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. Wythe County: 226 sites; most recorded: Sphalerite, Limonite, Hemimorphite
  2. Smyth County: 179 sites; most recorded: Barite, Limonite, Sphalerite
  3. Campbell County: 175 sites; most recorded: Barite, Psilomelane, Limonite
  4. Carroll County: 142 sites; most recorded: Chalcopyrite, Pyrrhotite, Sphalerite
  5. Henry County: 116 sites; most recorded: Magnetite, Emery, Monazite

Top minerals

  • Gold: 247 sites
  • Sphalerite: 142 sites
  • Limonite: 140 sites
  • Pyrite: 140 sites
  • Barite: 129 sites
  • Chalcopyrite: 124 sites
  • Galena: 103 sites
  • Psilomelane: 90 sites

Mineral cards

  • Quartz

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

    494 sites

  • Mica

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

    470 sites

  • Gold

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

    440 sites

  • Copper

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

    376 sites

  • Pyrite

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

    292 sites

  • Feldspar

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

    162 sites

  • Galena

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

    110 sites

  • Silver

    Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat

    71 sites

  • Magnetite

    Mohs 5.5–6.5. Black and strongly magnetic. Mindat

    66 sites

  • Garnet

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

    41 sites

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

Minerals most often recorded

Gold 247Sphalerite 142Limonite 140Pyrite 140Barite 129Chalcopyrite 124Galena 103Psilomelane 90Malachite 78Goethite 64Chalcocite 63Pyrolusite 57

Counties

CountySites
Wythe County226
Smyth County179
Campbell County175
Carroll County142
Henry County116
Amelia County96
Grayson County95
Louisa County91
Goochland County88
Buckingham County83
Shenandoah County83
Amherst County81
Botetourt County80
Nelson County77
Spotsylvania County75
Bedford County69
Tazewell County67
Fluvanna County67
Appomattox County67
Augusta County65
Pittsylvania County63
Floyd County63
Alleghany County62
Fauquier County57
Page County55
Russell County51
Bland County46
Halifax County46
Giles County45
Orange County39
Franklin County39
Rockingham County38
Culpeper County36
Rockbridge County33
Patrick County31
Pulaski County30
Warren County29
Fairfax County28
Albemarle County28
Craig County26
Charlotte County25
Montgomery County23
Prince William County23
Stafford County23
Roanoke County20
Scott County19
Hanover County17
Prince Edward County16
Loudoun County13
Powhatan County13
Richmond city12
Madison County12
Frederick County12
Dinwiddie County11
Bath County9
Mecklenburg County9
Lee County8
Highland County7
Clarke County7
Chesterfield County7
Greene County7
Franklin city5
Westmoreland County5
Wise County5
Brunswick County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)4
Henrico County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)4
Rappahannock County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)3
King George County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)2
Caroline County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)2
Nottoway County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)2
Cumberland County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)2
Greensville County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)2
Danville (City) County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)2
Newport News (City) County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)2
Northampton County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Roanoke city (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Harrisonburg (City) County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Essex County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
York County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
James City County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Lunenburg County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Norfolk (City) County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Portsmouth (City) County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Chesapeake (City) County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
King William County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Washington County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1
Colonial Heights (City) County (fewer than 5 sites, no page)1

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