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.

Sketch map

Texasgulf Sulfur Plant (Unknown)Phosphate Pit (Past Producer)Richland + 1 more nearby (Occurrence)Aurora Deposit (Prospect)Aurora Operations (Producer)North Carolina Phosphate District (Producer)Aurora Operations (Prospect)
Past ProducerProducerProspectOccurrenceStatus unknown
7 paw pins; nearby sites are grouped into one pin. Hover or tap a pin for the site name. 3 site(s) with USGS coordinates outside the outline are not pinned. County outline: US Census Bureau cartographic boundary file (2023). Locations approximate.

Woof’s favorite find

Aurora Operations

We picked it because its USGS record mentions 3 gem or collectible minerals (Quartz, Garnet, Fluorite) and 3 of our card minerals overall. No other named site here scores as high on both counts. USGS lists it as prospect for Phosphorus-Phosphates. Minerals mentioned: Quartz, Garnet, Fluorite. Approx. location 35.333, -76.771. 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?

5
Prospect

Explored or test-dug, with no recorded production.

2
Producer

Was producing when the record was made.

1
Occurrence

The mineral was noted here, without development.

1
Unknown

Status not recorded.

1
Past Producer

Produced ore or material at some point in the past.

1
Plant

A processing plant site.

Status terms come from USGS MRDS records.

Mineral cards

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

Minerals recorded here

Collophane 2Ilmenite 1Apatite 1

Commodities

Phosphorus-Phosphates 7Titanium 2Metal 1Sulfur 1

Sites

SiteCommodityMinerals recordedStatusApprox. location
Aurora OperationsPhosphorus-PhosphatesApatiteProspect35.333, -76.771
Pamlico RiverPhosphorus-PhosphatesCollophaneProspect35.404, -76.791
Pungo River DepositPhosphorus-PhosphatesCollophaneProspect35.480, -76.514
Aurora DepositTitanium, MetalIlmeniteProspect35.233, -76.833
Richland——Occurrence35.250, -76.866
Texasgulf Sulfur PlantSulfur—Unknown35.546, -77.107
Aurora OperationsPhosphorus-Phosphates—Producer35.361, -76.807
Phosphate PitPhosphorus-Phosphates—Past Producer35.512, -77.042
Nl IndustriesTitanium—Prospect35.258, -76.858
Lee Creek Phos-Acid PlantPhosphorus-Phosphates—Plant35.550, -76.233
North Carolina Phosphate DistrictPhosphorus-Phosphates—Producer35.342, -76.806

Fossil collections

The Paleobiology Database lists 10 fossil collection records in Beaufort County. These are research records, not public dig sites.

Nearby counties

Hyde County · Pamlico County · Craven County · Carteret County · Jones County

North Carolina mineral guides

Back to all North Carolina counties.

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