Mining news, prospecting tips, Colorado geology, and specimen finds from the Rocky Mountain Mining team.
A practical cheat sheet for hunting amazonite along the US 24 / Lake George / Florissant corridor — where to go, what to look for, how to stay legal, and what to pack for a weekend group hunt.
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The weathered pegmatite pockets of Devil's Head in the Rampart Range have produced some of Colorado's finest topaz crystals since the 1890s. Learn the geology, field ID, access rules, and how to hunt gem crystals in Pikes Peak granite.
Colorado's state gemstone forms in rare open cavities within the 29.6-million-year-old Mount Antero Granite. Learn to read the pegmatites, identify aquamarine, understand claims and access, and plan safely above 13,000 feet.
Colorado's classic fluorite districts formed in four different geologic settings. Learn to identify fluorite, read the vein textures at Jamestown, Northgate/Crystal, Browns Canyon, and Wagon Wheel Gap, and verify access before collecting.
Amazonite, smoky quartz, and aquamarine — the three specimens that define Colorado's mineral heritage. Here's the geological story behind them, where to see them, and how to legally collect the classics from Pikes Peak Batholith and Mount Antero.
You can legally pan and sample in Colorado without a claim or permit — as long as you understand where the Casual Use lines are. Here's the pre-trip and on-site checklist covering 43 CFR 3809, 36 CFR 228, and how to verify claim status before every trip.
The Michigan Creek, Jefferson Creek, and French Creek drainages in northwest Park County are historic placer ground with real gold — and almost every productive segment is heavily claimed. Here's the practical 2026 playbook for prospecting the Jefferson area legally.
A practical, step-by-step roadmap for new hobby miners in Colorado. Covers which mineral clubs to join, the mapping apps (onX, MyLandMatters, BLM LR2000) that keep you off active claims, the starter gear list under $250, and how to plan your first legal field trip.
The Crystal Peak district produces the world's best amazonite-smoky quartz combinations — and most of it sits on active mining claims you can't just walk onto. Here's the practical, do-this-not-that 2026 guide to legally collecting in the district through Colorado mineral clubs, Pinnacle 5 visits, and fee operations.
A 210-person town just bought 217 historic mining claims totaling 553 acres on Republican Mountain. Here's how Silver Plume pulled off two multi-million-dollar conservation deals in four years, and why it's a working model for retiring mining claims across Colorado.
Colorado produces beautiful fluorite specimens from multiple localities. Here are the best spots and collecting tips.
Everything you need to plan a productive summer of prospecting in Colorado, from snowmelt timing to gear and safety.
The Pikes Peak Batholith produces some of the world's best amazonite, smoky quartz, and topaz — but most of the productive ground is heavily claimed or private. Here's the geology, what you might actually find, and the honest path to a legal, responsible first trip.
The San Juans are Colorado's most rugged and mineral-rich mountain range. We trace the mining history from Silverton to Telluride.
A detailed walkthrough of the federal mining claim filing process, from identifying open land to recording your location notice.
Once a failing silver mine, Sweet Home became one of the most famous specimen localities in the world. Here's the full Alma district story, the Alma King, why rhodochrosite is Colorado's state mineral, and the honest truth about visiting and collecting today.
The Pikes Peak batholith produces some of the world's finest amazonite crystals. Learn where to look and what to collect.
From gold pans to metal detectors, here's the gear you need for productive prospecting in Colorado's high country.
The story of Leadville's silver strike, the rise and fall of Horace Tabor, and what the district looks like today for prospectors.
Cripple Creek's gold doesn't look like gold. Locked into telluride minerals like calaverite and sylvanite, it fooled prospectors for years until assayers figured out what they were looking at. Here's the geology and the chemistry behind one of Colorado's strangest ore systems.
Bucket-line dredges reshaped the Middle Fork of the South Platte for nearly a century, leaving piles of tailings that still hold gold today. Here's how to read those piles, find pay streaks, and stay legal at Fairplay's gold panning park.
Bob Womack's 1890 gold strike at Poverty Gulch launched Colorado's last great gold rush in a place nobody expected: a volcanic caldera. From gold-telluride ores to Newmont's modern operation.
The Crystal Peak district near Lake George has produced some of the world's finest amazonite and smoky quartz specimens for over a century.
Understanding the three levels of BLM mining operations in Colorado is essential before you break ground.
Lake George sits at the epicenter of some of the most productive pegmatite mineral collecting in North America.
Everything you need to know about lode claims, placer claims, BLM filings, and annual maintenance fees.
Colorado rhodochrosite from the Sweet Home Mine is among the most prized mineral specimens in the world.
The Pikes Peak Gold Rush transformed Colorado from wilderness to statehood.
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