Vermont Minerals -
Rocks and Gems - Gold
ROCKHOUNDING IN VERMONT The Vermont Agency of Development and Community Affairsgratefully acknowledges the efforts of Mrs. William
Schedule of the Burlington Gem and Mineral Club and Dr. Charles Doll in
the preparation of this material for distribution to Vermont
visitors.
VERMONT OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE ROCKHOUND AND FOSSIL
COLLECTOR Vermont presents an interesting challenge to amateur rock and fossil collectors.
While most people — even Vermonters — don't consider Vermont THE place to go to collect
mineral specimens or fossils, there is a challenging wealth of material to be found in this small state. Certainly many of us have heard of Barre granite, Danby marble (of which the
Jefferson Memorial in Washington DC was constructed), and the Fair Haven and Poultney area slates. Talc and asbestos were mined until recently, and until 1958, copper was being
mined
commercially at the Elizabeth Mine in South Strafford.
You're probably familiar with the famous California Gold Rush, but how many know
that one occurred in Vermont? Plymouth (VT) farmers discovered placer gold in Broad Brook
and for a time gave up their farming to pan for gold. Canny Yankees that they were, they
soon calculated that they weren't really earning more money than they had from farming, and
the Vermont Gold Rush was over. Gold can still be panned from Broad Brook today. In fact,
many other Vermont streams offer the energetic collector a chance to find some placer gold as a
return for a hard day's work. The locations include: Rock River in Newfane and Dover; Williams
River in Ludlow; Ottauquechee River in Bridgewater; White River in Stockbridge and
Rochester; Third Branch of the White River in Braintree; Mad River in Warren, Waitsfield and
Moretown; Shady Rill Brook in Wrightsville; Minister Brook in Worcester; Little River in Stowe
and Waterbury; Gold Brook in Stowe; Lamoille River in Johnson; Gihon River in Eden; and
the Missisquoi River in Lowell and Troy.The geological history of the state has been so varied that it is possible to find undistortedOrdovician Era fossils in sedimentary limestones and shales, metamorphic minerals such
as garnet, serpentine, actinolite, chrysolite asbestos, kyanite and sillimanite, and igneous rocks
and minerals such as granite (including “prune” granite), bornite, beryl, hematite, chalcopyrite,native gold and pyrrhotite. While no spectacular pegmatites, such as occur in the
White-Mountains, have been found in Vermont, an impressive array of minerals and good
cutting material to interest the lapidary certainly are
available. We hope this pamphlet makes it easier for the typical amateur
rock-hound vacationing in Vermont, or the young collector interested in acquiring a representative collection of
the minerals of their state to have the pleasure of collecting their own specimens. There are
no-doubt many more potential sites than are listed in this pamphlet.
The hardier collector should have no problem finding additional
sites. It is appropriate here to voice several strong cautions about the importance of
every collector being a responsible citizen. Please be a conservationist as well as a collector.
Don't damage private property or mine and
quarry equipment. Please ask permission to collect at a mine or on private property. You will
usually get this permission, provided the last collector there didn't wear out his welcome. Please
don't leave trash behind, and remember to observe all safety rules. In short, be a responsible
collector and help make it possible for others to share the same privileges you have
enjoyed. There is no better way to start out rock collecting in a new area than to visit
local museums or mineral exhibits which offer some displays and background materials on
the geological history, minerals and fossils of the area. In Vermont, you will do well to visit some
of the following: University of Vermont Geology Museum, Perkins Hall, Burlington, VT ; (802) 656-8694; general collection, special exhibits of Vermont fossils, minerals and
rocks.! Fairbanks Museum, St. Johnsbury , VT; (802) 748-2372; natural history museum that
has collections of minerals and fossils found in Vermont.!
