RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Colton
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 1 gem or collectible mineral (Quartz) and 1 of our card minerals overall. No other named site here scores as high on both counts. USGS lists it as occurrence for Quartz. Minerals mentioned: Quartz. Approx. location 46.623, -117.070. 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 terms come from USGS MRDS records.
Mineral cards
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
1 site
Feldspar
Mohs 6–6.5. Blocky crystals with flat cleavage faces. Mindat
1 site
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
No individual minerals are listed in these records.
Commodities
Silica 5Semiprecious Gemstone 2Slate 1Dimension 1Quartz 1Corundum 1Feldspar 1Gemstone 1Granite 1Sites
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hole In the Ground | Slate, Dimension | — | Past Producer | 47.222, -117.630 |
| Colton | Quartz | — | Occurrence | 46.623, -117.070 |
| Ladow Butte | Silica | — | Occurrence | 46.990, -117.058 |
| Kamiak Butte | Silica | — | Occurrence | 46.862, -117.159 |
| Ringo Hills | Silica | — | Occurrence | 46.873, -117.053 |
| Stratton Butte | Silica | — | Occurrence | 47.056, -117.053 |
| Bald Butte | Corundum | — | Occurrence | 46.616, -117.079 |
| Whelan | Semiprecious Gemstone | — | Past Producer | 46.768, -117.051 |
| Bald Butte | Feldspar | — | Occurrence | 46.632, -117.101 |
| Ringo | Gemstone | — | Occurrence | 46.872, -117.070 |
| Moses | Semiprecious Gemstone | — | Prospect | 46.433, -117.207 |
| Granite Point Quarry | Granite | — | Past Producer | 46.610, -117.362 |
| Steptoe Butte | Silica | — | Occurrence | 47.035, -117.298 |
Nearby counties
Garfield County · Columbia County · Asotin County · Spokane County · Lincoln 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