The love for rocks, minerals, fossils, and precious stones has made rockhounding a popular hobby in New England. A locations listing here is not a guarantee of accuracy. There is a program every month consisting of a speaker that teaches members about the different characteristics of minerals and gems. It was a little tricky finding the entrance to the trail- we felt like we were trespassing on government property! Through quite a bit of research and cross-referencing of available literature, I have compiled this list of some prospective locations in Maine which I would recommend to people looking to do some rockhounding. I collect just about anything that has color and a crystal shape to it, said Laurier Larry Turcotte, assistant treasurer for membership of the Maine Mineralogical and Geological Society. Follow Deer Hill Road 2.2 miles to the Deer Hill Mineral Site trailhead. Get extra lift from AOPA. Apatite is strictly on a mt. Oxford County Mineral and Gem Society awards scholarships when the funds allow, which provides the youth the opportunity to get into mineralogical and geology careers without the financial burden. The foremost of these is a sturdy hammer for breaking loose and trimming specimens. Concentrating on granite pegmatite collecting, we also have a few . The Maine Mineralogical and Geological Society feature a free youth program with a family membership to the club. Permits arevalid for 1 day at one mineral collecting site. Supposedly the secret is to observe the environment. 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. The purpose of the club or association is to bring people together that share interests in geology and mineralogy in hopes that through the exchange of info and various specimens, everyone involved can benefit in some way. Go left onto the Conant Trail and follow the trail for 0.3 miles to the Lord Hill summit. United States. Please read and comply with the conditions stated on the permit. The collecting area on Deer Hill is located on the southeast side of the hill where you can dig through glacial sediments under the surficial deposits. Before we dig really deep, lets take a peek at some of the prime rock-hounding locations in Maine. Near Albany, Maine, the Bumpus Quarry contains milky, rose, and smoky quartz crystals. Though there are many locations listed here, this list is far from exhaustive. would you know where I could find info on hunting up on the mountain? And a helmet should be worn if youre searching near a rock wall where small rocks could tumble down from overhead. Maine's surface geology is full of high-quality pegmatites. United States government. You dont have to worry about tripping or falling.. Thats especially true of granite pegmatites, the kind found in Oxford and Androscoggin counties and a few other locations in Maine. 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 came here for a nice little hike in nature. 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. Other locations are open but at a fee, and some are only open to specific clubs. Turn right onto Greenwood Road and drive north west 5.30 miles. The trail is a gradual uphill climb to the intersection with the Conant Trail. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. The little town of Paris, in Oxford County, Maine, is an excellent intersection between a few different rockhounding sites. Chalcedony, jasper, prehnite, bornite, gold, galena, epidote, beryl, muscovite, garnet, scheelite, hornblende, and various other mineral specimens can be found throughout Maine. In Maine, they are typically made up of desirable crystals like feldspars, garnet, quartz, and various species of tourmaline. Maine news, sports, politics, election results, and obituaries. amzn_assoc_region = "US"; The more common minerals found are varieties of feldspar, quartz, topaz, phenakite, and garnet. When youre digging in the dirt, cracking open rocks and all the sudden you find a beautiful crystal it makes your day. These quarries and mines are prime targets for rockhounds looking to find high-quality specimens of desirable rocks and minerals because relatively fresh material has been exposed and the area has already been proven to be productive. Quartz, Feldspar, Beryl, Mica, Tourmaline. If you wear glasses these are very good for keeping your lenses clean, too. Here, rockhounds might find beryl, almandine garnets, quartz, Microline, muscovite, biotite, and fluorapatite. \1X*eJ9FarKD-uA .:P|q3=dF" `. )$k6)F$i0 6Y/kt*#}PH@X'}? b\Yl6q Heres hoping you have fun and find something nice. The gymnasium is full of specimens dealers have for sale and displays to enjoy. The team has been learning everything there is to know about how to identify the best locations to prospect for gold throughout Maine for close to a half a century. The Norway Historical Society also has a fine display of local minerals. The number of potential collecting sites here makes it an excellent location for those interested not only in rocks, but also minerals that can be found within them! Each of these states has distinguishing geology that will be of interest to . I enjoy collecting and tumbling rocks with my daughter and traveling the world with my wife seeing geologic wonders. We came for the rock hunting. 