Vermont Marble Company Exhibit, Proctor, VT; (802) 459-3311; displays of the
many uses of marble, examples of marbles from many countries, exhibit of the origins
and types of Vermont marbles; free samples usually available; Vermont mineral
sets available.! Rock of Ages Visitor Center, Barre, VT; (802) 476-3115; quarry tours, craftsman's center; free samples of granite usually available; Vermont mineral sets
available.! Annual Rock Swap and Mineral Show; sponsored by the Burlington Gem and MineralClub, PO Box 1712, Burlington, VT 05402-1712 .* * * * *MINERAL
LOCATIONS (listed alphabetically by county)
ADDISON
COUNTYK aolinite — Vermont Kaolin Corporation Quarry. Go from Bristol or Hinesburg to
East Monkton. Turn west for 3/4 miles, then south for 1¼ mile to the Kaolin pits next to the
road. Pebbles (quartz, jasper, basalt, olivine) — In the Bristol area are extensive deposits of
gravel, sand, cobbles and silt. Since the glaciers carried much of this material from quite a
distance north, an interesting assortment of exotic rock types can be found. Good tumbling
material. Fossils (Ordovician trilobites, brachiopods, bryozoans, crinoids) — Take Route 125 west
from Route 7 near Bridport towards Chimney Point Bridge to New York. Park near bridge and
look in rocks on the Vermont side along the lake. Fossils are fairly abundant here and elsewhere
along the lakeshore. Calcite crystals, tremolite (mountain leather) — Huntley Quarry, Leicester Junction.
Turn west from Route 7 at Leicester, continue to Leicester Junction. Cross Otter Creek and
railroad tracks. Quarry and old lime kilns are visible south of the road. Best examples of
hydrothermally deposited calcite crystals are found at the north end of the quarry. The marble in the quarry
is pink, gray and white. Some make attractively banded cutting
material. BENNINGTON COUNTY Blue quartz — In road-cut north side of Route 9, six miles east of Bennington. The blue
quartz is cabochon material. Other minerals found here are garnet, orthoclase and plagioclase
feldspar, biotite and hornblende. CHITTENDEN COUNTY.
Dunham dolomite — Quarry to the east of sharp curve on Route 2 between Chimney
Corner and Sand Bar Bridge. Pull off road near quarry, park and walk in. Dolomite is banded
red, white, gray, orange, fine-grained. Interesting cutting
material. Chalcopyrite — In the road-cut leading to the bridge across the Lamoille River. In
dolomite rock on the left side as you go north on Route 2 (towards the islands) are dolomite crystals
and chalcopyrite specimens. There is also some interesting rose-colored dolomite with
white orbicules of dolomite making interesting patterns for
cutting. ESSEX COUNTY Andalusite — Road-cut on Route 102, 0.6 miles south of Bloomfield opposite a small cemetery. In a dark to light gray phyllite schist, pink andalusite crystals or darker crystals with
oriented inclusions that resemble a cross or flower (var. chiastolite). Some are white partially altered tomuscovite. Small garnet crystals are also visible in some
specimens. FRANKLIN COUNTY Actinolite, talc, fuchsite — Follow Route 105 east of Richford to the Route 105A junction. Continue on 105 for 2.7 miles. Park where
power-line crosses road. Walk down dirt road 0.3miles to Lucas Brook. Follow brook downstream about 0.2 miles. Boulders in stream bed
along sides are actinolite with talc, fuchsite and
magnetite. Pyrite — Occurs in outcrops along Route 108 for several miles between East Fletcher
and Bakersfield. Best locality is north of town line between Fletcher and Bakersfield.
Large out-crops are 0.2 miles north of town line just east of the road where a small stream
crosses. Specular hematite, rhodonite, pyrolusite — A small manganese prospect between Richfordand Berk-shire. From intersection 2½ miles west of Richford, follow gravel road north for 1mile. Just to the east of the road is a small pit and a dump that has been filled with tree stumps.
Calcite is also found
here. Swanton “red marble” (dolomite) — Off Route 7 about 0.7 miles south of Missisquoi,
River Bridge. Turn east on narrow road passing under interstate, go 0.3 miles to small quarry
and Vermont Marble Company dump. This is another occurrence of the Dunham
Dolomite formation. Good cutting material. GRAND ISLE COUNTY
Quartz crystals, calcite crystals, pyrite “suns” — Found in the rock used as road fill
where Route 2 crosses from Grand Isle to North Hero. Good sized quartz and calcite crystals in veinsin calcareous black shale. Pyrite concretions (suns) are also found in this black shale.
