RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Silver Riddle Mines
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 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 Copper, Silver. Minerals mentioned: Quartz, Gold, Pyrite, Galena, Copper, Silver. Approx. location 41.575, -113.692. 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.
Was producing when the record was made.
Explored or test-dug, with no recorded production.
Status not recorded.
Status terms come from USGS MRDS records.
Mineral cards
Silver
Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
153 sites
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
119 sites
Gold
Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat
68 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
50 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
44 sites
Galena
Mohs 2.5–2.75. Heavy, silvery lead ore that breaks into cubes. Mindat
32 sites
Scheelite
Mohs 4.5–5. Tungsten mineral that glows blue-white under shortwave UV. Mindat
21 sites
Garnet
Mohs 6.5–7.5. Usually deep red, round many-faced crystals. Mindat
12 sites
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Brine 52Smithsonite 31Silver 29Galena 28Malachite 28Scheelite 20Anglesite 19Sand and Gravel 18Chalcopyrite 17Hemimorphite 15Powellite 13Limestone 12Commodities
Silver 112Lead 97Copper 81Zinc 66Bromine 61Gold 50Tungsten 30Molybdenum 10Iron 10Calcium 10Sites (first 40)
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Utah Moss Clay | — | Alunite, Kaolinite | Occurrence | 41.472, -113.993 |
| Mineral Mountain Mine No. 1 | Lead, Silver, Zinc | Anglesite, Barite, Hemimorphite, Smithsonite | Past Producer | 41.245, -114.031 |
| Silver Eagle | Silver, Copper, Lead | Anglesite, Chalcocite, Galena, Malachite | Past Producer | 41.479, -111.944 |
| Tecoma Mine | Lead, Silver, Zinc, Iron | Anglesite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Goethite, Hematite, Limonite, Smithsonite, Sphalerite, Wulfenite | Past Producer | 41.248, -114.041 |
| Tecoma Hill No. 15 Mine | Lead, Zinc | Anglesite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Gold, Hemimorphite, Plumbojarosite, Silver, Smithsonite, Sphalerite, Wulfenite | Past Producer | 41.247, -114.037 |
| Copper Mtn. Group | Copper, Iron | Anglesite, Chrysocolla, Copper, Cuprite, Galena, Goethite, Hematite, Jarosite, Limonite, Malachite | Past Producer | 41.245, -114.016 |
| Tecoma Hill South | Lead, Silver | Anglesite, Chrysocolla, Malachite, Plumbojarosite, Smithsonite, Wulfenite | Past Producer | 41.247, -114.035 |
| Montello Tunnel | Lead | Anglesite, Galena | Past Producer | 41.196, -114.026 |
| Charleston Creek Mines | Lead, Silver | Anglesite, Galena | Past Producer | 41.930, -113.538 |
| Empire Mine | Silver, Lead | Anglesite, Galena, Hematite, Limonite, Smithsonite, Wulfenite | Past Producer | 41.247, -114.033 |
| Cunepah Tunnel | Lead, Zinc, Silver | Anglesite, Galena, Hemimorphite | Past Producer | 41.200, -114.028 |
| Black Warrior | Lead, Silver, Zinc | Anglesite, Galena, Malachite, Plumbojarosite, Silver, Smithsonite, Sphalerite, Wulfenite | Past Producer | 41.249, -114.038 |
| Walker Tunnel | Zinc, Lead, Silver | Anglesite, Galena, Plumbojarosite, Silver, Smithsonite, Sphalerite, Wulfenite | Past Producer | 41.252, -114.014 |
| Hogans Alley | Lead, Silver, Zinc | Anglesite, Galena, Smithsonite | Past Producer | 41.213, -114.031 |
| Rip Van Winkle Mine | Lead, Zinc | Anglesite, Hematite, Limonite, Smithsonite | Past Producer | 41.254, -114.015 |
| Tecoma | Silver, Lead, Zinc | Anglesite, Hemimorphite | Producer | 41.250, -114.051 |
| Upper Mineral Mountain | Lead, Silver | Anglesite, Hemimorphite, Smithsonite | Past Producer | 41.242, -114.033 |
| Rocky Pass Lead-Silver | — | Anglesite, Scheelite | Occurrence | 41.517, -113.746 |
| Mineral Mountain | Lead, Silver, Zinc | Anglesite, Smithsonite | Past Producer | 41.245, -114.029 |
| North Pilot Mine | — | Anglesite, Smithsonite | Occurrence | 41.319, -113.986 |
| Calcispar | — | Aragonite, Calcite | Occurrence | 41.414, -114.015 |
| Vipont Mine | Silver, Gold | Argentite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Gold, Pyrargyrite, Sphalerite, Tennantite | Producer | 41.964, -113.852 |
| Silver Belle Nos 1 and 6 | Lead, Silver, Quartz | Argentite, Galena | Occurrence | 41.942, -113.468 |
| Sentinell Group | Gold, Silver | Argentite, Gold, Silver | Past Producer | 41.964, -113.840 |
| Liberty Bell Group | Gold, Silver | Argentite, Gold, Silver | Past Producer | 41.931, -113.911 |
| Skoro Mine | Silver | Argentite, Silver | Past Producer | 41.962, -113.845 |
| Homestake Mine | — | Argentite, Silver | Occurrence | 41.972, -113.867 |
| Midway Tunnel | — | Argentite, Silver | Occurrence | 41.970, -113.856 |
| Peg-Leg Mine | Silver | Argentite, Silver | Past Producer | 41.964, -113.862 |
| Sunset Mine | Silver | Argentite, Silver | Producer | 41.931, -113.911 |
| Minmobar | — | Barite | Occurrence | 41.243, -114.031 |
| Bebar | — | Barite | Occurrence | 41.260, -113.992 |
| Unnamed Deposit | Barium-Barite | Barite | Occurrence | 41.211, -113.345 |
| Crysbar | — | Barite | Occurrence | 41.282, -114.023 |
| Newfoundland Copper Mine | Copper | Bornite, Chalcanthite, Malachite, Wolframite | Past Producer | 41.256, -113.331 |
| Ginza Mines and Prospects | Copper, Gold, Silver | Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Malachite | Past Producer | 41.960, -113.282 |
| Napoleon-Magera | — | Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Malachite | Occurrence | 41.368, -111.993 |
| Messix Peak, Great Salt Lake North Arm | — | Brine | Prospect | 41.417, -112.584 |
| Terrace Mtn 1 Sw Brine | Bromine | Brine | Occurrence | 41.265, -113.233 |
| Terrace Mtn 4 Se Brine | — | Brine | Occurrence | 41.116, -113.060 |
Fossil collections
The Paleobiology Database lists 42 fossil collection records in Box Elder County. These are research records, not public dig sites.
Nearby counties
Weber County · Davis County · Tooele County · Cache County · Morgan County
Utah mineral guides
Back to all Utah 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