RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Highland Mine
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 4 gem or collectible minerals (Beryl, Tourmaline, Quartz, Garnet) 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 Beryllium, Mica, Feldspar. Minerals mentioned: Beryl, Tourmaline, Quartz, Garnet, Mica, Feldspar, Pyrite. Approx. location 43.766, -103.679. 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?
Produced ore or material at some point in the past.
Explored or test-dug, with no recorded production.
The mineral was noted here, without development.
Was producing when the record was made.
Status not recorded.
Status terms come from USGS MRDS records.
Mineral cards
Feldspar
Mohs 6–6.5. Blocky crystals with flat cleavage faces. Mindat
449 sites
Mica
Mohs 2–3. Peels into thin, flexible, shiny sheets. Mindat
336 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
217 sites
Tourmaline
Mohs 7–7.5. Long striated crystals, often black (schorl) or green and pink (elbaite). Mindat
146 sites
Beryl
Mohs 7.5–8. Six-sided crystals; aquamarine and emerald are beryl. Mindat
89 sites
Gold
Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat
42 sites
Silver
Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
40 sites
Garnet
Mohs 6.5–7.5. Usually deep red, round many-faced crystals. Mindat
17 sites
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Feldspar 138Mica 81Beryl 76Muscovite 58Gold 15Silver 14Biotite 12Spodumene 11Microcline 11Albite 10Amblygonite 8Cassiterite 6Commodities
Feldspar 388Mica 201Beryllium 79Gold 41Lithium 20Silver 18Tantalum 11Tin 6Manganese 6Tungsten 5Sites (first 40)
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tin Mountain Mine | Cesium, Feldspar, Lithium, Mica | Albite, Amblygonite, Andesine, Beryl, Biotite, Columbite, Muscovite, Pollucite, Spodumene | Past Producer | 43.746, -103.719 |
| Sunshine Mica Prospect | Mica, Feldspar | Albite, Beryl, Biotite, Microcline, Muscovite | Past Producer | 43.785, -103.603 |
| Highland Mine | Beryllium, Mica, Feldspar | Albite, Beryl, Lithiophilite, Microcline, Muscovite | Past Producer | 43.766, -103.679 |
| Earl Lode | Feldspar, Mica, Beryllium | Albite, Beryl, Lithiophilite, Muscovite | Past Producer | 43.752, -103.528 |
| Payday Lode | Feldspar, Mica, Beryllium | Albite, Beryl, Mica | Past Producer | 43.624, -103.609 |
| Helen Beryl | Beryllium, Feldspar | Albite, Beryl, Mica, Microcline | Past Producer | 43.713, -103.697 |
| Michaud Prospect | Beryllium | Albite, Beryl, Muscovite | Past Producer | 43.689, -103.719 |
| Warren Draw Mine | Feldspar, Beryllium, Mica | Albite, Beryl, Muscovite, Plagioclase | Past Producer | 43.744, -103.714 |
| Dorothy Lode | Feldspar, Mica | Albite, Microcline, Muscovite | Past Producer | 43.754, -103.634 |
| Pine Top Lode | Mica, Feldspar | Albite, Muscovite | Past Producer | 43.727, -103.615 |
| Tiptop Lode | Feldspar | Amblygonite, Beryl, Biotite, Muscovite | Past Producer | 43.716, -103.670 |
| High Climb Mine | Feldspar, Beryllium, Mica, Lithium | Amblygonite, Beryl, Columbite, Feldspar, Muscovite | Past Producer | 43.852, -103.619 |
| Beecher Lode | Lithium, Beryllium, Mica | Amblygonite, Beryl, Columbite, Mica, Spodumene, Tantalite | Past Producer | 43.703, -103.578 |
