Remains of the mining activity are still present on site, 71 White Mountain Drive Vintage Fire Truck Sightseeing Tour of Portland Maine, Luxury Catamaran Sailing Charters in Maine, Downtown Portland, Maine City and Lighthouse Tour-2.5 hour Land Tour, Old Port Culinary Walking Tour from Portland, Portland Bicycle Tour with 5 Lighthouse Stops and XL Lobster Roll, The Real Portland Tour: City and 3 Lighthouses Historical Tour with a Real Local, Acadia National Park and Camden Private Day Trip from Portland, Donut Tasting Walking Tour in Portlands Old Port, First Round Draft Brewery Bus Tour in Portland, Oyster Farm & Tasting Sea Kayak Tour in Casco Bay, 2-Hour Portland Hidden Histories Walking Tour. amzn_assoc_search_bar = "false"; Many of the best rockhounding sites in Maine are privately owned. dacf@maine.gov The most commonly found and collected rocks and minerals in Maine are: If youve already found a rock and youre not sure what it is, I would highly recommend checking out my Practical Rock Identification System. Ocean rocks belong to everyone, not just to whoever picks them up first. Open dawn until dusk on most days. Thats especially true of granite pegmatites, the kind found in Oxford and Androscoggin counties and a few other locations in Maine. Its a good idea to try and find rockhounding clubs and societies in any area youre interested in hounding. From Rte. I'm Mike Rhea, and I'm a professional Geologist with a passion for rocks, minerals, and everything related to Geology. There are many benefits to becoming a rock and mineral club member, and the fees are typically affordable. Volume 2: Mining History, Gems, and Geology, Gemstones -- An Overview of Production of Specific U.S. Gemstones, Prospecting for Gold in the United States. Bring picks and eye protection to chip away at the rock. Report inappropriate content bonniemaev Bar Harbor, Maine Level Contributor 9,831 posts 8 reviews 17 helpful votes 3. Dan Namowitz has been writing for AOPA in a variety of capacities since 1991. Plenty of other walkers with dogs on these trails periodically. Some are commercially operated mines and quarries, and gaining permission to collect on any of these properties is, as always, absolutely essential. There's a good mix of activities from dog walking, rock hunting, mountain biking, etc. Crystals are often delicate, and are most desirable if still attached to some of their host rock, so it is advisable to carefully extract them and wrap them in paper for the trip home. Many localities are closed from time to time when they are being mined for specimens. Once you're done collecting your gems and minerals, check out some of the awesome programming Earthdance offers such as arts nights, dance classes and barefoot discos. Rockhounding in Maine: Free Guide, Maps, Locations Here, rockhounds might find beryl, almandine garnets, quartz, Microline, muscovite, biotite, and fluorapatite. Most of Maines gems and rare minerals are found in a coarse-grained variety of granite called pegmatite, according to a Virtual Tour of Maine Minerals created by the Maine Geological Survey. Earthdance is located at 252 Prospect Street, Plainfield, Mass. Albite, Garnet (almandine), Geryl, Biotite, Columbite, Mica, Aquamarine, Chalcopyrite, Schorl, Quartz, Zircon, Elbaite, Thorogummite, etc. This information is essential for gemstone and mineral finds, since provenance is paramount to us and to our clients, and should be for you as well. My interest grewspurred on by some beginners luck in the rock pilesand I benefited from living near enough to camp to make frequent visits. This bundle of information includes a book, videos, and online tools. It still is, around the world, but of course, things in the US get expensive.. website belongs to an official government organization in the Zircon, golden beryl, garnet, autunite, and aquamarine are several other potential finds for rockhounds to unearth. The most commonly found and collected rocks and minerals in New Hampshire are: Amethyst Quartz Apatite Gold Staurolite Topaz Fluorite Tourmaline Jasper Garnet Amethyst If you've already found a rock and you're not sure what it is, I would highly recommend checking out my Practical Rock Identification System. Important Disclaimer: I have not been to these locations myself, and I do not know if they are currently open for collecting. However, if it is geodes youre after, youll have more luck if you explore the quarries in Washington and Hancock counties. Best sites for rock collecting? - Acadia National Park Forum Best locations for rock collecting - Camden Forum - Tripadvisor amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "rockhoundreso-20"; At the junction with Horseshoe Pond Road (right) continue straight on the Mine Road approximately 0.5 mi. Master Faceter, Avid Rock Hound, World Traveler, Tamminen, Pingree Ledge, and Waisanen Quarries. It is, simply put, the most comprehensive and easy-to-understand rock identification system youll find anywhere. \1X*eJ9FarKD-uA .:P|q3=dF" `. )$k6)F$i0 6Y/kt*#}PH@X'}? b\Yl6q Bring the SPF Protection most suitable to how fair or how dark you are. Rockhounding