RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Bald Mountain Thorium-Rare Earth Deposit
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 3 gem or collectible minerals (Quartz, Garnet, Gold) and 5 of our card minerals overall. That ties with 1 other site(s), so we broke the tie by mine status (past producers first), then USGS record quality, then name. USGS lists it as past producer for Titanium, Thorium, REE. Minerals mentioned: Quartz, Garnet, Gold, Feldspar, Magnetite. Approx. location 44.812, -107.799. 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.
Status not recorded.
Explored or test-dug, with no recorded production.
Status terms come from USGS MRDS records.
Mineral cards
Gold
Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat
10 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
6 sites
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
2 sites
Garnet
Mohs 6.5–7.5. Usually deep red, round many-faced crystals. Mindat
1 site
Feldspar
Mohs 6–6.5. Blocky crystals with flat cleavage faces. Mindat
1 site
Magnetite
Mohs 5.5–6.5. Black and strongly magnetic. Mindat
1 site
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
1 site
Silver
Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
1 site
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Gold 5Scheelite 1Wolframite 1Euxenite 1Hematite 1Specularite 1Copper 1Silver 1Monazite 1Commodities
Gold 10REE 2Iron 2Uranium 2Tungsten 1Sulfides 1Niobium (Columbium) 1Tantalum 1Silver 1Talc-Soapstone 1Sites
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Fork, Big Goose Creek Mine | Silver, Gold | Copper, Gold, Silver | Past Producer | 44.572, -107.213 |
| Rainbow Claims | Niobium (Columbium), Tantalum, REE | Euxenite | Occurrence | 44.967, -107.884 |
| Nickel and Copper Refining Co. Occurrence | Gold | Gold | Occurrence | 44.807, -107.466 |
| Madalynna Claim | Gold | Gold | Occurrence | 44.724, -107.410 |
| Gold Standard Placers | Gold | Gold | Past Producer | 44.800, -107.775 |
| Mosaic Claim | Tungsten, Gold, Sulfides | Gold, Scheelite, Wolframite | Occurrence | 44.633, -107.317 |
| Unidentified Occurrence | Iron | Hematite | Occurrence | 44.655, -107.464 |
| Bald Mountain Thorium-Rare Earth Deposit | Titanium, Thorium, REE | Monazite | Past Producer | 44.812, -107.799 |
| Unidentified Prospect | Iron | Specularite | Occurrence | 44.761, -107.543 |
| Mosaic Claim | — | — | Unknown | 44.633, -107.317 |
| Little Falls Claim | Talc-Soapstone | — | Past Producer | 44.579, -106.963 |
| Cooper Claim | Nickel | — | Occurrence | 44.789, -107.488 |
| Big Horn Mountain | Uranium | — | Unknown | 44.798, -107.373 |
| Wilcox-People Prospect | Uranium | — | Prospect | 44.816, -107.812 |
| Mosaic Claim | Vanadium, Gold | — | Past Producer | 44.647, -107.337 |
| Madalynna Claim | Gold | — | Past Producer | 44.729, -107.404 |
| Walkers Mine | Gold, Copper | — | Occurrence | 44.681, -107.373 |
| Grubstake Syndicate | Vermiculite | — | Occurrence | 44.508, -107.367 |
| Nickel and Copper Refining Co | Gold | — | Past Producer | 44.799, -107.474 |
Fossil collections
The Paleobiology Database lists 99 fossil collection records in Sheridan County. These are research records, not public dig sites.
Nearby counties
Big Horn County · Washakie County · Johnson County · Hot Springs County · Campbell County
Wyoming mineral guides
- Tourmaline in Wyoming
- Quartz in Wyoming
- Garnet in Wyoming
- Gold in Wyoming
- Mica in Wyoming
- Feldspar in Wyoming
Back to all Wyoming 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