RockWoofBest regions by county
Ranked by the number of USGS-recorded sites, not by access or quality.
- Josephine County: 1,588 sites; most recorded: Chromite, Gold, Pyrite
- Baker County: 1,304 sites; most recorded: Pyrite, Chalcopyrite, Galena
- Grant County: 1,061 sites; most recorded: Pyrite, Chalcopyrite, Chromite
- Jackson County: 1,021 sites; most recorded: Gold, Pyrite, Chalcopyrite
- Curry County: 570 sites; most recorded: Chromite, Gold, Pyrite
Top minerals
- Pyrite: 656 sites
- Chromite: 452 sites
- Chalcopyrite: 446 sites
- Gold: 303 sites
- Cinnabar: 220 sites
- Galena: 210 sites
- Sphalerite: 206 sites
- Malachite: 101 sites
Mineral cards
Gold
Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat
4,866 sites
Silver
Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
1,905 sites
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
1,361 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
881 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
854 sites
Galena
Mohs 2.5–2.75. Heavy, silvery lead ore that breaks into cubes. Mindat
218 sites
Agate
Mohs 6.5–7. Banded, translucent chalcedony. Mindat
114 sites
Magnetite
Mohs 5.5–6.5. Black and strongly magnetic. Mindat
77 sites
Scheelite
Mohs 4.5–5. Tungsten mineral that glows blue-white under shortwave UV. Mindat
36 sites
Garnet
Mohs 6.5–7.5. Usually deep red, round many-faced crystals. Mindat
29 sites
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals most often recorded
Pyrite 656Chromite 452Chalcopyrite 446Gold 303Cinnabar 220Galena 210Sphalerite 206Malachite 101Molybdenite 61Pyrrhotite 58Magnetite 45Limonite 44Counties
| County | Sites |
|---|---|
| Josephine County | 1,588 |
| Baker County | 1,304 |
| Grant County | 1,061 |
| Jackson County | 1,021 |
| Curry County | 570 |
| Malheur County | 546 |
| Harney County | 338 |
| Lane County | 327 |
| Douglas County | 308 |
| Wallowa County | 228 |
| Lake County | 201 |
| Coos County | 181 |
| Crook County | 158 |
| Linn County | 112 |
| Union County | 105 |
| Marion County | 82 |
| Klamath County | 47 |
| Wheeler County | 44 |
| Jefferson County | 44 |
| Clackamas County | 43 |
| Columbia County | 24 |
| Umatilla County | 23 |
| Deschutes County | 22 |
| Washington County | 11 |
| Polk County | 10 |
| Multnomah County | 10 |
| Sherman County | 10 |
| Tillamook County | 8 |
| Clatsop County | 7 |
| Morrow County | 6 |
| Wasco County | 6 |
| Yamhill County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 4 |
| Benton County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 3 |
| Hood River County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 2 |
| Lincoln County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 2 |
Mineral guides
- Tourmaline in Oregon (15)
- Quartz in Oregon (881)
- Garnet in Oregon (29)
- Gold in Oregon (4,866)
- Agate in Oregon (114)
- Magnetite in Oregon (77)
- Pyrite in Oregon (854)
- Galena in Oregon (218)
- Copper in Oregon (1,361)
- Silver in Oregon (1,905)
- Scheelite in Oregon (36)
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