rock collecting in maine
Rockhound Sites in Maine, Tulip City Gem & Mineral Club presents their 49th Annual Show: Agates are Superior! in Holland, Michigan. Gloves and safety glasses are recommended, along with chisels, small shovels, and any additional tools that may come in handy. Maine Geological Survey: Mineral Collecting - Frequently Asked Questions The "hike" up is an access road and is easy. Its also possible to arrange to tag along on a day trip if you only expect to be in the area for a short time. For those who cannot attend in-person meetings, the club holds e-board meetings. Gardening forks and trowels can come in handy. The Deer Hill amethyst locality is a pegmatite of granitic composition. Gemstone hunting in Maine - AOPA Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. The Bibliography is part of the. 38 minutes ago. . Beware; on hot weekends there are lots of teenagers drinking and cliff jumping so going with small children might be best on weekday mornings. Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association Find it free on the store. Important Disclaimer: I have not been to these locations myself, and I do not know if they are currently open for collecting. Near Albany, Maine, the Bumpus Quarry contains milky, rose, and smoky quartz crystals. You can also read through my free rock identification guide and mineral identification guide which are filled with useful information and tools. The Lord Hill mine is an open depression in the top of the hill. Maine is also home to multiple crystals, including various quartz crystals, zircon, sphalerite, and beryl crystal. Permits can be obtained at the mineral collecting site. The walk is uphill and has stray rocks in the path so be careful if walking is difficult for you. Even if you are on land that is generally open for public use there may be privately owned mining claims inside those boundaries and youll need to get permission to collect on that location. Seasoned rock hounds always have their favorite tools and things they carry, Kroenke said. Gems, Minerals & Fossils in New England - RareGoldNuggets.com Start your free trial today! I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you. An official website of the (Hint: Summer Saturdays are usually lobster night.). Albite, Garnet (almandine), Beryl (green, golden), Mica, Columbite, Fluorapatite (clear, green, purple), Fluorite, Feldspar, Quartz crystals (clear, milky, smoky), Schorl, etc. However, thus far, no dinosaur fossils have been found in Maine yet. List of Rocks, Minerals, and Gemstones Found in Maine What a little gem in Auburn, nice little hike to do with kids. This club is interested in teaching anyone, from the weekend hobbyist to novices up to professionals who know a thing or two. website belongs to an official government organization in the Nka Blue Grade Rd, East Wenatchee, WA 98802. Volume 2: Mining History, Gems, and Geology. Albite, Garnet (almandine), Autunite, Beryl, Mica, Columbite, Fluorapatite, Feldspar, Pyrite, Pyrrhotite, Quartz (milky, smoky), Sphalerite, Zircon, etc. Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry, Dig Me. Micros are a great way to participate if you live in a tiny city apartment but cant resist collecting rocks. Bibliography of Maine Geology - For those interested in more in-depth research, the Bibliography of Maine Geology contains more than 12,000 references related to Maine geology. While the classic association is with a golden-brown gemstone, modern methods have made blue the "default" color. White Mountain National Forest - Lord Hill Mineral Collecting Area Beaches along the Atlantic coast are also popular for collecting jasper and agates. The term pegmatite simply means the individual mineral grains are relatively large; upwards of 3-5 cm.,where asin granite the average individual grain size is much smaller. The clubs monthly meetings are held on the third Friday of every month, and visitors are not only welcome but encouraged to stop in. From the South: From Maine Route 5 in Lovell, Maine turn west onto West Lovell Road and cross the narrows at Kezar Lake continuing to the right for approximately 2.75 mi. These mineral collecting areas are relatively easy to access and offer a wide variety of rocks and minerals including albite, tourmaline, amethyst, feldspar, and quartz. website belongs to an official government organization in the Rockhounding Maine | Gator Girl Rocks Small quarry at top offers ponds and many turtles and frogs. endobj Poland Mining Camps (207-998-2350) is open by reservation for cabin-style lodging from early June through Labor Day in 2019. Volume 1: Descriptive Mineralogy. Albite, Garnet (almandine), Autunite, Beryl (golden), Aquamarine, Mica, Columbite, Fluorapatite, Feldspar, Quartz (milky, rose, smoky), Schorl, Zircon, etc. There are so many trails to take and I wasn't familiar with any of them. Youre usually under cover if its a hot day, splashing in the water. All rights reserved. Albite, Beryl, Tourmaline (green elbaite), Fluorapatite (blue, purple), Feldspar, Mica, Quartz, Garnet (spessartine), Sphalerite, Spodumene (crystals), etc. My interest grewspurred on by some beginners luck in the rock pilesand I benefited from living near enough to camp to make frequent visits. Some are commercially operated mines and quarries, and gaining permission to collect on any of these properties is, as always, absolutely essential. The book includes more than 30 locations in Maine, including the Harvard, Waisanen and Tamminen quarries in Greenwood. amzn_assoc_region = "US"; It is accessible from either the north or south by hiking trails. Guided mineral