RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Enterprise Prospect
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 occurrence for Silver. Minerals mentioned: Quartz, Garnet, Gold, Magnetite, Pyrite, Galena, Copper, Silver. Approx. location 37.941, -117.503. 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
829 sites
Silver
Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
758 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
231 sites
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
230 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
175 sites
Galena
Mohs 2.5–2.75. Heavy, silvery lead ore that breaks into cubes. Mindat
109 sites
Scheelite
Mohs 4.5–5. Tungsten mineral that glows blue-white under shortwave UV. Mindat
28 sites
Garnet
Mohs 6.5–7.5. Usually deep red, round many-faced crystals. Mindat
22 sites
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Gold 147Galena 103Chalcopyrite 61Malachite 42Cinnabar 34Sphalerite 29Scheelite 27Tetrahedrite 25Cerargyrite 23Molybdenite 22Talc 22Turquoise 22Commodities
Gold 755Silver 365Copper 120Lead 104Mercury 64Talc-Soapstone 62Uranium 57Gemstone 44Tungsten 43Zinc 27Sites (first 40)
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hasbrouck Mountain | Silver | Acanthite, Albite, Argentite, Calcite, Cerargyrite, Electrum, Fluorite, Illite, Montmorillonite, Pyrargyrite, Pyrite, Quartz, Stibnite | Producer | 37.991, -117.270 |
| 16 To 1 Mine | Silver | Acanthite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Silver, Sphalerite | Producer | 37.715, -117.785 |
| Earth Sciences Montezuma Deposit | Gold | Alunite, Gold | Past Producer | 37.711, -117.304 |
| Goldfield Consolidated Mines Co. | Gold | Alunite, Gold, Silver | Past Producer | 37.712, -117.225 |
| Earth Sciences Ctr West Deposit | Sulfur | Alunite, Sulfur | Past Producer | 37.550, -117.215 |
| Earth Sciences Ctr East Deposit | — | Alunite, Sulfur | Occurrence | 37.550, -117.177 |
| Northern Alpine Prospect | Silver, Gold | Anglesite, Galena | Occurrence | 38.035, -117.556 |
| Mammoth Prospect | — | Argentite, Cerargyrite, Gold | Occurrence | 38.186, -117.703 |
| Mammoth Prospect | Silver, Gold | Argentite, Cerargyrite, Pyrargyrite, Stibnite | Past Producer | 38.186, -117.704 |
| Tonopah-Dividend Mining Company Property | Silver | Argentite, Cerargyrite, Stephanite | Occurrence | 38.004, -117.245 |
| Sanger Mine | Silver | Argentite, Chalcopyrite, Copper, Galena | Producer | 37.739, -117.817 |
| Monaco Claims | Silver, Gold | Argentite, Chalcopyrite, Covellite, Galena, Gold, Sphalerite | Occurrence | 37.448, -117.468 |
| Francis Mine | Silver | Argentite, Copper | Past Producer | 37.720, -117.819 |
| Lost Heel Claims | Silver, Gold | Argentite, Galena | Occurrence | 37.444, -117.498 |
| Tonopah Tunnel | Silver | Barite | Past Producer | 37.748, -117.809 |
| Heavy Rock Prospect | — | Barite | Occurrence | 37.611, -117.791 |
| NBMG Sample Site 1968 | Silver, Lead, Barium-Barite | Barite | Occurrence | 37.745, -117.811 |
| Swanson Claims | Gold, Lead, Zinc, Copper | Barite, Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Copper, Galena, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 37.967, -117.523 |
| Helpmeet Claim | Copper | Barite, Chalcopyrite, Malachite | Occurrence | 37.527, -117.618 |
| NBMG Sample Smte 1267 | Barium-Barite, Mercury | Barite, Cinnabar | Occurrence | 38.113, -117.727 |
| Red Rock Mine | Mercury | Barite, Cinnabar, Limonite, Stibiconite, Stibnite | Past Producer | 37.855, -118.243 |
| Patience Claims | Copper, Silver, Gold, Barium-Barite | Barite, Copper | Occurrence | 37.759, -117.806 |
| American Barite Mine | Barium-Barite | Barite, Galena | Past Producer | 37.894, -117.525 |
| American Barite Mine | Barium-Barite | Barite, Galena | Past Producer | 37.894, -117.524 |
| Jet Mine | Barium-Barite | Barite, Galena | Past Producer | 37.904, -117.504 |
| Barite Mine | Barium-Barite | Barite, Galena | Past Producer | 37.906, -117.504 |
| NBMG Sample Site 1969 | Silver, Lead, Barium-Barite | Barite, Galena | Occurrence | 37.717, -117.838 |
| Blue Dick Mine | Barium-Barite, Lead, Silver | Barite, Galena, Gold | Producer | 37.458, -117.551 |
| D.M. Homesteak Claims | Gold, Silver | Barite, Gold | Prospect | 38.182, -117.704 |
| NBMG Sample Site 1962 1963 | Gold, Silver | Barite, Gold, Molybdenite | Occurrence | 37.241, -117.379 |
| Maxfield Mine | Barium-Barite | Barite, Molybdenite | Past Producer | 38.035, -118.184 |
| Side Hill Claims | Gold, Silver, Barium-Barite | Barite, Tetrahedrite | Occurrence | 37.288, -117.263 |
| Combination Mine | Gold | Bismuthinite, Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Famatinite, Gold, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 37.713, -117.225 |
| Florence Mine | Gold | Bismuthinite, Chalcopyrite, Famatinite, Gold, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 37.710, -117.221 |
| Red Top Mine | Gold | Bismuthinite, Famatinite, Galena, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 37.720, -117.221 |
| Laguna Group | Gold | Bismuthinite, Famatinite, Galena, Sphalerite | Occurrence | 37.722, -117.221 |
| January Mine | Gold | Bismuthinite, Famatinite, Gold | Past Producer | 37.713, -117.226 |
| Red Top Mine | Gold | Bismuthinite, Famatinite, Gold | Past Producer | 37.720, -117.221 |
| Mohawk Mine | Gold, Silver | Bismuthinite, Famatinite, Gold, Marcasite | Past Producer | 37.716, -117.220 |
| Mohawk Mine | Gold | Bismuthinite, Famatinite, Gold, Sphalerite, Tennantite | Past Producer | 37.717, -117.224 |
Fossil collections
The Paleobiology Database lists 241 fossil collection records in Esmeralda County. These are research records, not public dig sites.
Nearby counties
Nye County · Mineral County · Churchill County · Lyon County · Douglas 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