RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Willow Creek Deposit
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 3 gem or collectible minerals (Quartz, Gold, Silver) and 4 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. Minerals mentioned: Quartz, Gold, Magnetite, Silver. Approx. location 46.517, -110.809. 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.
Status not recorded.
Explored or test-dug, with no recorded production.
The mineral was noted here, without development.
Was producing when the record was made.
Status terms come from USGS MRDS records.
Mineral cards
Silver
Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
48 sites
Gold
Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat
41 sites
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
29 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
13 sites
Galena
Mohs 2.5–2.75. Heavy, silvery lead ore that breaks into cubes. Mindat
13 sites
Magnetite
Mohs 5.5–6.5. Black and strongly magnetic. Mindat
9 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
7 sites
Garnet
Mohs 6.5–7.5. Usually deep red, round many-faced crystals. Mindat
1 site
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Galena 8Pyrite 6Chalcopyrite 5Smithsonite 3Calcite 2Sphalerite 2Quartz 1Hematite 1Limonite 1Jasper 1Bornite 1Cerrusite 1Commodities
Lead 35Gold 34Copper 20Silver 15Iron 8Manganese 7Zinc 5Cobalt 2Geothermal 1REE 1Sites (first 40)
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elsie Lode | — | Calcite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Pyrite | Occurrence | 46.728, -111.426 |
| Big Hat Lode | Gold, Silver | Calcite, Pyrite, Quartz | Occurrence | 46.640, -111.305 |
| Sheep Creek Deposit | Copper, Cobalt | Chalcopyrite, Bornite | Prospect | 46.783, -110.913 |
| Anna Lode | — | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Pyrite | Occurrence | 46.729, -111.426 |
| Castle Mtn | Gold, Silver, Lead, Copper, Zinc, Manganese | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Pyrite | Producer | 46.500, -110.668 |
| Yellowstone Mine | Lead, Zinc, Silver | Galena | Past Producer | 46.474, -110.686 |
| Castle Mountain | Lead, Silver, Gold | Galena, Cerrusite, Pyrite, Chalcopyrite | Past Producer | 46.470, -110.681 |
| Cumberland Mine | Silver, Lead | Galena, Jasper, Pyrite, Smithsonite, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 46.453, -110.686 |
| Judge Mine | Lead, Silver | Galena, Smithsonite | Past Producer | 46.496, -110.658 |
| Jumbo Mine | Lead, Silver | Galena, Smithsonite, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 46.493, -110.656 |
| Sheep Creek Iron | Iron | Hematite, Limonite | Producer | 46.762, -110.955 |
| Voss | Copper | — | Occurrence | 46.486, -110.669 |
| Fir Springs Placer | — | — | Prospect | 46.735, -111.443 |
| Sheep Creek | Copper, Cobalt | — | Occurrence | 46.750, -110.681 |
| Merrimac | — | — | Past Producer | 46.460, -110.688 |
| Little Belt Mine | Manganese | — | Occurrence | 46.585, -110.494 |
| Camp Robber Placer | Gold | — | Past Producer | 46.525, -111.211 |
| Copperopolis | Copper | — | Unknown | 46.599, -110.622 |
| Placer Creek | Gold | — | Unknown | 46.973, -110.996 |
| Antelope | Silver | — | Prospect | 46.478, -110.682 |
| White Sulphur Springs | Geothermal | — | Producer | 46.547, -110.904 |
| American | Silver | — | Past Producer | 46.440, -110.709 |
| Songster | — | — | Prospect | 46.844, -111.193 |
| Top Lode | Copper | — | Prospect | 46.483, -110.695 |
| William Hendrix Property | Manganese | — | Unknown | 46.482, -110.378 |
| Alabama-Cleveland Mine | — | — | Prospect | 46.485, -110.843 |
| Bourbon | Gold | — | Unknown | 46.525, -111.191 |
| Etta Claim | — | — | Prospect | 46.457, -110.684 |
| Ducolin-Potter Prospect | Lead | — | Unknown | 46.953, -111.199 |
| Great Eastern & Great Western | Lead | — | Unknown | 46.470, -110.683 |
| Lynn Mine | Lead, Silver, Zinc | — | Past Producer | 46.733, -110.832 |
| Yellowstone Mine | Lead | — | Past Producer | 46.473, -110.686 |
| Stewart & Battle Creek | Copper | — | Unknown | 46.353, -110.975 |
| Jumbo Mine | Lead | — | Unknown | 46.456, -110.680 |
| Princess | Lead | — | Past Producer | 46.425, -110.731 |
| Blue Jay Placer | Gold | — | Past Producer | 46.487, -111.244 |
| New Deal & Jumbo Mines | Copper | — | Unknown | 46.643, -110.418 |
| Homestake Mine | Lead | — | Past Producer | 46.467, -110.677 |
| Judge Mine | Lead | — | Past Producer | 46.497, -110.653 |
| Mary Sue Placer | Gold | — | Prospect | 46.612, -111.295 |
Fossil collections
The Paleobiology Database lists 17 fossil collection records in Meagher County. These are research records, not public dig sites.
Nearby counties
Cascade County · Judith Basin County · Wheatland County · Broadwater County · Jefferson 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