RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Copper Mining Co.
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 4 gem or collectible minerals (Tourmaline, Quartz, Gold, Silver) and 8 of our card minerals overall. No other named site here scores as high on both counts. USGS lists it as past producer for Copper. Minerals mentioned: Tourmaline, Quartz, Gold, Mica, Pyrite, Copper, Silver, Scheelite. Approx. location 46.769, -121.350. 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?
Explored or test-dug, with no recorded production.
The mineral was noted here, without development.
Produced ore or material at some point in the past.
Was producing when the record was made.
Status not recorded.
Status terms come from USGS MRDS records.
Mineral cards
Silver
Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
51 sites
Gold
Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat
47 sites
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
39 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
10 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
6 sites
Galena
Mohs 2.5–2.75. Heavy, silvery lead ore that breaks into cubes. Mindat
4 sites
Scheelite
Mohs 4.5–5. Tungsten mineral that glows blue-white under shortwave UV. Mindat
4 sites
Tourmaline
Mohs 7–7.5. Long striated crystals, often black (schorl) or green and pink (elbaite). Mindat
1 site
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Pyrite 8Chalcopyrite 7Galena 4Molybdenite 3Sphalerite 3Bornite 3Cinnabar 3Scheelite 3Malachite 2Chalcocite 2Tetrahedrite 1Metacinnabar 1Commodities
Gold 32Copper 23Silver 19Mercury 7Tungsten 6Bentonite 6Zinc 5Silica 5Diatomite 4Molybdenum 4Sites (first 40)
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackjack Group | Zinc | Bornite, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Hematite, Pyrite, Sphalerite | Occurrence | 46.739, -121.366 |
| Richmond | Lead | Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Malachite, Pyrite, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Occurrence | 46.839, -121.228 |
| Copper Mining Co. | Copper | Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Malachite, Molybdenite, Pyrite, Scheelite | Past Producer | 46.769, -121.350 |
| Mesatchee Creek Prospects | Copper | Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Pyrite | Occurrence | 46.879, -121.415 |
| Chinook | Copper, Silver, Gold | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Molybdenite, Pyrite, Sphalerite | Occurrence | 46.888, -121.500 |
| Keystone | Gold, Silver, Copper | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Scheelite, Wolframite | Occurrence | 46.835, -121.289 |
| Red Bird | Tungsten | Chalcopyrite, Molybdenite, Pyrite, Scheelite | Occurrence | 46.794, -121.357 |
| Clear Lake | Mercury | Cinnabar | Occurrence | 46.635, -121.271 |
| Wildcat Creek | Mercury | Cinnabar, Metacinnabar, Pyrite | Occurrence | 46.677, -121.207 |
| Indian Creek Cinnabar Property | Mercury | Cinnabar, Pyrite | Occurrence | 46.694, -121.290 |
| Quicksilver, Cinnabar, Quartz Lode | Mercury | — | Occurrence | 46.642, -121.192 |
| Fig | Manganese | — | Past Producer | 46.681, -121.243 |
| Morse Creek | Silver, Gold | — | Occurrence | 46.908, -121.483 |
| Chinook | Copper, Gold, Silver | — | Occurrence | 46.888, -121.500 |
| Red Bird | Tungsten, Copper | — | Occurrence | 46.794, -121.357 |
| New Find | Silver, Tungsten, Copper, Gold | — | Occurrence | 46.769, -121.352 |
| Bird | — | — | Past Producer | 46.792, -121.363 |
| Unnamed Prospect | Gold | — | Prospect | 46.847, -121.380 |
| Top Snipes Mountain | Silica | — | Prospect | 46.315, -120.103 |
| K.B. Group | Gold | — | Prospect | 46.895, -121.416 |
| B & M Group | Gold | — | Prospect | 46.740, -121.363 |
| Crown Point | Gold | — | Prospect | 46.923, -121.458 |
| Unnamed Prospect | Silver | — | Occurrence | 46.814, -121.278 |
| B.F.W. | Silver | — | Prospect | 46.694, -121.202 |
| Unnamed Prospect | Copper | — | Prospect | 46.783, -121.368 |
| Frederick | Silver | — | Prospect | 46.820, -121.289 |
| Keystone Claims | Silver | — | Past Producer | 46.836, -121.289 |
| Highland | Gold | — | Occurrence | 46.914, -121.474 |
| Gleed | Diatomite | — | Occurrence | 46.658, -120.583 |
| Chinook | Copper | — | Past Producer | 46.889, -121.499 |
| Rocket Group | Mercury | — | Prospect | 46.674, -121.204 |
| Snipes Mountain | Silica | — | Occurrence | 46.325, -120.157 |
| Nicolai Spring | Geothermal | — | Prospect | 46.443, -119.933 |
| Mount Adams Fumarole | Potassium | — | Prospect | 46.202, -121.491 |
| Tieton No. 1 | Bentonite | — | Prospect | 46.630, -121.130 |
| Unnamed Prospect | Uranium | — | Prospect | 46.870, -121.291 |
| Richmond Mine | Zinc | — | Prospect | 46.835, -121.219 |
| Bumping Lake Mineral Spring | Calcium | — | Producer | 46.812, -121.307 |
| Lynnwood | Gold | — | Prospect | 46.822, -121.287 |
| Butler | Silver | — | Prospect | 46.742, -121.388 |
Fossil collections
The Paleobiology Database lists 9 fossil collection records in Yakima County. These are research records, not public dig sites.
Nearby counties
Pierce County · Kittitas County · Lewis County · Skamania County · King 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