Its hot in Maine in May, and there are a lot of bugs, so do take precautions, take plenty of water, and follow these rules: A cheap dop-kit or toiletry kit is a great idea. People will always find something to take home, Kroenke said of rockhounding. Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry This site contains affiliate links to products. 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 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. The Poland Spring Resort is nearby, and the Maine coast and classic vacation stops such as L.L. Use this resource as a guide to get you started. Poland Mining Camps has obtained exclusive access for our customers to some of the best mineral collecting available in the State of Maine. DACF Home Bureaus & Programs Maine Geological Survey Explore Maine Geology Mineral Collecting in Maine Mineral Collecting in Maine. I cannot personally attest to the accuracy of the given locations or the quality of the material there. 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. Go left onto the Conant Trail and follow the trail for 0.3 miles to the Lord Hill summit. I would probably start by doing a property records search and getting whatever contact information you can for the landowner. Loring Cove in Perry is another prime location, with the potential to find agates, calcite, malachite, analcime, prehnite, amethyst, bloodstone, chalcedony, and various quartz specimens. Can you recommend the best beaches or places for rock collecting? A trip to collect rocks and see Jasper Beach in Machias Maine. Take the Mine Trail to your right to the abandoned mine. Turn left on to Foxboro Road staying right for 2.1 mi. However, I have compiled a list of resources here so that you may investigate and obtain permission for any locations (found here or elsewhere) for yourself. Photos by Dan Namowitz. Year after year, the specimen seekers show up on schedule toting shovels, screens, or sledgehammers and sharing stories of fabulous finds or strenuous searches of past years. Bring picks and eye protection to chip away at the rock. The love for rocks, minerals, fossils, and precious stones has made rockhounding a popular hobby in New England. 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. 97% of travelers recommend this experience. It is highly advised to put these items in protective zip lock bags to PROTECT from dirt and mud. You can also usually get the landowners name and address by visiting the county records office. Thats especially true of granite pegmatites, the kind found in Oxford and Androscoggin counties and a few other locations in Maine. Joining up with a local rockhounding club for a group trip can often get you access to otherwise off-limits locations like privately owned mines and quarries. For some rockhounds they are too astringent to apply to ones face, but personally I find it very refreshing. The Bibliography is part of the Maps and Publications Search. <>>> 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. Image Credits A few families were using the area to teach science to their youngsters which was great to see (even if they scared off all the tadpoles). Like pilots, mineral collectors love to share their activity and their know-how. Share sensitive information only Permits arevalid for 1 day at one mineral collecting site. Volume 1: Descriptive Mineralogy. For best results, use a shovel and a sifting screen to find amethyst crystals located in the sandy soil. You look forward to the field trips and digging with your friends.. Best Rockhounding Sites (+ Beaches) in Maine & What To Find amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit0"; Maine Rockhounding - Collecting Site for Rare Crystals & Gems Light aircraft arent any better than the airlines for hauling home your rocks and mining tools. Start your free trial today! From the trailhead, follow the yellow blazed hiking trail 0.1 miles to a fork in the trail. There is a program every month consisting of a speaker that teaches members about the different characteristics of minerals and gems. At the Maine Mineral and Gem Museum, which opened in December 2019, you can view some of the states finest gems and mineral specimens, as well the worlds largest collection of moon and Mars meteorites. If done with care, rockhounding can be a great family activity. To find them, all you have to do is dig and perhaps use a hammer and chisel. Those interested in becoming members can visit the societys website for application details. Some of the famous specimens rockhounds commonly find are flint, granite, agates, geodes, bloodstones, slate, graphite, schist, greenstone, quartz, monzonite, limestone, hornfels, and marble. on official, secure websites. 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. Maine has an excellent reputation among "rockhounds" for the variety and quality of mineral specimens found within its borders. 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 . She arises early, rides down to the dining hall in a golf cart, puts the coffee pot on, and makes everyones breakfast to order. I recommend giving Mary Groves a call rather than sending an email. We hope you enjoy your time on our site and come back often because were always adding new dig locations and crystal collecting updates. I would love to come back when I have more time to look for rocks and bring plenty of bug spray. Be prepared to carry out what you carry in. Mt. Most mineral collecting activity takes place in the larger of the 2 quarry pits. You wouldnt want to be breaking laws or trespassing. Please read and comply with the conditions stated on the permit. Heres hoping you have fun and find something nice. Minerals begin as sediment, small chunks of clay, mud and sand. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock I encourage you to check them out if you are curious about the legalities of rock and mineral collecting. Mosquito coils last for hours and will burn away into ash. Not hard for younger children. The little town of Paris, in Oxford County, Maine, is an excellent intersection between a few different rockhounding sites. Real Estate & Homes For Sale - 2401 Homes For Sale | Zillow 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. Bethel Outdoor Adventure and Campground runs a sluice seasonally, as does Dig Maine Gems. Most clubs only charge $20 to $25 a year for families and about $15 for individual memberships. Here, rockhounds might find beryl, almandine garnets, quartz, Microline, muscovite, biotite, and fluorapatite. You dont have to worry about tripping or falling.. There's a ledge that is prefect to lay on and watch the fish and pond ripples. All rights reserved. I will have more information on how to check property ownership status later in this article. 