RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Ruby Hill Mine
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 3 gem or collectible minerals (Quartz, Gold, Silver) and 5 of our card minerals overall. That ties with 2 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 for Copper. Minerals mentioned: Quartz, Gold, Pyrite, Copper, Silver. Approx. location 38.846, -119.578. 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.
Was producing when the record was made.
Status not recorded.
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
76 sites
Silver
Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
45 sites
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
39 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
20 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
15 sites
Scheelite
Mohs 4.5–5. Tungsten mineral that glows blue-white under shortwave UV. Mindat
14 sites
Magnetite
Mohs 5.5–6.5. Black and strongly magnetic. Mindat
3 sites
Galena
Mohs 2.5–2.75. Heavy, silvery lead ore that breaks into cubes. Mindat
3 sites
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Scheelite 14Pyrite 14Chalcopyrite 6Powellite 3Malachite 3Galena 3Stibnite 2Argentite 2Gold 2Stephanite 2Molybdenite 2Chrysocolla 2Commodities
Gold 68Silver 28Tungsten 24Copper 24Uranium 14Lead 9Molybdenum 5Silica 3Iron 3Zinc 2Sites (first 40)
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kingsbury Queen | Uranium | Acmite, Torbernite | Occurrence | 38.975, -119.872 |
| Hunch and Lucky Strike Claims | Uranium, Thorium | Allanite | Occurrence | 38.950, -119.855 |
| Veta Grande Mine and Mill | Silver, Silica | Argentite, Gold, Quartz, Stephanite | Producer | 38.835, -119.623 |
| Veta Grande Mine | Silver, Silica | Argentite, Stephanite, Gold | Producer | 38.835, -119.623 |
| Ne Section 22 Shafts and Adit | Barium-Barite, Silver | Barite | Occurrence | 39.063, -119.722 |
| Ruby Hill Mine | Copper | Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Chrysocolla, Cuprite, Pyrite | Past Producer | 38.846, -119.578 |
| Minnesota Mine | Molybdenum | Chalcopyrite, Magnetite, Pyrite | Past Producer | 39.069, -119.335 |
| Arrowhead Mine | Tungsten | Chalcopyrite, Malachite, Molybdenite, Powellite, Scheelite | Past Producer | 38.610, -119.393 |
| Longfellow Mine | Gold, Silver | Chalcopyrite, Pyrite | Past Producer | 38.835, -119.504 |
| Red Canyon Claims | Copper | Chalcopyrite, Pyrite, Pyrrhotite | Past Producer | 38.850, -119.429 |
| Lucky Bill | Silver | Chalcopyrite, Pyrite, Stibnite | Past Producer | 38.840, -119.484 |
| Granite Group | — | Chrysocolla | Occurrence | 38.975, -119.872 |
| Unnamed Mine | Lead, Gold | Galena, Pyrite | Occurrence | 38.730, -119.546 |
| High Jacks | Tungsten | Galena, Pyrite, Scheelite | Past Producer | 38.753, -119.461 |
| Arrowhead Extension Mine | Lead, Silver | Galena, Scheelite | Past Producer | 38.612, -119.392 |
| Sections 2 and 3 Prospects | Gold, Silver, Lead | Iron | Occurrence | 38.930, -119.605 |
| Last Dollar Claim | Gold, Silver, Copper | Magnetite | Occurrence | 38.784, -119.537 |
| Suprise Mine | Copper, Silver, Gold | Malachite | Past Producer | 38.875, -119.596 |
| United Mining Co. Mine | Copper | Malachite | Occurrence | 39.070, -119.597 |
| Gardnerville Alpine Mill | Tungsten, Molybdenum | Powellite, Scheelite | Past Producer | 38.867, -119.568 |
| Willard - Mcdonald Mine | Silver, Gold | Pyrite | Past Producer | 38.747, -119.550 |
| Aqua Claim | Gold | Pyrite | Occurrence | 39.007, -119.347 |
| B.C. Claims | Silver, Copper, Gold | Pyrite | Occurrence | 38.998, -119.354 |
| Winters Mine | Silver, Gold | Pyrite | Past Producer | 38.874, -119.483 |
| Unnamed Mine and Prospects | Gold | Pyrite | Past Producer | 38.750, -119.462 |
| North Section 27 Prospects | — | Pyrite, Scheelite | Occurrence | 38.616, -119.396 |
| Last Laugh/Divide Mines | Tungsten | Scheelite | Past Producer | 38.885, -119.597 |
| Coleville Area Sweetwater Mining Co | Tungsten | Scheelite | Occurrence | 38.617, -119.418 |
| War Bond Mine | Tungsten | Scheelite | Past Producer | 39.083, -119.651 |
| Vera Jo Prospect | Tungsten | Scheelite | Past Producer | 38.600, -119.401 |
| Boulder Hill Claims South | Tungsten | Scheelite | Occurrence | 38.700, -119.341 |
| Pioneer Mine | Tungsten | Scheelite | Past Producer | 38.891, -119.587 |
| Piri #3 Claim | Tungsten | Scheelite | Past Producer | 38.604, -119.424 |
| Cherokee Mine | Tungsten | Scheelite | Past Producer | 38.881, -119.581 |
| Pine Nut Molybdenum Prospect | Molybdenum, Tungsten | Scheelite, Powellite, Molybdenite, Huebnerite, Pyrite, Sericite, Calcite, Limonite, Hematite | Past Producer | 38.870, -119.625 |
| Fullstone Prospect | Antimony | Stibnite | Occurrence | 38.710, -119.358 |
| Washoe Claims | Gold | — | Occurrence | 38.820, -119.510 |
| Triangle Group | Uranium | — | Occurrence | 38.752, -119.462 |
| Yankee Girl Claims | Copper | — | Past Producer | 38.780, -119.405 |
| Section 10 Washoe Claim | — | — | Occurrence | 38.833, -119.500 |
Fossil collections
The Paleobiology Database lists 47 fossil collection records in Douglas County. These are research records, not public dig sites.
Nearby counties
Lyon County · Carson City · Storey County · Mineral County · Washoe County
Nevada mineral guides
Back to all Nevada 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