collecting tours to multiple sites are available through the following. The Greenlaw dumps are also the most favorable area in which to find traces of green and blue-green tourmaline (Figure 3), though collectors have already gathered up most of the obvious pieces. Its a good idea to try and find rockhounding clubs and societies in any area youre interested in hounding. In Maine, they are typically made up of desirable crystals like feldspars, garnet, quartz, and various species of tourmaline. Sunscreen is essential even in the outdoors. Anglesite, Bornite, Calcite, Cerussite, Chalcopyrite, Dolomite, Epidote, Galena, Goethite, Hematite, Limonite, Malachite, Pyrite, Quartz, Smithsonite, Wulfenite, etc. We had an awesome time hiking around the park at Mt. Club members go on field trips to mineral sites to study and collect specimens. ) or https:// means you've safely Use the Maine Aerial Photographs map to review photo coverage and availability. I started showing up at camp, as the regulars know Poland Mining Camps, 20 years ago as a rookie mineral collector who didnt know a garnet from a gahnite or an elbaite from an albite. Above all, private property should be respected, and the owner's permission should be obtained where possible before entering a collecting site. Re: Best locations for rock . Image Credits It was a warm humid day, about 82 degrees. Copyright 2021 $239,900. Over 50 different minerals have been found at Lord Hill. Rockhounding in Maine, is some great rockhounding, in fact some of the best rockhounding the American Geode team has ever experienced because of the ease and accessibility of the Maine mines! Some are open to the public for collecting at select times of the week, often on weekends. But, it's a super fun way to explore. People will always find something to take home, Kroenke said of rockhounding. The club also wants to maintain the common interest through social meetings and open discussions. Driving: From jct. Like pilots, mineral collectors love to share their activity and their know-how. These are mostly comprised of beaches, outcrops, old mining prospects, washes, streams, and historically known rock and mineral collecting sites. Ores of lead, zinc, copper, and other metals can be collected from small abandoned mines in several areas of Maine, particularly the coastal region between Penobscot Bay and Eastport. A pegmatite outcrop or a pegmatite exposed by prospecting or mining can be the source of some of the most eye-catching gemstones and other rare specimens in the mineralogical world. I have tried to take care not to list locations within National Park boundaries since collecting is illegal there, but please remember that it is up to you to make sure you have permission to collect wherever you are. American Geode followed the attached map, and found access to two of the mines, the ones off of Richardson Hollow Road, the Waisanen and Tamminen Quarrie If youve read this far, its time to introduce you to a word intimately associated with rockhounding in Maine: pegmatite. For those doing rock collecting for the first time, keep in mind that the location is a hard rock mine. Like pilots, mineral collectors love to share their activity and their know-how. Be prepared to carry out what you carry in. Garnet (almandine), Beryl, Biotite, Fluorapatite, Microcline, Muscovite, Quartz, Schorl. Turn left on to Foxboro Road staying right for 2.1 mi. Go left onto the Conant Trail and follow the trail for 0.3 miles to the Lord Hill summit. There are various gemstones in Maines old mines and quarries, including tourmaline, quartz, opals, rubies, aquamarine, amethyst, and topaz. Legal Aspects of Rock, Mineral, and Fossil Collecting Permits arevalid for 1 day at one mineral collecting site. We suggest setting aside the day for rockhounding and exploring the area. Go in at the ball field and national guard station off Garfield Rd. Nowadays, feldspar and mica are no longer mined in Maine. Whether youre interested in mining or detecting, theres something for everyone. The Deer Hill location has produced a large amount of amethyst (purple quartz) along with many other minerals, including feldspars of many varieties, beryl, garnet, columbite, pyrite, and muscovite. Albite, Garnet (almandine), Beryl, Biotite, Columbite, Tourmaline (green elbaite), Fluorapatite, Quartz crystals, Schorl, Andalusite, Arsenopyrite, Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Goethite, Gold, Pyrite, Pyrrhotite, Quartz, Silver, Sphalerite. Summerville, Georgia Agate Rockhounding Trip 2021, Gardening Benefit for Cabochon and Rock Tumbling Rockhounds, Field Trip to Union Chapel Mine/Steven C. Minkin Paleozoic Footprint Site Fossil Location. connected to the .gov website. of Rtes. A new museum in Bethel features varied treasure - from Maine to the Park your vehicle then hike up the Mine Road approximately 1.0 mi. The more common minerals found are varieties of feldspar, quartz, topaz, phenakite, and garnet. Theyre not made of strong enough metal and people have been hurt from metal chips breaking off the hammer when it hits rock.. Rockhound societies are an excellent way to learn more about rocks, minerals, gemstones, and fossils. Official websites use .gov A .gov The aptly-named Jasper Beach near Bucks Harbor is a great place to find some colorful jasper pebbles, and Loring Cove near Perry is known to turn up agates and other minerals like bloodstone and amethyst. A convenient destination is Auburn/Lewiston Municipal Airport, right on the edge of the collecting zone and about 10 miles from the mining camp, with precision and RNAV instrument approaches.
rock collecting in maine