can get very dirty, so bring Wet-naps as they are very handy to clean off your hands quickly. Maine is famous for its gemstone production and the many mineral sites exposed due to glacial withdrawal. United States. Maine is also home to multiple crystals, including various quartz crystals, zircon, sphalerite, and beryl crystal. ) or https:// means you've safely Specimens may become depleted from other collectors, the location may have been built on or altered, locality information in literature may be inaccurate, and property ownership may have changed hands. Some rockhounds aim to find valuable gems such as watermelon tourmaline, while others enjoy finding as many different types of minerals as possible. I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you. Family Owned & Operated Rock, Gem, Jewelry, and Fossil Shop Located in the Heart of Greenville, Maine Sorry, my experience with Mt. We had an awesome time hiking around the park at Mt. 95% of travelers recommend this experience. But one great thing about rockhounding or field collecting is that it doesnt take a lot of money to start. Mt. Apatite (Auburn) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go - Tripadvisor Bear right for 0.4 miles to permit area 1, bear left for 0.4 miles to permit area 2. . Minerals begin as sediment, small chunks of clay, mud and sand. LONDON, UK He was the king of Queen and his crown could be yours for the right price. Other outdoor recreational opportunities abound in the area including camping, hiking, and biking. Additional suggestions are available in the Collector's Guide to Maine Mineral Localities. Document Viewers - including PDF and Word. As well as to the guidance and education of their members and the public who wish to pursue hounding. Finding something of high value is sort of rare, but you will find something to take home, something you absolutely fall in love with.. The Swift River in Byron is one of the principal sources of placer gold. Image Credits American Geode went on a rockhounding (and foodie) tour of Maine in May 2018, and found the quarries very accessible, easy to find, and full of mica. That said before you head out exploring, you should check this list to ensure youre not wasting your precious time. Others such as the Oxford County Mineral and Gem Association, Penobscot Mineral and Lapidary Club and Kennebec Rocks and Minerals Club have fewer members but may be just as active, offering field trips, workshops and rock shows. Instead, some of the old quarries are being prospected for valuable gems such as tourmaline, mainly to be made into jewelry. Fax: (207) 287-2400 Use the Maine Aerial Photographs map to review photo coverage and availability. #GetoutandRockhound, More information and reference about rockhounding sites in Maine: stream If youve read this far, its time to introduce you to a word intimately associated with rockhounding in Maine: pegmatite. Vintage Fire Truck Sightseeing Tour of Portland Maine 317 Recommended Classic Car Tours from $38.00 per adult Luxury Catamaran Sailing Charters in Maine 36 Recommended Sailing from $135.00 per adult LIKELY TO SELL OUT* Downtown Portland, Maine City and Lighthouse Tour-2.5 hour Land Tour 306 Recommended Bus Tours from $62.00 per adult Historic Mining Records (USGS) Oxford has 146 identified mines listed in The Diggings. The most useful tools are sturdy hammers for breaking rocks open, and a small shovel for digging through piles of broken rock on the waste piles of mines and quarries. Garnet (almandine), Beryl, Biotite, Fluorapatite, Microcline, Muscovite, Quartz, Schorl. Light aircraft arent any better than the airlines for hauling home your rocks and mining tools. 68.32 acres lot. The ownership and status of land can and does change frequently, making it impossible to document accurate information for every location on this page. If youre not particularly into hard-rock collecting or digging around in quarries you can also do some beach combing on public beaches. Dudy (pronounced Duddy) Groves died in 2005, but Mary Groves and a committed corps of volunteers are keeping his dream alive. Take the Mine Trail to your right to the abandoned mine. Mount Mica, Mount Marie and Mount Apatite are also popular for rockhounding spots in Maine each with their own rules and restrictions. Local folklore rocks (sorry) with stories about the mines and some of the larger-than-life mining personalities who are actually very down-to-earth people up close, like Maine mining legend Frank Perham. 