98% of travelers recommend this experience. You can cover biology, ecology, and geology easily in the same park. Apatite on Tripadvisor, View all restaurants near Mt. You just basically find a spot and start looking for rocks. 18 Elkins Lane Lots of mica and different kinds of rock, haven't found any tourmaline yet but I often see people up there with mining gear finding things. 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. ( Notable minerals and rocks in Maine Gemstones and minerals are found abundantly in Maine. LockA locked padlock OCMGA holds a gem show during the second week of July at the Telstar High School gym. The Deer Hill amethyst locality is a pegmatite of granitic composition. 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! Report inappropriate content bonniemaev Bar Harbor, Maine Level Contributor 9,831 posts 8 reviews 17 helpful votes 3. These minerals formed as part of widespread igneous intrusions, and were subsequently exposed by recent glacial activity which stripped away everything above them. Popular specimens that you can find include flint, geodes, granite, agates, bloodstone, graphite, slate, schist, marble, greenstone, quartz monzonite, hornfels, limestone, and others. 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. Agates and other materials suitable for cutting and polishing occur on beaches in this part of the state, including Jasper Beach in Machiasport and Loring Cove in Perry. Albite, Garnet (almandine), Arsenopyrite, Autunite, Beryl (green, pink), Aquamarine, Biotite, Tourmaline (green Elbaite), Fluorapatite, Lepidolite, Pyrite, Quartz, Rhodochrosite, etc. For additional reading, Id highly recommend these books you can find on Amazon: Please remember that rock collecting locations are constantly changing. Rockhounding New England: 7 Gorgeous Locations To Find - Yes Dirt Garnet (almandine), Beryl, Aquamarine, Biotite, Feldspar, Muscovite, Quartz (smoky, milky). 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. MAINE MINERAL & GEM MUSEUM. In Maine, they are typically made up of desirable crystals like feldspars, garnet, quartz, and various species of tourmaline. The Maine Mineralogical & Geological Society (MMGS) is a non-profit organization thats dedicated to all of the cultural and educational aspects of mineralogy, geology, the lapidary arts, and related subjects. Safety gear and protective clothing is also important. For those doing rock collecting for the first time, keep in mind that the location is a hard rock mine. Garnet (almandine), Beryl, Biotite, Fluorapatite, Microcline, Muscovite, Quartz, Schorl. Bean in Freeport are within convenient travel distance from the mining district. Mount Mica, Mount Marie and Mount Apatite are also popular for rockhounding spots in Maine each with their own rules and restrictions. Its not a hike. Driving: From jct. Portland International Jetport, a Class C airspace airport with major airline service, is about an hours drive from the mining district. Those who go to the show can also expect a Grand door prize and second door prizes. It is the responsibility of each rockhound to obtain permission from a landowner to search and/or collect on a piece of property. You get out in the fresh air, he said, and theres something about digging in the dirt that just makes you happy., Aislinn Sarnacki is a Maine outdoors writer and the author of three Maine hiking guidebooks including Family Friendly Hikes in Maine. Find her on Twitter and Facebook @1minhikegirl. But one great thing about rockhounding or field collecting is that it doesnt take a lot of money to start. x\YoV~V,,;@L;4@yeZ&"J I tend to get a little lost in my rock stories, so lets refocus on the question you probably need answered: How does a general aviation pilot get to Maine pegmatite country? This was a last minute trip with my 6 y/o twins. and is literally illegal along some parts of the Maine coast. Meteorites in Maine: Is the sky falling??? Mineral collecting is an inexpensive hobby that can be enjoyed by all age groups, and offers the fringe benefits of outdoor recreation and the opportunity to learn about earth science. Located in Androscoggin County, Maine, the Camps has been serving the interests and enthusiasm of rockhounds of every age and level of experience since the 1960s. Another option is to visit a location thats running a mineral and gem sluice, a device that allows you to sort rocks using a screen in running water. Cell-phone or mobile device charger while you are driving to the locale, or the night before, making sure your devices are fully charged. It was a warm humid day, about 82 degrees. The Kennebec Rocks and Mineral Club is dedicated to rockhounding recreation in its many forms and phases. 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. ( Nice day in the woods. A family membership includes couples or spouses and any children younger than 18 years of age living in the same household. For basic tools, Hoffelder suggests a shovel and two hammers: a geology hammer and a crack hammer. Maine is home to quite a wide variety of rocks and minerals and, as a result, there there is almost no limit to the number of interesting material rockhounds can find here. You might also find mica, albite, columbite, fluorite, fluorapatite, feldspar, and almandine garnets. If you are coming to get rich forget it. The mine area is covered with small pieces of rock. Maine news, sports, politics, election results, and obituaries. to the trailhead. 1 0 obj Clear and milky quartz specimens can be found there, as well as pyrite, arsenopyrite, columbite, graphite, feldspar, garnet, and albite, among various others. Do not use carpenter hammers, Hoffelder said. 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. Turn right onto Greenwood Road and drive north west 5.30 miles. Mostly patridge at the end of my barrel. to the trailhead. Please note that I have not been to these locations. Instead, some of the old quarries are being prospected for valuable gems such as tourmaline, mainly to be made into jewelry.