RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Bull Elk Lode
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 3 gem or collectible minerals (Quartz, Gold, Silver) and 6 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 producer for Lead. Minerals mentioned: Quartz, Gold, Pyrite, Galena, Copper, Silver. Approx. location 45.055, -109.942. 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?
Explored or test-dug, with no recorded production.
The mineral was noted here, without development.
Status not recorded.
Produced ore or material at some point in the past.
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
320 sites
Silver
Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
232 sites
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
103 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
28 sites
Galena
Mohs 2.5–2.75. Heavy, silvery lead ore that breaks into cubes. Mindat
16 sites
Scheelite
Mohs 4.5–5. Tungsten mineral that glows blue-white under shortwave UV. Mindat
10 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
6 sites
Magnetite
Mohs 5.5–6.5. Black and strongly magnetic. Mindat
5 sites
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Chalcopyrite 16Galena 16Pyrite 15Sphalerite 12Scheelite 10Pyrrhotite 6Molybdenite 5Gold 4Malachite 4Quartz 4Calcite 3Limonite 3Commodities
Gold 259Silver 92Copper 45Lead 39Calcium 35Tungsten 13Molybdenum 9Arsenic 8Uranium 5Nickel 5Sites (first 40)
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republic Mines | Silver, Lead, Zinc | Argentite, Galena, Pyrite, Sphalerite | Producer | 45.005, -109.932 |
| Copper King Mine | Silver, Copper | Bornite, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Magnetite, Sphalerite | Producer | 45.123, -109.907 |
| Mclaren Mine | Copper, Gold | Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Copper, Covellite, Pyrite | Producer | 45.064, -109.961 |
| Grace Lode | — | Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Malachite | Prospect | 45.034, -109.961 |
| Viola Lode | — | Calcite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Limonite, Malachite, Pyrite, Quartz, Sphalerite | Occurrence | 45.055, -109.942 |
| Bull Elk Lode | Lead | Calcite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Limonite, Pyrite, Quartz, Sphalerite | Producer | 45.055, -109.942 |
| Arrowhead Lode | — | Calcite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Limonite, Pyrite, Quartz, Sphalerite | Occurrence | 45.055, -109.942 |
| Glengarry Mine | Silver, Copper, Gold | Chalcocite | Occurrence | 45.071, -109.957 |
| Homestake Mine | Gold, Copper | Chalcopyrite, Copper, Iron | Past Producer | 45.056, -109.946 |
| Crevasse Mtn. | Gold, Arsenic, Silver | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Pyrite, Pyrrhotite, Scheelite, Sphalerite | Producer | 45.050, -110.584 |
| Jardine | Gold, Silver, Arsenic, Tungsten, Copper, Lead | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Pyrite, Pyrrhotite, Scheelite, Sphalerite | Producer | 45.050, -110.617 |
| Jardine Mine | Gold | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Pyrite, Pyrrhotite, Scheelite, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 45.068, -110.620 |
| New World | Copper, Lead, Gold, Silver | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Pyrite, Sphalerite, Magnetite, Hematite | Past Producer | 45.050, -109.917 |
| Kennebec Claim | — | Chalcopyrite, Gold | Occurrence | 45.048, -110.596 |
| Silver Zone Lode | — | Chalcopyrite, Malachite | Prospect | 45.034, -109.961 |
| Black Diamond Prospect | Iron | Chalcopyrite, Molybdenite, Pyrite, Pyrrhotite | Occurrence | 45.272, -110.272 |
| Nicon | Copper, Nickel | Chalcopyrite, Pentlandite, Pyrrhotite | Occurrence | 45.486, -110.223 |
| Seismoneit Mine | Gold, Silver | Galena | Occurrence | 45.285, -110.607 |
| Stump Lode | Lead | Galena | Prospect | 45.052, -109.950 |
| Galena Queen | Gold | Galena | Past Producer | 45.255, -110.622 |
| Josephine Lode | — | Galena | Prospect | 45.054, -109.985 |
| Polar Star Lode | — | Galena, Malachite | Prospect | 45.060, -109.956 |
| Emigrant | Gold, Silver, Molybdenum, Lead | Galena, Molybdenite, Pyrite, Sphalerite | Producer | 45.283, -110.667 |
| Barbara Anne Prospect | Silver | Galena, Sphalerite | Occurrence | 45.279, -110.593 |
| Mineral Hill Mine | Gold | Gold, Arsenopyrite, Scheelite, Pyrite, Galena, Pyrrhotite, Chalcopyrite, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 45.071, -110.626 |
| Watson Mine | Tungsten | Gold, Scheelite | Past Producer | 45.042, -110.602 |
| Medona Mine | Tungsten | Gold, Scheelite | Past Producer | 45.045, -110.601 |
| Mt. Cowan Molybdenum Prospect | Molybdenum | Molybdenite | Occurrence | 45.383, -110.476 |
| Mt. Cowen | Molybdenum | Molybdenite | Occurrence | 45.550, -110.484 |
| Emigrant Gulch | Molybdenum | Molybdenite, Molybdite | Occurrence | 45.250, -110.667 |
| Conrad Mine | Gold | Pyrite | Past Producer | 45.035, -110.601 |
| Pop Incline | Arsenic, Gold | Pyrite | Occurrence | 45.046, -110.599 |
| Snowshoe Mine | Gold | Pyrite, Scheelite | Past Producer | 45.046, -110.600 |
| Last Chance Lode | — | Quartz | Occurrence | 45.074, -110.632 |
| Frank Prospect | Gold | Scheelite | Past Producer | 45.050, -110.586 |
| First Chance | Gold | Scheelite | Past Producer | 45.039, -110.607 |
| Mccauley Group | Tungsten | Scheelite | Past Producer | 45.052, -110.604 |
| Hy Grade Placer | — | — | Occurrence | 45.092, -110.785 |
| Unnamed Occurrence | — | — | Occurrence | 45.109, -110.010 |
| Unidentified Deposit | — | — | Occurrence | 45.083, -110.017 |
Fossil collections
The Paleobiology Database lists 29 fossil collection records in Park County. These are research records, not public dig sites.
Nearby counties
Sweet Grass County · Gallatin County · Stillwater County · Madison County · Meagher 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