RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Baker Mine
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 3 gem or collectible minerals (Quartz, Gold, Silver) and 7 of our card minerals overall. No other named site here scores as high on both counts. USGS lists it as past producer for Gold. Minerals mentioned: Quartz, Gold, Magnetite, Galena, Copper, Silver, Scheelite. Approx. location 35.894, -81.691. 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?
The mineral was noted here, without development.
Produced ore or material at some point in the past.
Explored or test-dug, with no recorded production.
Was producing when the record was made.
Status terms come from USGS MRDS records.
Mineral cards
Mica
Mohs 2–3. Peels into thin, flexible, shiny sheets. Mindat
12 sites
Gold
Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat
5 sites
Magnetite
Mohs 5.5–6.5. Black and strongly magnetic. Mindat
5 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
4 sites
Galena
Mohs 2.5–2.75. Heavy, silvery lead ore that breaks into cubes. Mindat
3 sites
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
2 sites
Silver
Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
2 sites
Feldspar
Mohs 6–6.5. Blocky crystals with flat cleavage faces. Mindat
1 site
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Gold 5Magnetite 4Galena 2Asbestos 2Malachite 2Dunite 1Scheelite 1Stolzite 1Commodities
Mica 11Gold 5Kyanite 5Titanium 2Nickel 2Chromium 2Asbestos 2Lead 2Metal 1Granite 1Sites
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unnamed Asbestos Prospect | Nickel, Tungsten, Asbestos, Chromium | Asbestos, Dunite, Magnetite | Occurrence | 35.893, -81.689 |
| Unnamed Asbestos Prospect | Nickel, Chromium, Asbestos | Asbestos, Magnetite | Occurrence | 35.884, -81.718 |
| Nibbler Mine | Gold | Galena, Gold | Past Producer | 35.875, -81.668 |
| Baker Mine | Gold | Galena, Gold, Magnetite, Malachite, Scheelite, Stolzite | Past Producer | 35.894, -81.691 |
| Hercules Mine | Gold | Gold | Past Producer | 35.884, -81.681 |
| Unnamed Gold Mine | Gold | Gold | Past Producer | 35.882, -81.666 |
| Unnamed Gold Mine | Gold | Gold, Malachite | Occurrence | 35.919, -81.716 |
| J. K. Farthing's Iron Occurrence | Iron | Magnetite | Occurrence | 35.978, -81.567 |
| Yadkin Valley | Titanium, Metal | — | Past Producer | 36.067, -81.550 |
| Miller Quarry | Granite | — | Past Producer | 35.971, -81.699 |
| Kinkaid Prospect | Barium-Barite, Beryllium, REE | — | Occurrence | 35.906, -81.721 |
| L G Mccrary Prospect | Mica | — | Prospect | 35.837, -81.406 |
| Saw Mills Sillimanite Deposit | Kyanite | — | Occurrence | 35.801, -81.484 |
| Travis Prospect | Mica | — | Prospect | 35.903, -81.360 |
| Land Prospect | Mica | — | Prospect | 35.933, -81.397 |
| Olim Mccrary Mine | Mica | — | Past Producer | 35.933, -81.397 |
| Long Prospect | Mica | — | Prospect | 35.878, -81.542 |
| Cages Mtn Sillimanite Deposit | Kyanite | — | Occurrence | 35.828, -81.537 |
| Dudley Shoals No 2 Sillimanite Dep | Kyanite | — | Occurrence | 35.862, -81.393 |
| Levi Reid Prospect | Mica | — | Prospect | 35.937, -81.368 |
| Tolbert Mine | Mica | — | Past Producer | 35.884, -81.404 |
| Polly Land Prospect | Mica | — | Prospect | 35.910, -81.384 |
| Mcgee Mine | Mica | — | Past Producer | 35.923, -81.412 |
| Miller Prospect | Mica | — | Prospect | 35.828, -81.468 |
| Hibriten Prospect | Feldspar | — | Prospect | 35.907, -81.489 |
| Oak Hill Prospect | Mica | — | Prospect | 35.877, -81.417 |
| Dudley Shoals No 1 Sillimanite Dep | Kyanite | — | Occurrence | 35.858, -81.402 |
| Dudley Shoals No 3 Sillimanite Dep | Kyanite | — | Occurrence | 35.859, -81.394 |
| Yadkin-Richland District | Titanium | — | Producer | 36.067, -81.550 |
Nearby counties
Burke County · Alexander County · Catawba County · Wilkes County · Avery County
North Carolina mineral guides
- Beryl in North Carolina
- Tourmaline in North Carolina
- Quartz in North Carolina
- Garnet in North Carolina
- Gold in North Carolina
- Mica in North Carolina
Back to all North Carolina 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