RockWoof
Check access before you go. Most sites listed here are old mines, quarries or prospects, and many are on private land or active mining claims. Get the landowner's permission, check the rules of the agency that manages any public land, and never enter mine workings. Locations are approximate.

Best regions by county

Ranked by the number of USGS-recorded sites, not by access or quality.

  1. Mitchell County: 448 sites; most recorded: Muscovite, Feldspar, Olivine
  2. Yancey County: 347 sites; most recorded: Muscovite, Feldspar, Chromite
  3. Cleveland County: 276 sites; most recorded: Cassiterite, Quartz, Feldspar
  4. Avery County: 265 sites; most recorded: Muscovite, Mica, Magnetite
  5. Macon County: 249 sites; most recorded: Olivine, Vermiculite, Corundum

Top minerals

  • Gold: 250 sites
  • Pyrite: 195 sites
  • Muscovite: 181 sites
  • Feldspar: 144 sites
  • Chalcopyrite: 140 sites
  • Cassiterite: 88 sites
  • Quartz: 83 sites
  • Magnetite: 82 sites

Mineral cards

  • Mica

    Mohs 2–3. Peels into thin, flexible, shiny sheets. Mindat

    1,694 sites

  • Feldspar

    Mohs 6–6.5. Blocky crystals with flat cleavage faces. Mindat

    788 sites

  • Gold

    Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat

    596 sites

  • Quartz

    Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat

    491 sites

  • Copper

    Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat

    304 sites

  • Pyrite

    Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat

    258 sites

  • Magnetite

    Mohs 5.5–6.5. Black and strongly magnetic. Mindat

    186 sites

  • Silver

    Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat

    115 sites

  • Garnet

    Mohs 6.5–7.5. Usually deep red, round many-faced crystals. Mindat

    79 sites

  • Galena

    Mohs 2.5–2.75. Heavy, silvery lead ore that breaks into cubes. Mindat

    74 sites

Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.

Minerals most often recorded

Gold 250Pyrite 195Muscovite 181Feldspar 144Chalcopyrite 140Cassiterite 88Quartz 83Magnetite 82Limonite 76Galena 73Sphalerite 56Spodumene 54

Counties

CountySites
Mitchell County448
Yancey County347
Cleveland County276
Avery County265
Macon County249
Jackson County233
Gaston County154
Cherokee County142
Swain County119
Madison County90
Randolph County82
Moore County81
Mecklenburg County75
Lincoln County73
Cabarrus County63
Ashe County61
Union County60
Rutherford County60
Montgomery County56
Rowan County55
Davidson County53
Burke County53
Catawba County48
Buncombe County43
Orange County43
Guilford County37
McDowell County29
Caldwell County29
Chatham County28
Transylvania County23
Granville County23
Stokes County22
Haywood County22
Alamance County21
Iredell County19
Clay County18
Stanly County18
Rockingham County18
Person County17
Watauga County16
Henderson County15
Alexander County15
Beaufort County11
Harnett County11
Alleghany County10
Halifax County9
Wake County9
Wilkes County9
Franklin County9
Caswell County8
Warren County7
Surry County6
Graham County5
Polk County5
Yadkin County5
Nash County5
Lee County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)4
New Hanover County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)4
Forsyth County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)4
Vance County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)3
Davie County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)3
Johnston County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)3
Hertford County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)3
Perquimans County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)2
Craven County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)2
Jones County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)2
Richmond County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)2
Wilson County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Carteret County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Chowan County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Onslow County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Pamlico County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Pitt County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Cumberland County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Hoke County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Pender County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Edgecombe County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Hyde County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1

Mineral guides

Related articles

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