| Wilhelm Mine | Feldspar, Lithium, Mica, Tantalum | Amblygonite, Beryl, Feldspar, Muscovite | Past Producer | 43.824, -103.658 |
| Eruption Lode | Lithium, Beryllium, Feldspar, Mica | Amblygonite, Beryl, Feldspar, Muscovite | Past Producer | 43.725, -103.697 |
| Highview Prospect | Beryllium, Mica, Lithium | Amblygonite, Beryl, Lithiophilite, Muscovite, Spodumene | Past Producer | 43.749, -103.708 |
| Keystone Lode | Mica, Beryllium, Lithium | Amblygonite, Beryl, Muscovite | Occurrence | 43.742, -103.702 |
| Southern Black Hills Kyn Mine | Kyanite | Andalusite, Garnet, Sillimanite | Past Producer | 43.750, -103.501 |
| Spokane Mine | Gold, Silver | Argentite, Chalcopyrite, Galena | Past Producer | 43.840, -103.377 |
| Put Lode | Beryllium | Beryl | Past Producer | 43.854, -103.373 |
| Smith Mine | Feldspar | Beryl | Past Producer | 43.622, -103.528 |
| Buster No 3 Claim | Mica, Beryllium | Beryl | Occurrence | 43.733, -103.501 |
| Henwood Lode | Beryllium, Feldspar | Beryl | Past Producer | 43.649, -103.584 |
| Greene Mine | Beryllium, Feldspar | Beryl | Past Producer | 43.628, -103.523 |
| Jack Rabbit Mine | Beryllium, Mica | Beryl | Past Producer | 43.692, -103.622 |
| Jumbo Lode | Feldspar, Mica, Beryllium | Beryl, Biotite, Feldspar, Microcline, Muscovite | Occurrence | 43.833, -103.399 |
| Dorothy V Prospect | Mica | Beryl, Biotite, Muscovite | Past Producer | 43.758, -103.641 |
| Big Tom Mine | Feldspar | Beryl, Biotite, Muscovite | Past Producer | 43.722, -103.694 |
| Buster Dike | Beryllium, Feldspar, Mica | Beryl, Cleavelandite, Muscovite | Past Producer | 43.733, -103.617 |
| Lookout Mine | Beryllium, Niobium (Columbium), Feldspar | Beryl, Columbite, Feldspar, Mica | Past Producer | 43.634, -103.619 |
| Mayo Lode | Feldspar | Beryl, Columbite, Feldspar, Mica, Tantalite | Past Producer | 43.687, -103.608 |
| New York Mine | Feldspar, Mica | Beryl, Columbite, Feldspar, Muscovite, Tantalite | Producer | 43.702, -103.686 |
| Mountain Beryl Claim | Feldspar, Beryllium, Mica | Beryl, Feldspar | Past Producer | 43.632, -103.614 |
| White Elephant Mine | Feldspar, Beryllium | Beryl, Feldspar | Past Producer | 43.656, -103.583 |
| Lookout No. 5 Lode | Beryllium, Feldspar | Beryl, Feldspar | Past Producer | 43.679, -103.634 |
| Pringle Mine | Feldspar, Beryllium | Beryl, Feldspar | Past Producer | 43.617, -103.586 |
| Beryl Feldspar Mine | Feldspar | Beryl, Feldspar | Past Producer | 43.854, -103.369 |
| Pleasant Valley Mine | Feldspar | Beryl, Feldspar | Past Producer | 43.722, -103.681 |
| Blue Bird Lode | Feldspar, Beryllium | Beryl, Feldspar | Past Producer | 43.656, -103.604 |
| Cat Lode | Feldspar, Beryllium | Beryl, Feldspar | Past Producer | 43.671, -103.532 |
Fossil collections
The Paleobiology Database lists 31 fossil collection records in Custer County. These are research records, not public dig sites.
Nearby counties
Pennington County · Fall River County · Meade County · Lawrence County · Shannon County
South Dakota mineral guides
- Beryl in South Dakota
- Tourmaline in South Dakota
- Quartz in South Dakota
- Garnet in South Dakota
- Gold in South Dakota
- Mica in South Dakota
Back to all South Dakota 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