RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Copperopolis
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 4 gem or collectible minerals (Tourmaline, Quartz, Gold, Silver) and 9 of our card minerals overall. No other named site here scores as high on both counts. USGS lists it as past producer. Minerals mentioned: Tourmaline, Quartz, Gold, Magnetite, Pyrite, Galena, Copper, Silver, Scheelite. Approx. location 44.558, -118.680. 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.
Status terms come from USGS MRDS records.
Mineral cards
Gold
Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat
773 sites
Silver
Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
377 sites
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
203 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
168 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
120 sites
Galena
Mohs 2.5–2.75. Heavy, silvery lead ore that breaks into cubes. Mindat
47 sites
Tourmaline
Mohs 7–7.5. Long striated crystals, often black (schorl) or green and pink (elbaite). Mindat
7 sites
Agate
Mohs 6.5–7. Banded, translucent chalcedony. Mindat
5 sites
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Pyrite 103Chalcopyrite 61Chromite 55Galena 45Sphalerite 42Tetrahedrite 25Pyrrhotite 17Gold 13Cinnabar 12Malachite 10Hematite 9Molybdenite 8Commodities
Gold 758Silver 189Chromium 181Copper 104Lead 43Zinc 35Arsenic 22Mercury 20Nickel 18Platinum 17Sites (first 40)
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Len Lode | Chromium | Antigorite, Chromite, Uvarovite | Occurrence | 44.153, -118.879 |
| Standard | Copper, Gold | Bismuthinite, Chalcopyrite, Cobaltite, Galena, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 44.546, -118.681 |
| Copperopolis Mine | Silver, Gold, Copper | Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Cobaltite, Galena, Pyrite, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 44.558, -118.681 |
| Copper Mtn. Group | Copper, Cobalt, Gold | Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Cobaltite, Limonite, Malachite, Pyrite | Occurrence | 44.556, -118.693 |
| Portland Consolidated Mine | Gold, Silver, Lead, Zinc, Copper | Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Pyrite, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Occurrence | 44.737, -118.615 |
| Lead Lode | Gold, Silver | Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Pyrite, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Occurrence | 44.873, -118.297 |
| Smuggler | Copper, Gold, Manganese | Chalcopyrite | Occurrence | 44.551, -118.677 |
| Eureka-Dio Gracia Group | Gold, Copper | Chalcopyrite | Producer | 44.687, -118.601 |
| Bi Metallic | Gold, Silver, Lead, Zinc, Copper, Nickel, Magnesite, Chromium, Molybdenum | Chalcopyrite, Chromite, Galena, Molybdenite, Pyrite, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Occurrence | 44.720, -118.541 |
| Harrison Group | Gold, Silver, Copper | Chalcopyrite, Chrysocolla, Hematite, Magnetite, Pyrite | Producer | 44.697, -118.522 |
| Diadem and Brindle Horse | Lead, Gold, Silver, Mercury, Copper | Chalcopyrite, Cinnabar, Galena | Occurrence | 44.698, -118.514 |
| Red Boy Group | Gold, Silver | Chalcopyrite, Cinnabar, Gold, Pyrite, Silver | Past Producer | 44.796, -118.478 |
| Copperopolis | Copper | Chalcopyrite, Cobaltite, Galena, Hematite, Pyrite, Quartz, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite, Tourmaline | Producer | 44.562, -118.681 |
| Prindle Property | Cobalt, Gold, Silver, Copper, Zinc, Arsenic | Chalcopyrite, Covellite, Magnetite, Pyrite, Pyrrhotite, Sphalerite | Occurrence | 44.583, -118.640 |
| Minty Group | Gold, Silver, Lead, Copper | Chalcopyrite, Galena | Past Producer | 44.536, -118.698 |
| Roberts | Gold, Zinc, Copper, Lead | Chalcopyrite, Galena | Producer | 44.692, -118.512 |
| Buffalo Mine | Silver, Gold, Copper, Lead, Zinc | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Gold, Pyrargyrite, Pyrite, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 44.865, -118.410 |
| West Side | Copper, Gold, Silver, Lead | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Gold, Pyrite, Silver | Past Producer | 44.713, -118.500 |
| Last Chance Mine | Arsenic, Lead, Zinc, Gold, Silver | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Gold, Pyrite, Silver, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 44.870, -118.265 |
| Camp Creek Claims | Gold, Lead, Copper, Silver | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Hematite, Limonite, Pyrite | Occurrence | 44.985, -118.784 |
| Yankee Boy | Gold, Zinc, Lead, Silver, Copper | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Hematite, Limonite, Pyrite, Pyrrhotite, Sphalerite | Occurrence | 44.549, -118.698 |
| Dixie Meadows | Gold, Arsenic, Copper, Lead, Zinc, Silver | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Marcasite, Pyrite, Pyrrhotite, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 44.602, -118.698 |
| Present Need | Gold, Silver, Copper, Zinc, Lead | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Marcasite, Pyrite, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 44.548, -118.702 |
| Imperial - Eagle Group | Gold, Silver | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Molybdenite, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 44.863, -118.273 |
| Elk Heaven | Gold | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Pyrite | Past Producer | 44.871, -118.296 |
| Ivy Mae | Gold, Silver | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Pyrite | Past Producer | 44.869, -118.269 |
| Last Chance Group | Gold, Silver, Zinc, Copper, Cobalt, Nickel | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Pyrite, Pyrrhotite, Sphalerite | Occurrence | 44.594, -118.701 |
| Homestake | Gold, Lead, Zinc, Copper, Silver | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Pyrite, Pyrrhotite, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 44.713, -118.784 |
| Rescue | Gold, Lead, Zinc, Copper, Silver, Arsenic | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Pyrite, Pyrrhotite, Sphalerite | Occurrence | 44.723, -118.787 |
| Keystone | Lead, Zinc, Silver, Copper, Gold | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Pyrite, Pyrrhotite, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 44.548, -118.704 |
| La Belleview | Silver, Gold, Lead, Copper | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Pyrite, Pyrrhotite, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Producer | 44.891, -118.350 |
| California Mine | Zinc, Gold, Silver, Arsenic, Lead, Copper | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Pyrite, Sphalerite | Producer | 44.865, -118.277 |
| Chattanooga | Gold, Zinc, Copper, Arsenic, Lead | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Pyrite, Sphalerite | Producer | 44.730, -118.779 |
| Equity Group | Gold | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Pyrite, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 44.551, -118.707 |
| Golden Gate Group | Lead, Gold, Zinc, Antimony, Copper | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Pyrite, Sphalerite, Stibnite | Producer | 44.712, -118.781 |
| Wagonwheel | Lead, Gold, Silver, Copper, Zinc, Antimony | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Pyrite, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Occurrence | 44.574, -118.657 |
| Badger Group | Gold, Silver | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Pyrite, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 44.712, -118.785 |
| Quick Action | Silver, Gold | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Producer | 44.712, -118.590 |
| Ben Harrison | Silver, Gold, Antimony, Copper, Zinc | Chalcopyrite, Gold, Pyrargyrite, Pyrite, Sphalerite, Stephanite, Stibnite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 44.744, -118.577 |
| Gold Eagle | Gold, Silver, Copper, Antimony | Chalcopyrite, Malachite, Pyrite, Stibnite, Tetrahedrite | Occurrence | 44.761, -118.669 |
Fossil collections
The Paleobiology Database lists 104 fossil collection records in Grant County. These are research records, not public dig sites.
Nearby counties
Umatilla County · Union County · Baker County · Morrow County · Wheeler 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