Alternate site is in the quarry on the south side of Route 2, just off the west end of Sand
Bar Bridge. Contains similar material. “Zebra marble” — Stoney Point formation, fine-grained calcareous black shale with
white calcite veins. Cutting material can find “pictures.” This outcrops in several locations along
the lake. For this location, take road south towards southernmost point of South Hero off Route 2. Park and walk along old railroad right-of-way towards shore. Formation is also visible
at Shelburne Point. Marcasite, maclurites magnus (fossil gastropod) — Take Route 129 from Route 2 at
South Alburg about two miles. Just before the road turns to cross bridge to Isle La Motte, a quarry canbe seen to the right of the road. This is the Crown Point limestone. Nautiloids have also
been found in rocks from this formation. Trilobites, lingula (inarticulate brachiopod) — Take road to Grand Isle ferry. Don't turn
off on ferry road, go straight to next road. Turn right. The black carbon imprints of these
chitinous shells are found in rocks exposed on both sides of
road-cut. Bryozoans, brachiopods, trilobites, dolomite — Take Route 2 west through South Hero.
After the road turns right past the post office, turn left onto Sunset View Road. Quarry is on left
as you go towards the lake. Ask permission to collect at last farm on the
left. Other fossil locations — Park at the fishing access at South Alburg off Route 2, walk alongshore north of the access. Many fossils (trilobites and brachiopods) are
evident. lime-stones and shales alone Lake Champlain offer many fossil finds. Not much alteration
of these rocks has taken place. Also, the Champlain Overthrust has placed the older fossil-bearing
rocks above the newer ones, making them easily accessible.
LAMOILLE
COUNTY: Garnet, serpentine, asbestos, epidote, diopside, calcite — Former GAF-owned asbestos mine
closed in 1993. Take Route 100 to Eden Mills. At intersection, take a half-left turn and
follow to mine. Collectors may call 802-635-2508 for permission to collect. Over 30 different
mineral shave been reported from this location. Placer gold — As mentioned in the introduction, many streams in Vermont will yield some
gold when the heavy sediment at the bottom is panned. In Lamoille County, try Little River and
Gold-Brook in Stowe, Lamoille River in Johnson, and Gihon River in
Eden.
ORANGE
COUNTY: Arsenopyrite, pyrite, quartz — From East Braintree, follow Route 12 south ½ mile to bridge. At south end of bridge, turn east onto gravel road. Continue 0.3 mile to fork, stay right.
Park past fork to left of road. Walk to small stream (intermittent in summer). Past stream on right is
a trail. Follow for ¼ mile. Continue past a sharp left turn to old chimney, pits and dump. Goodarsenopyrite crystals have been found
here. Pyrrhotite, pyrite, sphalerite, tourmaline — Ely mine, between West Fairlee and SouthVershire. Take Route 113A to West Fairlee, go west 1½ miles towards South Vershire. Oldsmelter and ruins of former village of Copperfield can be seen on both sides of the road. Parkand follow dirt road 0.75 mile to mine dumps. Actinolite, calcite, garnet, hornblende andmalachite have also been found
here. Placer gold — Placer gold has been reported from the Third Branch of the White River
near Braintree. Braintree Center is six miles north of Randolph on Route
12A.
ORLEANS
COUNTY: Granite pegmatites, “plumose” muscovite, beryl, garnet, idocrase crystals — Found
in out-crops in the road-cuts along Route 5A east side of Lake Willoughby. Park at turn-off
where pipe brings spring water down from side of cliff to road. Best outcrops are north of here along5A. Watch out for fast traffic and falling rocks from steep road-cut.“Prune” or “bulls eye” granite — A granodiorite with biotite orbicules. Best location is atnorthwest edge of Craftsbury Village. Outcrop extends 0.75 mile and is ¼ mile wide.Placer gold — Gold has been panned from the Missisquoi River in both Lowell and Troy.Copper minerals, chlorite, feldspars — Hike up Long Trail to near summit of Jay Peak. Malachite, chlorite and feldspars can be found in the rubble from ski lift
construction.
