RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
El Paso Mine
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 3 gem or collectible minerals (Tourmaline, Quartz, Fluorite) and 5 of our card minerals overall. No other named site here scores as high on both counts. USGS lists it as past producer for Tin. Minerals mentioned: Tourmaline, Quartz, Feldspar, Pyrite, Fluorite. Approx. location 31.936, -106.488. 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.
A processing plant site.
Produced ore or material at some point in the past.
Was producing when the record was made.
Status terms come from USGS MRDS records.
Mineral cards
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
4 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
3 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
3 sites
Fluorite
Mohs 4. Cubes in purple, green or yellow; many glow under UV. Mindat
3 sites
Feldspar
Mohs 6–6.5. Blocky crystals with flat cleavage faces. Mindat
2 sites
Tourmaline
Mohs 7–7.5. Long striated crystals, often black (schorl) or green and pink (elbaite). Mindat
1 site
Gold
Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat
1 site
Magnetite
Mohs 5.5–6.5. Black and strongly magnetic. Mindat
1 site
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Chalcopyrite 2Carnotite 2Siderite 1Cassiterite 1Wolframite 1Bornite 1Covellite 1Magnetite 1Chalcanthite 1Chrysocolla 1Commodities
Copper 4Sulfur 3Iron 2Uranium 2Sulfuric Acid 2Tin 1Arsenic 1Platinum 1Gold 1Silver 1Sites
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hitt Canyon Prospect | Copper, Iron | Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Covellite, Magnetite | Occurrence | 31.992, -106.481 |
| Unnamed Prospects | Uranium | Carnotite | Occurrence | 31.789, -106.118 |
| R.O.H.K. Prospect | Uranium | Carnotite | Occurrence | 31.852, -106.112 |
| El Paso Mine | Tin | Cassiterite, Wolframite | Past Producer | 31.936, -106.488 |
| Tom Mays Park Prospect | Copper, Arsenic | Chalcanthite, Chalcopyrite, Chrysocolla | Occurrence | 31.914, -106.506 |
| Unnamed Prospect | Iron | Siderite | Occurrence | 31.982, -106.478 |
| Unnamed Prospect | Platinum, Gold, Silver | — | Occurrence | 31.884, -106.155 |
| (Facility) El Paso Copper Smelter | Copper | — | Plant | 31.750, -106.484 |
| Franklin Mt Tin Deposits | — | — | Past Producer | 31.936, -106.488 |
| (Facility) El Paso Lead Smelter | Lead, Smelter | — | Plant | 31.755, -106.481 |
| (Facility) El Paso Refinery | Copper | — | Plant | 31.765, -106.390 |
| El Paso Sulfur Plant | Sulfur | — | Producer | 31.763, -106.498 |
| El Paso Quarry & Plant | Silica | — | Producer | 31.821, -106.470 |
Fossil collections
The Paleobiology Database lists 32 fossil collection records in El Paso County. These are research records, not public dig sites.
Nearby counties
Hudspeth County · Culberson County · Jeff Davis County · Presidio County · Reeves County
Texas mineral guides
Back to all Texas 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