RockWoof
Check access before you go. Most sites listed here are old mines, quarries or prospects, and many are on private land or active mining claims. Get the landowner's permission, check the rules of the agency that manages any public land, and never enter mine workings. Locations are approximate.

Best regions by county

Ranked by the number of USGS-recorded sites, not by access or quality.

  1. Rutland County: 115 sites; most recorded: Slate, Chalcopyrite, Limonite
  2. Windsor County: 80 sites; most recorded: Steatite, Talc, Chalcopyrite
  3. Orange County: 33 sites; most recorded: Chalcopyrite, Pyrrhotite, Sphalerite
  4. Orleans County: 27 sites; most recorded: Magnetite, Chromite, Talc
  5. Bennington County: 26 sites; most recorded: Uraninite, Limonite, Manganite

Top minerals

  • Chalcopyrite: 51 sites
  • Steatite: 37 sites
  • Talc: 34 sites
  • Limonite: 29 sites
  • Hematite: 27 sites
  • Galena: 25 sites
  • Gold: 23 sites
  • Slate: 22 sites

Mineral cards

  • Copper

    Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat

    85 sites

  • Quartz

    Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat

    71 sites

  • Pyrite

    Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat

    61 sites

  • Magnetite

    Mohs 5.5–6.5. Black and strongly magnetic. Mindat

    30 sites

  • Mica

    Mohs 2–3. Peels into thin, flexible, shiny sheets. Mindat

    29 sites

  • Gold

    Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat

    28 sites

  • Galena

    Mohs 2.5–2.75. Heavy, silvery lead ore that breaks into cubes. Mindat

    27 sites

  • Tourmaline

    Mohs 7–7.5. Long striated crystals, often black (schorl) or green and pink (elbaite). Mindat

    20 sites

  • Garnet

    Mohs 6.5–7.5. Usually deep red, round many-faced crystals. Mindat

    18 sites

  • Feldspar

    Mohs 6–6.5. Blocky crystals with flat cleavage faces. Mindat

    18 sites

Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.

Minerals most often recorded

Chalcopyrite 51Steatite 37Talc 34Limonite 29Hematite 27Galena 25Gold 23Slate 22Sphalerite 20Uraninite 18Magnetite 17Pyrrhotite 16

Counties

CountySites
Rutland County115
Windsor County80
Orange County33
Orleans County27
Bennington County26
Lamoille County24
Washington County23
Windham County22
Franklin County22
Essex County10
Addison County10
Chittenden County8
Grand Isle County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)2

Mineral guides

Related articles

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