RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Silver Star Prospect
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 3 gem or collectible minerals (Quartz, Gold, Silver) and 6 of our card minerals overall. No other named site here scores as high on both counts. USGS lists it as occurrence for Lead, Zinc, Silver, Gold, Copper. Minerals mentioned: Quartz, Gold, Pyrite, Galena, Copper, Silver. Approx. location 45.730, -122.285. 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.
Explored or test-dug, with no recorded production.
Status not recorded.
A processing plant site.
Was producing when the record was made.
Status terms come from USGS MRDS records.
Mineral cards
Gold
Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat
9 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
3 sites
Magnetite
Mohs 5.5–6.5. Black and strongly magnetic. Mindat
2 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
2 sites
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
2 sites
Silver
Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
2 sites
Galena
Mohs 2.5–2.75. Heavy, silvery lead ore that breaks into cubes. Mindat
1 site
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Gold 2Limonite 2Magnetite 2Pyrite 2Hematite 1Cinnabar 1Bornite 1Chalcopyrite 1Galena 1Malachite 1Sphalerite 1Commodities
Gold 6Iron 5Mercury 2Copper 2Aluminum 2Lead 1Zinc 1Silver 1Contained or Metal 1Vanadium 1Sites
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silver Star Prospect | Lead, Zinc, Silver, Gold, Copper | Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Gold, Malachite, Pyrite, Sphalerite | Occurrence | 45.730, -122.285 |
| Golden Wonder | Mercury | Cinnabar, Pyrite | Occurrence | 45.965, -122.332 |
| South Fork Lewis River | Gold | Gold, Hematite, Limonite, Magnetite | Past Producer | 45.814, -122.317 |
| Howland Acres Prospect | Iron | Limonite | Occurrence | 45.685, -122.593 |
| Washougal Prospect | Iron | Magnetite | Occurrence | 45.630, -122.383 |
| Smith | Mercury | — | Occurrence | 45.658, -122.321 |
| (Facility) Vancouver Aluminum Smelter | Aluminum, Contained or Metal | — | Plant | 45.649, -122.733 |
| Brush Prairie Placer | Gold | — | Prospect | 45.704, -122.547 |
| Mc Munn Placer | Gold | — | Past Producer | 45.813, -122.321 |
| Bokemier Iron Deposit | Iron | — | Prospect | 45.682, -122.591 |
| Silver Star Mine | Copper | — | Past Producer | 45.737, -122.289 |
| Washington | Gold | — | Unknown | 45.595, -122.337 |
| Sunset Falls | Vanadium | — | Occurrence | 45.816, -122.257 |
| Fly Creek Deposit | Aluminum | — | Occurrence | 45.904, -122.701 |
| Lewis River Placer | Gold | — | Past Producer | 45.813, -122.305 |
| Camas Placer | Titanium | — | Unknown | 45.597, -122.387 |
| Canyon Creek Placer | Iron | — | Prospect | 45.948, -122.296 |
| Washougal Pit | Iron | — | Producer | 45.629, -122.379 |
Nearby counties
Skamania County · Cowlitz County · Wahkiakum County · Lewis County · Thurston County
Washington mineral guides
- Tourmaline in Washington
- Quartz in Washington
- Garnet in Washington
- Gold in Washington
- Mica in Washington
- Feldspar in Washington
Back to all Washington 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