358 were here. Since their inception in 2007, their sustainability has been largely dependent on their partnerships with local mining . connected to the .gov website. At the time these mines were surveyed, 30 mines in Oxford were observed to have ore mineralization in an outcrop, shallow pit, or isolated drill hole . on official, secure websites. Considering what knowledge and information one can learn to access the precious gems that could lead to hefty payouts, its worth the membership fee. This isa small parking area at a curve in the road. For basic tools, Hoffelder suggests a shovel and two hammers: a geology hammer and a crack hammer. Good luck! A Walk Through Time in Kennebunkport - Celebrating 200+ Years! I thought it was going to be more of a mining operation, but my grandson still had fun breaking rocks and finding keepers. endobj Maybe a lot, maybe nothing. Most of them were commercially worked for mica or feldspar, creating piles of waste rock ("dumps") where collectors search for specimens. The museum is also home to a world-class meteorite collection that includes the five largest pieces of the moon found on earth, the largest known piece of the Vesta asteroid and an igneous rock. Rock clubs offer their own lineup of field trips, often collaborating with nearby clubs. Each year when summer arrives in Maine, enthusiastic parties of rock hunters head into the field to search for gemstones and other geological rarities in the states world-famous mineral collecting localities. amzn_assoc_title = "Here is some of my favorite rockhounding gear from Amazon"; July 17, 2017. These minerals formed as part of widespread igneous intrusions, and were subsequently exposed by recent glacial activity which stripped away everything above them. Document Viewers - including PDF and Word. Its one of the best rockhound locations in the state because of the quarries nearby. Albite, Beryl, Tourmaline (green elbaite), Fluorapatite (blue, purple), Feldspar, Mica, Quartz, Garnet (spessartine), Sphalerite, Spodumene (crystals), etc. Share sensitive information only If youre lucky enough to be in Maine with the intention of doing some rockhounding, Im jealous! They love rocks and our initial reason for the visit was to check out the rock mining but they ended up loving the trails, scenery, and quite honestly, the mica and quartz they were finding on the trail itself. Some of the best areas to go rockhounding in Maine include the old mines and quarries in the southwestern region of the state and the beaches along the Atlantic coast. Maine Gold Prospectors Club is dedicated to helping rockhounds, and gold prospectors learn the ways of gold prospecting. Pingree Ledge Quarry is near Albany and is an excellent place to find milky, smoky, and clear quartz crystals. Maine is, without a doubt, the best state in New England for rock and mineral collectors thanks to the widespread, high-quality pegmatites that make up a large portion of the surface geology. However, some sites were closed off due to intense activity and other reasons. Perham is the storyteller extraordinaireand yes, the mineral perhamite is named in his honor. Why? WHAT ELSE: The first 200 school-age children to enter the museum on Dec. 14, with an adult, get a piece . Starting in the mid-1800s and extending into the 20th century, quarries were opened to mine pegmatite veins in Oxford, Androscoggin and Sagadahoc counties in southwestern Maine. As for the rock hunting we found a lot of mica, some black tourmaline, some matrixed garnet but nothing jewel quality or green tourmaline. Freddie Mercury's 'exquisite clutter' collection for sale ) or https:// means you've safely Rockhounding also known as field collecting or recreational mining is an outdoor activity in which everyday people search for valuable gems, fossils and other mineral treasures buried in the. Please read and comply with the conditions stated on the permit. It is the responsibility of each rockhound to obtain permission from a landowner to search and/or collect on a piece of property. Also saw a few ground critters and several species of birds including a woodpecker. A trip to collect rocks and see Jasper Beach in Machias Maine. FindingRocks.com - Poland Mining Camps - Maine There are several rockhounding clubs in Maine so you can most likely find one you like nearby. Go left onto the Conant Trail and follow the trail for 0.3 miles to the Lord Hill summit. Go to a rock show or visit a major natural history museum anywhere, and you are likely to encounter specimens from the Maine "pegs." Or you could get yourself to Maine and start a collection of your own. 118 for 0.95 mile. I will have more information on how to check property ownership status later in this article. Updated: 9:55 AM EDT April 26, 2023. However, thus far, no dinosaur fossils have been found in Maine yet. Gem-quality specimens are found now and then, but even an opaque tourmaline crystal embedded in transparent quartz, or in a fine-grained lavender pegmatite mica called lepidolite, will look great on your coffee table. (Hint: Summer Saturdays are usually lobster night.). The museum also offers information about rockhounding in the area, including directions to rockhounding sites that are open to the general public. Some of the famous specimens rockhounds commonly find are flint, granite, agates, geodes, bloodstones, slate, graphite, schist, greenstone, quartz, monzonite, limestone, hornfels, and marble. Apatite is strictly on a mt. Hundreds of people explore the state each year in search of crystals, semiprecious gems, gold, and other minerals. If you wear glasses these are very good for keeping your lenses clean, too. amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual";