RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Noble Mine
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 4 gem or collectible minerals (Quartz, Garnet, Gold, 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, Copper. Minerals mentioned: Quartz, Garnet, Gold, Mica, Feldspar, Pyrite, Copper, Silver. Approx. location 45.537, -112.109. 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.
Explored or test-dug, with no recorded production.
Status not recorded.
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
704 sites
Silver
Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
546 sites
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
269 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
87 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
74 sites
Galena
Mohs 2.5–2.75. Heavy, silvery lead ore that breaks into cubes. Mindat
56 sites
Mica
Mohs 2–3. Peels into thin, flexible, shiny sheets. Mindat
41 sites
Feldspar
Mohs 6–6.5. Blocky crystals with flat cleavage faces. Mindat
27 sites
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Gold 83Galena 46Silver 42Chalcopyrite 36Sphalerite 27Talc 26Malachite 14Huebnerite 11Pyrite 11Sillimanite 10Bornite 9Muscovite 7Commodities
Gold 668Silver 246Talc-Soapstone 132Lead 129Copper 121Tungsten 51Zinc 46Mica 32Iron 32Manganese 32Sites (first 40)
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wy-Mont Thorium | Thorium | Allanite | Occurrence | 45.397, -112.076 |
| Unnamed Gar Occ | Garnet | Almandite | Occurrence | 45.170, -112.418 |
| Unnamed Garnet Occurrence | Garnet | Almandite | Occurrence | 45.093, -112.397 |
| Demos Group | Silver, Tungsten | Anglesite, Cerargyrite, Huebnerite, Tetrahedrite | Occurrence | 45.575, -111.976 |
| White Angel Quarry | Calcium | Aragonite | Producer | 45.545, -112.206 |
| Silver Bullion Mine | Silver | Argentite, Chalcopyrite | Producer | 45.458, -112.089 |
| North Lavain | Gold, Silver | Argentite, Sphalerite | Producer | 45.230, -111.960 |
| Galena Mine | Gold, Silver | Bornite | Past Producer | 45.563, -111.768 |
| Noble Mine | Gold, Silver, Copper | Bornite, Cerargyrite, Chalcopyrite, Gold, Malachite, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 45.537, -112.109 |
| Copper Mtn Mine | Iron, Copper | Bornite, Chalcocite, Chrysocolla, Copper, Magnetite, Malachite | Occurrence | 45.427, -112.044 |
| Norris | Gold, Silver, Copper, Lead | Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Chrysocolla, Malachite, Pyrite | Producer | 45.583, -111.784 |
| Keystone Mine | Gold, Silver | Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Covellite, Gold, Silver | Past Producer | 45.699, -112.319 |
| Schmidt Prospect | Silver, Lead, Copper, Gold | Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Cuprite, Galena, Sphalerite, Wulfenite | Past Producer | 45.568, -112.162 |
| Bismark Mine | Gold, Copper, Molybdenum, Lead, Zinc | Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Gold, Molybdenite, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 45.612, -112.047 |
| Frisbie Mine | Gold | Bornite, Galena, Pyrite, Sphalerite | Occurrence | 45.493, -111.949 |
| Kidd Mine | Gold | Bornite, Galena, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 45.490, -111.943 |
| Mayflower Mine | Gold, Tellurium | Calaverite, Sylvanite | Past Producer | 45.794, -112.002 |
| Crown Point | Tungsten | Cerargyrite, Huebnerite, Tetrahedrite | Occurrence | 45.582, -111.993 |
| Prospect Mine | Gold, Silver | Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite | Past Producer | 45.289, -111.964 |
| Johnston - Moffet Copper | Copper | Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Chrysocolla, Cuprite, Malachite | Past Producer | 45.603, -112.188 |
| Silver Bell Claim | Copper | Chalcocite, Malachite | Occurrence | 45.146, -112.040 |
| Unnamed Cu Occ | Copper | Chalcopyrite | Occurrence | 45.172, -112.418 |
| Unnamed Cu Occ | Copper | Chalcopyrite | Occurrence | 45.196, -112.411 |
| Unnamed Cu Occ | Copper | Chalcopyrite | Occurrence | 45.201, -112.417 |
| Bull Frog Mine | Copper | Chalcopyrite | Occurrence | 45.214, -112.016 |
| Lakeshore Mine | Gold, Silver, Lead, Copper | Chalcopyrite | Past Producer | 45.584, -112.119 |
| Unnamed Copper Occurrence | Copper | Chalcopyrite | Occurrence | 45.179, -112.416 |
| Unnamed Copper Occurrence | Copper | Chalcopyrite | Occurrence | 45.186, -112.418 |
| Clancy Mine | Copper | Chalcopyrite | Occurrence | 45.712, -112.344 |
| Edgerton Mine | Gold, Silver, Copper, Lead | Chalcopyrite, Galena | Past Producer | 45.696, -112.328 |
| Champion Mine | Gold, Lead, Silver, Copper | Chalcopyrite, Galena | Past Producer | 45.617, -112.509 |
| Red Pine Mine | Gold, Silver, Lead, Copper | Chalcopyrite, Galena | Producer | 45.522, -112.084 |
| Golden Rod Mine | Silver, Copper, Lead, Gold | Chalcopyrite, Galena | Past Producer | 45.655, -112.320 |
| Longfellow Mine | Gold, Silver, Lead | Chalcopyrite, Galena | Past Producer | 45.603, -112.508 |
| White Chief Prospect | Gold, Silver | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Gold, Silver | Occurrence | 45.621, -112.039 |
| Latest Out Mine | Gold | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Gold, Silver | Producer | 45.443, -112.115 |
| Craig Property | Gold, Silver, Copper | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Gold, Silver, Sphalerite | Occurrence | 45.608, -112.104 |
| Lottie Mine | Gold, Silver | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Gold, Silver, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 45.562, -112.193 |
| Anything Mine | Gold, Silver, Lead, Copper | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Malachite | Past Producer | 45.614, -112.483 |
| Emma Mine | Silver, Gold, Lead | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Silver, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 45.598, -112.517 |
Fossil collections
The Paleobiology Database lists 51 fossil collection records in Madison County. These are research records, not public dig sites.
Nearby counties
Gallatin County · Silver Bow County · Beaverhead County · Jefferson 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