RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Almeda
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 3 gem or collectible minerals (Quartz, Gold, Silver) and 6 of our card minerals overall. That ties with 9 other site(s), so we broke the tie by mine status (past producers first), then USGS record quality, then name. USGS lists it as past producer for Gold, Copper, Silver, Lead. Minerals mentioned: Quartz, Gold, Pyrite, Galena, Copper, Silver. Approx. location 42.610, -123.585. 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 not recorded.
Status terms come from USGS MRDS records.
Mineral cards
Gold
Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat
888 sites
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
228 sites
Silver
Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
216 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
153 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
119 sites
Magnetite
Mohs 5.5–6.5. Black and strongly magnetic. Mindat
24 sites
Galena
Mohs 2.5–2.75. Heavy, silvery lead ore that breaks into cubes. Mindat
16 sites
Agate
Mohs 6.5–7. Banded, translucent chalcedony. Mindat
7 sites
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Chromite 206Gold 128Pyrite 122Chalcopyrite 84Pyrrhotite 19Galena 16Malachite 14Sphalerite 13Magnetite 11Cinnabar 11Rhodonite 9Molybdenite 6Commodities
Gold 857Chromium 546Copper 113Silver 105Nickel 47Manganese 27Mercury 25Iron 24Cobalt 19Platinum 15Sites (first 40)
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jewett Mine | Gold, Tellurium, Bismuth | Altaite, Gold, Pyrite, Pyrrhotite, Sylvanite, Tetradymite | Producer | 42.404, -123.282 |
| Almeda | Gold, Copper, Silver, Lead | Barite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Pyrite, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 42.610, -123.585 |
| Rainbow | Copper | Barite, Chalcopyrite, Pyrite | Occurrence | 42.686, -123.558 |
| Goff Mine | Gold, Copper | Barite, Pyrite | Occurrence | 42.680, -123.561 |
| Tomlinson, Gates & Thomas Claims | Copper | Bornite, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Chrysocolla, Malachite, Pyrite | Occurrence | 42.027, -123.427 |
| Onion Falls Copper | Copper | Bornite, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Pyrite | Producer | 42.471, -123.607 |
| Red Jacket Mine | Gold, Silver | Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Chrysocolla, Galena, Gold, Malachite, Pyrite, Pyrrhotite | Past Producer | 42.488, -123.271 |
| Buckeye Mine | Copper | Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Chrysocolla, Malachite | Occurrence | 42.411, -123.583 |
| Daisy | Gold, Copper | Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Gold, Malachite | Occurrence | 42.051, -123.628 |
| Elephant | Copper | Chalcanthite, Chalcopyrite, Marcasite, Pyrite | Occurrence | 42.085, -123.566 |
| Queen of Bronze Mine | Copper | Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Chrysocolla, Cuprite, Malachite, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 42.050, -123.600 |
| Mount Reuben | Gold | Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Pyrite | Past Producer | 42.722, -123.595 |
| Mansfield Prospect | Copper | Chalcocite, Copper | Occurrence | 42.142, -123.517 |
| Copper Stain | Gold | Chalcopyrite | Past Producer | 42.663, -123.613 |
| King Tutt | Gold | Chalcopyrite | Past Producer | 42.588, -123.322 |
| Greenback | Gold, Silver | Chalcopyrite | Past Producer | 42.653, -123.308 |
| Beth Prospect | Copper | Chalcopyrite | Occurrence | 42.588, -123.648 |
| Coyote Mine | Gold | Chalcopyrite | Past Producer | 42.685, -123.296 |
| Pony Shoe Mine | Chromium | Chalcopyrite, Chromite, Galena, Pyrite | Occurrence | 42.003, -123.503 |
| Crown | Chromium, Copper | Chalcopyrite, Chromite, Malachite | Past Producer | 42.329, -123.762 |
| Gold Bug | Gold | Chalcopyrite, Chrysocolla, Pyrite | Past Producer | 42.679, -123.606 |
| Ida Mine | Gold | Chalcopyrite, Cinnabar, Galena, Pyrite, Stibnite | Past Producer | 42.496, -123.253 |
| Cowboy Mine | Copper, Gold, Zinc, Silver | Chalcopyrite, Cobaltite, Cubanite, Malachite, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 42.019, -123.609 |
| Whiteneck Group | Gold, Copper | Chalcopyrite, Copper, Pyrite, Pyrrhotite | Occurrence | 42.671, -123.630 |
| Lyttle Mine | Copper, Gold, Silver | Chalcopyrite, Cubanite | Past Producer | 42.025, -123.598 |
| Waldo Copper Mine | Copper | Chalcopyrite, Cubanite, Malachite, Pyrite, Pyrrhotite | Producer | 42.040, -123.599 |
| Lilly | Copper | Chalcopyrite, Cubanite, Pyrrhotite, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 42.039, -123.605 |
| Turner-Albright | Copper, Gold | Chalcopyrite, Erythrite, Pyrite, Sphalerite | Producer | 42.011, -123.762 |
| Blue Jay Claim | Gold | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Gold, Pyrite | Occurrence | 42.221, -123.346 |
| Snow Bird | Gold | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Gold, Pyrite | Past Producer | 42.256, -123.316 |
| Granite Hill Mine | Gold, Silver | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Gold, Pyrite | Producer | 42.495, -123.265 |
| Yellowhorn | Gold | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Gold, Pyrite, Pyrrhotite | Producer | 42.640, -123.310 |
| Oak Mine | Gold, Silver | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Malachite, Pyrite, Pyrolusite, Pyrrhotite, Sphalerite | Producer | 42.550, -123.308 |
| Lucky Strike | Gold, Silver, Copper, Lead | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Pyrite | Producer | 42.027, -123.556 |
| Sugar Pine | Gold, Silver | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Pyrite | Producer | 42.560, -123.640 |
| Humdinger | Gold | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Pyrite, Pyrrhotite, Sphalerite | Producer | 42.267, -123.300 |
| Arnold Mine | Gold | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Pyrite, Sphalerite | Producer | 42.005, -123.292 |
| Yankee Silver Lode | Silver, Copper | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Pyrite, Sphalerite | Occurrence | 42.586, -123.603 |
| Seven-Thirty Mine Juanita Mine | Gold, Copper | Chalcopyrite, Gold | Past Producer | 42.623, -123.619 |
| Copper Queen | Gold, Copper, Silver | Chalcopyrite, Gold | Past Producer | 42.620, -123.394 |
Fossil collections
The Paleobiology Database lists 1 fossil collection records in Josephine County. These are research records, not public dig sites.
Nearby counties
Curry County · Jackson County · Douglas County · Coos County · Klamath 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