RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Ancram Lead Mine
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 1 gem or collectible mineral (Silver) and 4 of our card minerals overall. No other named site here scores as high on both counts. USGS lists it as producer for Lead, Silver. Minerals mentioned: Pyrite, Galena, Copper, Silver. Approx. location 42.021, -73.600. 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.
Was producing when the record was made.
The mineral was noted here, without development.
Explored or test-dug, with no recorded production.
Status terms come from USGS MRDS records.
Mineral cards
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
8 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
6 sites
Silver
Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
6 sites
Galena
Mohs 2.5–2.75. Heavy, silvery lead ore that breaks into cubes. Mindat
2 sites
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
2 sites
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Limonite 15Pyrite 8Siderite 8Calcite 6Quartz 6Goethite 4Chalcocite 2Chalcopyrite 2Galena 2Sphalerite 2Wulfenite 1Commodities
Iron 35Manganese 13Sulfur 6Lead 5Silver 4Zinc 3Copper 1Sites (first 40)
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mt. Tom Carbonate Iron Mine | Iron | Calcite, Pyrite, Quartz, Siderite | Producer | 42.166, -73.829 |
| Burden No. 3 Iron Carbonate Mine | Iron | Calcite, Pyrite, Quartz, Siderite | Producer | 42.163, -73.799 |
| Burden No. 2 Carbonate Iron Mine | Iron | Calcite, Pyrite, Quartz, Siderite | Producer | 42.160, -73.825 |
| Cedar Hill Iron Carbonate Openings | Iron | Calcite, Pyrite, Quartz, Siderite | Producer | 42.178, -73.833 |
| Livington's Iron Carbonate Mine | Iron | Calcite, Pyrite, Quartz, Siderite | Producer | 42.177, -73.832 |
| Plass Hill Carbonate Iron Mine | Iron | Calcite, Pyrite, Quartz, Siderite | Producer | 42.207, -73.835 |
| Canaan Lead Silver Mines | Lead, Silver | Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Pyrite, Sphalerite | Producer | 42.386, -73.425 |
| Ancram Lead Mine | Lead, Silver | Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Pyrite, Sphalerite, Wulfenite | Producer | 42.021, -73.600 |
| Unnamed Probable Limonite Mine Number Gl 11 | Iron | Goethite, Limonite | Past Producer | 42.012, -73.592 |
| Weed Limonite Mine | Manganese, Iron | Goethite, Limonite | Past Producer | 42.075, -73.531 |
| Copake Limonite Mine | Iron | Goethite, Limonite | Past Producer | 42.122, -73.506 |
| Reynolds Limonite Mine | Iron, Manganese | Goethite, Limonite | Past Producer | 42.033, -73.555 |
| Haight Mine/Goodsell Bog Mn Occurrence | Iron | Limonite | Past Producer | 42.236, -73.511 |
| Mitchell Mine | Iron | Limonite | Past Producer | 42.210, -73.491 |
| Copake Mine | Iron | Limonite | Past Producer | 42.122, -73.506 |
| Hillsdale Mine | Iron | Limonite | Past Producer | 42.177, -73.527 |
| Reynolds Mine | Iron | Limonite | Past Producer | 42.033, -73.555 |
| Mitchell Limonite Mine | Iron | Limonite | Past Producer | 42.210, -73.491 |
| Hillsdale Limonite Mine | Iron | Limonite | Past Producer | 42.177, -73.527 |
| Weed Mine | Iron | Limonite | Past Producer | 42.075, -73.531 |
| Haight Limonte Mine | Iron | Limonite | Past Producer | 42.236, -73.511 |
| Plass Hill | Iron | Limonite, Siderite | Past Producer | 42.207, -73.835 |
| Mt. Tom Mine/Burden2/Burden3/Livington/Cedar Hill Mines | Iron | Limonite, Siderite | Past Producer | 42.166, -73.829 |
| Gott-Mesick Bog Mn Occurrence | Manganese, Iron | — | Producer | 42.327, -73.499 |
| Fox Hill Bog Mn Occurrence | Manganese | — | Occurrence | 42.033, -73.536 |
| Palmer Bog Mn Occurrence | — | — | Occurrence | 42.209, -73.547 |
| David Parson's Bog Mn Occurrence | — | — | Occurrence | 42.033, -73.536 |
| Gott-Mesick Bog Mn Occurrence | Manganese | — | Past Producer | 42.327, -73.499 |
| Canaan Pb-Ag Mines | Lead | — | Past Producer | 42.386, -73.425 |
| Ancram Pb Mine | Lead | — | Past Producer | 42.021, -73.600 |
| Goodsell Bog Mn Occurrence | Manganese | — | Producer | 42.225, -73.522 |
| Haight Limonite Mine | Iron | — | Past Producer | 42.236, -73.511 |
| Palmer Bog Mn Occurrence | Manganese | — | Past Producer | 42.209, -73.547 |
| Fox Hill Bog Mn Occurrence | Manganese | — | Prospect | 42.033, -73.536 |
| Weed Limonite Mine | Iron | — | Past Producer | 42.075, -73.531 |
| Cedar Hill Iron Carbonate Mine | Iron | — | Past Producer | 42.178, -73.833 |
| Copake Limonite Mine | Iron | — | Past Producer | 42.122, -73.506 |
| Livington's Iron Carbonate Mine | Iron | — | Past Producer | 42.177, -73.832 |
| Mitchell Limonite Mine | Iron | — | Past Producer | 42.210, -73.491 |
| Unnamed Prospect | Iron | — | Past Producer | 42.012, -73.592 |
Fossil collections
The Paleobiology Database lists 12 fossil collection records in Columbia County. These are research records, not public dig sites.
Nearby counties
Greene County · Dutchess County · Albany County · Schoharie County · Ulster County
New York mineral guides
- Quartz in New York
- Garnet in New York
- Mica in New York
- Feldspar in New York
- Magnetite in New York
- Pyrite in New York
Back to all New York 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