RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Banfield Mine
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 4 gem or collectible minerals (Quartz, Garnet, Gold, Silver) and 8 of our card minerals overall. No other named site here scores as high on both counts. USGS lists it as past producer. Minerals mentioned: Quartz, Garnet, Gold, Mica, Magnetite, Pyrite, Copper, Silver. Approx. location 42.836, -122.930. 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.
Status not recorded.
Was producing when the record was made.
A processing plant site.
Status terms come from USGS MRDS records.
Mineral cards
Gold
Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat
128 sites
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
42 sites
Silver
Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
37 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
32 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
17 sites
Agate
Mohs 6.5–7. Banded, translucent chalcedony. Mindat
14 sites
Magnetite
Mohs 5.5–6.5. Black and strongly magnetic. Mindat
5 sites
Galena
Mohs 2.5–2.75. Heavy, silvery lead ore that breaks into cubes. Mindat
3 sites
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Cinnabar 26Pyrite 19Chalcopyrite 16Chromite 16Gold 8Sphalerite 6Malachite 3Mercury 3Petzite 2Sylvanite 2Galena 2Stibnite 2Commodities
Gold 122Mercury 89Chromium 39Copper 27Silver 19Iron 9Zinc 8Nickel 6Antimony 4Manganese 4Sites (first 40)
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Gate | Gold, Copper, Silver | Barite, Chalcopyrite, Pyrite | Past Producer | 42.862, -123.386 |
| Silver Peak | Copper, Silver, Gold, Zinc | Bornite, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Covellite, Galena, Pyrite, Sphalerite, Tennantite | Past Producer | 42.849, -123.372 |
| Beaver Spring | Silver, Gold, Copper | Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Pyrite, Sphalerite | Occurrence | 42.883, -123.348 |
| Stuempges Prospect | Copper | Chalcocite, Malachite | Occurrence | 43.042, -123.301 |
| Pennel and Farmer Prospect | Copper | Chalcopyrite | Occurrence | 42.937, -122.937 |
| Banfield | Copper, Silver | Chalcopyrite, Cinnabar | Past Producer | 42.835, -122.933 |
| Green Mountain Prospect | Gold, Silver | Chalcopyrite, Cubanite, Pyrite, Pyrrhotite | Past Producer | 42.756, -123.172 |
| Zinc Mine | Zinc, Lead, Copper | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Sphalerite | Occurrence | 43.042, -122.796 |
| Cloudy Day | Gold | Chalcopyrite, Gold | Past Producer | 42.751, -123.181 |
| Forget-Me-Not | Gold, Silver | Chalcopyrite, Gold, Pyrite | Past Producer | 42.720, -123.237 |
| Levan's Ledge | Gold | Chalcopyrite, Gold, Pyrite | Past Producer | 42.910, -123.313 |
| Dodson Butte Prospects | Copper, Silver | Chalcopyrite, Malachite, Pyrite | Occurrence | 43.131, -123.212 |
| Sweetbriar | Gold, Copper | Chalcopyrite, Malachite, Pyrite | Occurrence | 42.896, -123.326 |
| Chieftain | Gold, Copper, Zinc | Chalcopyrite, Petzite, Pyrite, Sphalerite, Sylvanite | Occurrence | 43.041, -123.090 |
| Continental Mine | Gold, Copper, Zinc | Chalcopyrite, Petzite, Pyrite, Sphalerite, Sylvanite | Occurrence | 43.040, -123.097 |
| Melody Prospect | Copper | Chalcopyrite, Pyrite | Occurrence | 43.011, -123.431 |
| Rowley Mine | Copper, Zinc | Chalcopyrite, Pyrite, Sphalerite | Occurrence | 42.816, -122.944 |
| Nickel Mountain | Nickel | Chlorite, Chromite, Garnierite, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Sepiolite, Spinel | Producer | 42.961, -123.440 |
| Nickel Mountain Group | Chromium | Chromite | Producer | 42.953, -123.436 |
| Four Point | Chromium | Chromite | Past Producer | 42.726, -123.249 |
| Peel Prospects | Chromium | Chromite | Occurrence | 43.357, -122.918 |
| Black Boy | Chromium | Chromite | Producer | 42.732, -123.208 |
| Rainy Day | Chromium | Chromite | Past Producer | 42.958, -123.160 |
| A Mine | Chromium | Chromite | Producer | 43.048, -123.304 |
| Raelynne Prospect | Chromium | Chromite | Occurrence | 42.921, -122.934 |
| Lucky Nine Group | Chromium | Chromite | Past Producer | 42.928, -123.476 |
| Frozen Creek Mine | Chromium | Chromite | Producer | 43.113, -123.208 |
| Buckhorn | Chromium | Chromite | Producer | 42.995, -123.476 |
| Short Claim | Chromium | Chromite | Occurrence | 42.861, -122.952 |
| Starve Out | Chromium | Chromite | Occurrence | 42.749, -123.202 |
| Green Mountain | Chromium | Chromite | Occurrence | 42.740, -123.168 |
| Linda Marie | Chromium | Chromite | Past Producer | 42.918, -123.513 |
| Gray Boy | Chromium | Chromite | Producer | 42.732, -123.198 |
| Gopher | Mercury | Cinnabar | Occurrence | 43.070, -122.794 |
| Poor Boy | Mercury | Cinnabar | Occurrence | 43.051, -122.833 |
| Buena Vista | Mercury | Cinnabar | Past Producer | 43.017, -122.933 |
| James R. | Mercury | Cinnabar | Occurrence | 43.012, -122.923 |
| Thomason | Mercury | Cinnabar | Occurrence | 42.783, -122.937 |
| Nivinson | Mercury | Cinnabar | Occurrence | 42.785, -122.943 |
| Drew | Mercury | Cinnabar | Occurrence | 42.879, -122.893 |
Fossil collections
The Paleobiology Database lists 58 fossil collection records in Douglas County. These are research records, not public dig sites.
Nearby counties
Jackson County · Josephine County · Lane County · Coos County · Curry County
Oregon mineral guides
- Tourmaline in Oregon
- Quartz in Oregon
- Garnet in Oregon
- Gold in Oregon
- Agate in Oregon
- Magnetite in Oregon
Back to all Oregon 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