Rockhounding

Six stages of mineralization in the mines have produced unique and beautiful rocks including barite-pyrite, vanadinite, wulfenite, rosasite, hemimorphite, dioptase and obsidian.

The most legendary rocks are the Apache Tears, the obsidian nodules that exist at the flank of the PicketPost Mountain. The unsubstantiated legend is that Apache Warriors, rather than being captured by U.S. Cavalry, leapt with their horses to their death off of PicketPost Mountain. Their wives and girlfriends went to the site and cried. Their tears turned into the black, sparkling mineral known as Apache Tears. Visitors can purchase their own apache tears in local gem shops.

There are five known sites for rockhounding and multiple “gem trails” in the Copper Corridor area. The five identified are:

The Magma Mine: A private mine that yielded Barite-pyrite in the 1970’s, the specimens are now found in private collections and gem shops. This mine cannot be visited by rockhounders without special permission from Resolution Copper Company.

The Apache Mine: No private collecting can occur here but past efforts yielded Vanadinite and some can still occasionally be found nearby.

The Seventy-nine Mine: Another private mine founded in 1879, Seventy-nine mine is one of finest specimen mines in the Southwest. Wulfenite, rosasite, hemimorphite and others are found in the local shops as a result of efforts by a local miner.

Mammoth-St. Anthony Mine: Known as the Tiger Mine, offers specimens of wulfenite, dioptase, cerussite, malachite. Once or twice year local gem clubs are allowed to pick up samples from this private mine.

Superior Mine: There is a private perlite mine that produces obsidian, known as Apache Tears. See above.

“Gem Trails of Arizona”, a book by James Mitchell, identifies another six areas for rock hounding and gem hunting. He identifies Hayden Wulfenite, Dudleyville Minerals, Winkelman Fossils, Copper Country, and Globe Onyx. The book can be found in the local section of most Arizona book stores. (Get it at AMAZON)

Click HERE to view more about Gem Trails.