyrite, Covellite, Galena, Gold, Polybasite, Pyrargyrite, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 46.475, -112.245 |
| S.P. Bassett | Lead, Silver | Boulangerite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Sphalerite | Occurrence | 46.467, -112.247 |
| Marysville District | Gold, Silver, Lead | Calamine, Chalcopyrite, Chrysocolla, Covellite, Galena, Gold, Lead, Malachite, Molybdenite, Scheelite, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 46.750, -112.334 |
| Earthquake Mine | Silver, Lead | Calamine, Chalcopyrite, Chrysocolla, Galena, Malachite | Past Producer | 46.738, -112.370 |
| Bell Boy Mine | Gold | Calamine, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Gold | Past Producer | 46.739, -112.363 |
| Dutro Mine | Gold | Cassiterite | Past Producer | 46.592, -112.161 |
| Heddleston Deposit | Copper | Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Covellite, Molybdenite, Pyrite, Sphalerite, Galena, Arsenopyrite, Bornite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 47.023, -112.363 |
| Blue Jay Mine | Lead, Copper, Silver | Chalcocite, Chrysocolla, Hematite, Limonite, Malachite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 46.682, -112.244 |
| Drumheller Mine | Gold, Silver, Lead | Chalcopyrite, Chrysocolla, Galena, Gold | Past Producer | 46.673, -112.108 |
| Magpie Group | Silver, Lead | Chalcopyrite, Chrysocolla, Galena, Gold, Lead | Past Producer | 46.648, -112.068 |
| Mullin Claim | Gold | Chalcopyrite, Chrysocolla, Gold | Past Producer | 46.684, -112.077 |
| Homestake Mine | Gold | Chalcopyrite, Copper, Gold | Past Producer | 46.888, -112.483 |
| North Star Claim | Silver, Copper, Gold | Chalcopyrite, Copper, Gold | Occurrence | 46.682, -112.074 |
| Mammoth Mine | Copper | Chalcopyrite, Cuprite, Gold, Malachite | Past Producer | 46.913, -112.525 |
| Katy Mine | Gold, Silver, Lead | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Gold | Past Producer | 46.667, -112.061 |
| Helena District | Gold, Silver | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Gold, Limestone | Past Producer | 46.558, -112.084 |
| Spring Hill Mine | Gold | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Gold, Pyrrhotite | Past Producer | 46.555, -112.097 |
| Red Mountain Tunnel | Lead, Silver | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Gold, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 46.480, -112.245 |
| Armstrong Mine | Silver, Lead | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Gold, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 46.481, -112.284 |
| Beatrice Mine | Gold, Silver | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Gold, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 46.481, -112.305 |
| Valley Forge Mine | Silver, Lead, Gold | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Gold, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 46.492, -112.241 |
| Evergreen Mine | Silver, Lead | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Gold, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 46.467, -112.249 |
| Justice Mine | Gold, Silver | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Gold, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 46.473, -112.283 |
| Shakopee Mine | Silver, Lead | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Malachite | Past Producer | 46.740, -112.369 |
| Big Ox Mine | Lead | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Sphalerite | Occurrence | 46.792, -112.296 |
| Alley Mine | Lead, Silver | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Sphalerite | Occurrence | 46.462, -112.248 |
| Mammoth Claim | Gold, Copper | Chalcopyrite, Gold | Past Producer | 46.738, -112.370 |
| Victory Mine | Silver, Gold | Chalcopyrite, Gold, Malachite | Past Producer | 46.707, -112.506 |
| Drumlummon Mine | Silver, Gold | Chalcopyrite, Gold, Pyrargyrite, Tetrahedrite, Galena, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 46.752, -112.228 |
| Potratz Prospect | Gold, Silver, Copper | Chalcopyrite, Gold, Scheelite, Silver | Past Producer | 46.711, -112.484 |
Fossil collections
The Paleobiology Database lists 16 fossil collection records in Lewis and Clark County. These are research records, not public dig sites.
Nearby counties
Powell County · Jefferson County · Broadwater County · Silver Bow County · Granite 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