RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Old Forge Magnetite Mine
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 2 gem or collectible minerals (Quartz, Garnet) and 3 of our card minerals overall. That ties with 1 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 Iron. Minerals mentioned: Quartz, Garnet, Magnetite. Approx. location 36.150, -82.083. 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.
Status terms come from USGS MRDS records.
Mineral cards
Magnetite
Mohs 5.5–6.5. Black and strongly magnetic. Mindat
22 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
8 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
6 sites
Fluorite
Mohs 4. Cubes in purple, green or yellow; many glow under UV. Mindat
4 sites
Garnet
Mohs 6.5–7.5. Usually deep red, round many-faced crystals. Mindat
2 sites
Feldspar
Mohs 6–6.5. Blocky crystals with flat cleavage faces. Mindat
2 sites
Galena
Mohs 2.5–2.75. Heavy, silvery lead ore that breaks into cubes. Mindat
2 sites
Mica
Mohs 2–3. Peels into thin, flexible, shiny sheets. Mindat
1 site
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Magnetite 22Limonite 12Hematite 5Pyrite 3Pyrolusite 3Galena 2Sphalerite 2Bauxite 2Cerussite 1Smithsonite 1Psilomelane 1Gibbsite 1Commodities
Iron 61Manganese 33Aluminum 5Sulfur-Pyrite 2Sulfur 2Barium-Barite 1Mercury 1Sites (first 40)
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nidifer Branch Barite Prospect | — | Barite | Occurrence | 36.395, -82.084 |
| Red Bird Hill Bauxite Mine | Aluminum | Bauxite | Past Producer | 36.393, -82.203 |
| Elizabethton, Tenn. Bauxite | Aluminum | Bauxite, Gibbsite | Past Producer | 36.333, -82.167 |
| Watauga Point Zinc Prospect | — | Cerussite, Galena, Pyrite, Smithsonite, Sphalerite | Occurrence | 36.336, -82.268 |
| Carden Zinc Prospect | — | Galena, Sphalerite | Occurrence | 36.348, -82.259 |
| Rabbit Station Hematitic Magnetite Prospect | — | Hematite, Magnetite | Occurrence | 36.280, -82.020 |
| Black Bear Hematitic Magnetite Prospect | — | Hematite, Magnetite | Occurrence | 36.281, -82.022 |
| Miller Magnetite Prospect | — | Hematite, Magnetite | Occurrence | 36.272, -82.040 |
| Lunsford Hematitic Magnetite Prospect | — | Hematite, Magnetite | Occurrence | 36.256, -82.020 |
| Mays Ridge Hematitic Magnetite Prospect | — | Hematite, Magnetite | Occurrence | 36.274, -82.013 |
| Blue Springs Mine | Manganese, Iron | Limonite | Past Producer | 36.356, -82.072 |
| Taylor Iron Ore Bank | Iron | Limonite | Past Producer | 36.403, -82.080 |
| Little Stony Creek Mine | Manganese, Iron | Limonite | Past Producer | 36.419, -82.158 |
| Hodge Iron Ore Bank | Iron | Limonite | Past Producer | 36.440, -82.033 |
| Valley Forge Mine | Manganese, Iron | Limonite | Past Producer | 36.307, -82.177 |
| Griffin Prospect | — | Limonite | Occurrence | 36.399, -82.125 |
| Cedar Hill Manganese Mine | Manganese | Limonite | Past Producer | 36.275, -82.167 |
| Limonite Ore Bank | Iron | Limonite | Past Producer | 36.316, -82.090 |
| Limonite Ore Bank | Iron | Limonite | Past Producer | 36.316, -82.090 |
| Bowers Mine | Manganese, Iron | Limonite | Past Producer | 36.350, -82.122 |
| Cardens Bluff Manganese Mine | Manganese, Iron | Limonite, Psilomelane, Pyrolusite | Past Producer | 36.307, -82.114 |
| Valley Forge Manganese Mine | Manganese | Limonite, Pyrolusite | Past Producer | 36.307, -82.177 |
| Wilder Mine | Iron | Magnetite | Past Producer | 36.171, -82.178 |
| Peg Leg Mine | Iron | Magnetite | Past Producer | 36.182, -82.071 |
| Old Forge Magnetite Mine | Iron | Magnetite | Past Producer | 36.150, -82.083 |
| Ellis/Patrick/Red Rock Mines | Iron | Magnetite | Past Producer | 36.177, -82.035 |
| Patrick Magnetite Mine | Iron | Magnetite | Past Producer | 36.177, -82.035 |
| Campbell Magnetite Prospect | Iron | Magnetite | Occurrence | 36.292, -82.126 |
| Horse Shoe Magnetite Prospect | Iron | Magnetite | Occurrence | 36.174, -82.100 |
| Old Forge Magnetite Mine | Iron | Magnetite | Past Producer | 36.150, -82.083 |
| Wilder Magnetite Mine | Iron | Magnetite | Past Producer | 36.171, -82.012 |
| Chestnut Ridge Magnetite Prospects | Iron | Magnetite | Past Producer | 36.153, -82.160 |
| Julian Magnetite Prospect | Iron | Magnetite | Past Producer | 36.168, -82.079 |
| Greenlee and Ray and Tester Magnetite Mine | Iron | Magnetite | Past Producer | 36.170, -82.013 |
| Red Rock Magnetite Mine | Iron | Magnetite | Past Producer | 36.175, -82.024 |
| Teegarden Magnetite Mine | Iron | Magnetite | Past Producer | 36.210, -88.822 |
| Ellis Magnetite Mine | Iron | Magnetite | Past Producer | 36.179, -82.045 |
| Heupscup Ridge Magnetite Prospects | Iron | Magnetite | Past Producer | 36.179, -82.053 |
| Peg Leg Magnetite Mine | Iron | Magnetite | Past Producer | 36.182, -82.071 |
| Hatcher Pyrite Mine | Sulfur-Pyrite | Pyrite | Past Producer | 36.426, -82.042 |
Nearby counties
Johnson County · Washington County · Unicoi County · Sullivan County · Greene County
Tennessee mineral guides
- Quartz in Tennessee
- Gold in Tennessee
- Mica in Tennessee
- Magnetite in Tennessee
- Pyrite in Tennessee
- Galena in Tennessee
Back to all Tennessee 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