RockWoofBest regions by county
Ranked by the number of USGS-recorded sites, not by access or quality.
- St. Lawrence County: 249 sites; most recorded: Pyrite, Magnetite, Sphalerite
- Essex County: 196 sites; most recorded: Graphite, Pyrite, Magnetite
- Dutchess County: 86 sites; most recorded: Limonite, Siderite, Goethite
- Washington County: 77 sites; most recorded: Slate, Graphite, Feldspar
- Putnam County: 76 sites; most recorded: Magnetite, Chalcopyrite, Pyrite
Top minerals
- Magnetite: 63 sites
- Limonite: 62 sites
- Pyrite: 56 sites
- Slate: 39 sites
- Graphite: 34 sites
- Quartz: 25 sites
- Feldspar: 23 sites
- Granite: 17 sites
Mineral cards
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
106 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
92 sites
Garnet
Mohs 6.5–7.5. Usually deep red, round many-faced crystals. Mindat
81 sites
Feldspar
Mohs 6–6.5. Blocky crystals with flat cleavage faces. Mindat
77 sites
Magnetite
Mohs 5.5–6.5. Black and strongly magnetic. Mindat
76 sites
Mica
Mohs 2–3. Peels into thin, flexible, shiny sheets. Mindat
60 sites
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
24 sites
Silver
Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
19 sites
Fluorite
Mohs 4. Cubes in purple, green or yellow; many glow under UV. Mindat
13 sites
Galena
Mohs 2.5–2.75. Heavy, silvery lead ore that breaks into cubes. Mindat
7 sites
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals most often recorded
Magnetite 63Limonite 62Pyrite 56Slate 39Graphite 34Quartz 25Feldspar 23Granite 17Siderite 14Iron 12Garnet 10Chalcopyrite 9Counties
| County | Sites |
|---|---|
| St. Lawrence County | 249 |
| Essex County | 196 |
| Dutchess County | 86 |
| Washington County | 77 |
| Putnam County | 76 |
| Clinton County | 69 |
| Orange County | 57 |
| Columbia County | 51 |
| Warren County | 48 |
| Westchester County | 35 |
| Franklin County | 35 |
| Saratoga County | 34 |
| Wyoming County | 31 |
| Jefferson County | 28 |
| Livingston County | 20 |
| Lewis County | 19 |
| Hamilton County | 16 |
| Schuyler County | 15 |
| Oneida County | 15 |
| Ontario County | 15 |
| Genesee County | 14 |
| New York County | 13 |
| Erie County | 12 |
| Ulster County | 9 |
| Tompkins County | 9 |
| Chautauqua County | 9 |
| Cattaraugus County | 9 |
| Onondaga County | 8 |
| Steuben County | 8 |
| Albany County | 7 |
| Yates County | 7 |
| Niagara County | 7 |
| Wayne County | 7 |
| Allegany County | 6 |
| Greene County | 6 |
| Delaware County | 6 |
| Herkimer County | 5 |
| Cayuga County | 5 |
| Sullivan County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 4 |
| Rockland County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 4 |
| Richmond County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 4 |
| Broome County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 4 |
| Monroe County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 4 |
| Montgomery County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 3 |
| Nassau County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 3 |
| Schoharie County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 3 |
| Fulton County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 3 |
| Kings County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 3 |
| Madison County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 3 |
| Tioga County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 2 |
| Suffolk County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 2 |
| Chenango County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 2 |
| Chemung County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 2 |
| Seneca County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 2 |
| Cortland County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 2 |
| Queens County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 1 |
| Orleans County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 1 |
Mineral guides
- Quartz in New York (92)
- Garnet in New York (81)
- Mica in New York (60)
- Feldspar in New York (77)
- Magnetite in New York (76)
- Pyrite in New York (106)
- Fluorite in New York (13)
- Copper in New York (24)
- Silver in New York (19)
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