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. To break apart large rocks, rockhounds will sometimes use sledgehammers. Mosquito coils and matches are necessary, and we suggest having a minimum of 7 with you at all times. Gradual uphill grad , easy to negotiate, wide path. Rockhounds can find feldspar, tourmaline, garnet, quartz, topaz, jasper, rubies, pearls, gold, opal, aquamarine, and many other high-quality pieces. Search for minerals in these rock fragments or in the walls of the mine. These pegmatites are essentially volcanic intrusions with unusually large crystals and they make for the perfect source rock for collectors. Many of the best minerals in Maine are found in an igneous rock called "pegmatite", which is a very coarse-grained granite. If you are coming to get rich forget it. Great hike. Its a good idea to try and find rockhounding clubs and societies in any area youre interested in hounding. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. 3. Can you recommend the best beaches or places for rock collecting? 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. This is because of the variety of minerals, crystals, and gemstones. Apatite Reviews: 4.5/5. Additional information on finding and identifying mineral specimens can be obtained from libraries, "rock shops," and the references listed below. You can also sometimes find interesting rocks like jasper and agates in the gravels of some public beaches. and is literally illegal along some parts of the Maine coast. Collectors interested in access to Maine mineral collecting sites should contact one of the, 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. The clubs monthly meetings are held on the third Friday of every month, and visitors are not only welcome but encouraged to stop in. The Maine Mineralogical and Geological Society, for example, will be organizing about 15 field trips for rockhounding this year, including an overnight trip to seek fluorescent minerals with lights. Pegmatites are also source rock for rare minerals (for example eosphorite, phenakite, hydroxyl-herderite) and micromount specimens. The big thing about being a member of a rock club is you can get into places [to rockhound] that you cant get into as an individual, Hoffelder said. Be safe, never go underground, and make sure to get permission from the landowner to search for and collect specimens. Its not a hike. To find them, all you have to do is dig and perhaps use a hammer and chisel. Hounds can find high-quality items, including (not limited to) biotite, limonite, malachite, wulfenite, anglesite, bornite, calcite, cerussite, epidote, hematite, quartz, and smithsonite. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. For a fee, rockhounds can explore and collect specimens at the Poland Mining Camps. Sunscreen is essential even in the outdoors. I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you. We are here for any questions or concerns that might arise about your adventures in mineral collecting. For collectors who want to go home with a prepared souvenir, Creaser Jewelers in South Paris, Maine, is a must-stop destination of the Maine mining scene, specializing in jewelry made from locally mined gems. If youre not interested in those minerals, no worries. quarries are among a small number of mineral collecting sites in Maine that offer a combination of good public access and the possibility of finding many different minerals. He has been a flight instructor since 1990 and is a 35-year AOPA member. The best places to rockhound in Maine are in old quarries and mines in the southwestern part of the state, particularly sites like Deer Hill, Lord Hill, Tamminen and Waisanen quarries, Mount Apatite, and Pingree Ledge quarry. connected to the .gov website. 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. Apatite (Auburn) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go, View all hotels near Mt. More Contacts, Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry, Introduction to Mineral Collecting in Maine, Maine Geology at the Smithsonian Institution. For additional reading, Id highly recommend these books you can find on Amazon: Please remember that rock collecting locations are constantly changing. You can wash them off too. However, some sites were closed off due to intense activity and other reasons. Many sites that used to be popular with rockhounds are now closed, including the sites listed here. They feel as though learning how to correctly identify the locations that are best for gold panning is a matter of knowing what to look for before you waste time digging and experience. Also has bike trails. Its like my wife said: the kids are a lot closer to the ground, so a lot of the time, they will find better stuff than the adults.. And chisels are useful for more delicate work, such as carving gems out of surrounding rock. 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. The largest is the Maine Mineralogical and Geological Society, which currently has nearly 500 members. But you will have a good time. The book Rockhounding in New England: A Guide to 100 of the Regions Best Rockhounding Sites by Peter Cristofono is a great resource, with the most recent edition released in 2020. Maybe Ill see you at breakfast. BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES TRI-CITIES REAL ESTATE. 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. <> Master Faceter, Avid Rock Hound, World Traveler, Tamminen, Pingree Ledge, and Waisanen Quarries. Not hard for younger children. 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. Notable minerals and rocks in Maine Gemstones and minerals are found abundantly in Maine. These special types of hammers often available at local hardware stores are designed for working with rock. 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! Turn left on to Foxboro Road staying right for 2.1 mi. Rare minerals have been found at Lord Hill including Triplite, Uraninite, Vivianite, Zircon, Gahnite, Fluorapatite, Bertrandite. At the junction with Horseshoe Pond Road (right) continue straight on the Mine Road approximately 0.5 mi.
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