RUTLAND
COUNTY: Kaolinite, lignite, fossil plant fragments — Brandon Kaolinite. From Route 7 in Brandon, go1½ miles west on Route 73 to fork in road. Take right fork. Go ½ mile to end of road at
intersection. Park and cross road. Kaolinite can be found in the woods north and south
of intersection. Northeast of inter-section is a depression in which lignite, fossil nuts and
other plant remains have been found. A study of these has shown that, 20-30 million years
ago, Vermont had a climate similar to that of the present southeast US.Slate, pyrite, bornite, chalcopyrite, quartz, calcite — Many quarries are south of Fair Havenalong the west side of the Delaware and Hudson Railroad right-of-way, both north and south
of Lewis Brook. They are located in the green and purple Cambrian Metawee
Slate. Tabular calcite crystals, pastel patterned limestone — Danby lime quarry. Slabs of
limestone with the tabular calcite crystals are found in the quarry on the west side of Route 7, 11.6
miles north of Manchester. Also found is a pastel colored, attractively patterned limestone that
makes good cutting material. Tourmaline, albite, actinolite, calcite, epidote, phlogopite, pyrite, sphene, diopside —Outcrops along Route 155 road-cut about 6-8 miles south of East Wallingford contain
these minerals. Many are in large crystals, or large crystal
aggregates. Smokey quartz crystals, clear quartz crystals, pyrite, ilmenite — Take Mt. Tabor Road
from Danby, park at Devil's Den picnic area, walk north along road to outcrops on east side of road. Excellent smoky quartz and other minerals are found in pockets in the local
schist.
WASHINGTON
COUNTY: Serpentine, talc, tremolite, actinolite — Duxbury serpentine quarry. From Waterbury,
go south on Route 100 for 8 miles to Harwood Union High School. 0.3 past school cross a
small bridge, turn right onto uphill dirt road. Continue 0.3 miles, pass auto graveyard on right to a
trail heading left, and park. Walk up trail past a tailings pile and turn right where path meets
another trail that leads to the quarry. “Verde Antique” was quarried here. Magnetite octahedra (up to ½"in diameter in chlorite schist), well-formed dolomite crystals, and calcite that fluoresces
pink have been found here. Clay concretions — Barre, in a clay bank 1,000 feet north of where Route 302 crosses
Stevens Brook; East Montpelier, on Route 2 along the Winooski River across from a well company. Both are found in conjunction with clay beds dating back 10,000-12,000 years to the recession
of the last ice sheet. Placer gold — Gold has been recovered from the Mad River in Warren, Waitsfield
and Moretown, as well as other previously mentioned locations.
WINDHAM
COUNTY: Serpentine (varicolored), quartz, agate, garnierite, placer gold, garnets — Take Route 30past Newfane, turn right just before West Dummerston onto the road to South Newfane. About 8miles from Route 30, the road crosses Adam's Brook. Collect in the outcrops north of the road-cut and north along Adam's Brook. Serpentine boulders are in the stream, as are boulders
with green, yellow, red and orange agate and quartz crystals. Some green surface coatings that maybe garnierite have been reported. Placer gold and garnets have been recovered in the brook,
and also in the Rock River between Newfane and Dover.Phlogopite, diopside, calcite, graphite, hematite — Park at the New England Power Plant inReads-boro. Walk south about a mile along the railroad tracks to an old lime quarry. The largedump of rock from the water tunnel east of the plant has pyrite and garnet
specimens.
WINDSOR
COUNTY: Pyrite, pyrrhotite, chlorite, ilmenite, smoky quartz — Pine Hill quarry. From Route 106
in Perkinsville, take road to Springfield Dam recreation area. Collect in the quarry just east of
the dam. Calcite, actinolite and biotite are also found.Garnet, staurolite, kyanite, diopside — Several interesting outcrops in the Gassetts road-cutwhere Route 103 crosses the Williams River. South of the river, a muscovite schist
contains quartz, garnet, tourmaline, staurolite and kyanite crystals. This was once mined for the garnet. A smaller outcrop northwest of the bridge across the river contains actinolite, diopside, calcite,sphene and pyrite.Chloritoid, garnet, magnetite — Near Kingdom Brook. Take Route 100 to Tyson,
continue East one mile on road towards South Reading. Mineral collecting area is along both sides of
the road. Unusually large chloritoid crystals make this quartz-muscovite-biotite-chlorite schistatypical, because this mineral normally occurs in microscopic size.Tourmaline (black), pyrite, talc, calcite, diopside — On Route 103 one mile east of
junction of Routes 103 and 100 north of Ludlow, outcrops in the long road-cut contain a number
of different rock types. Good specimens of marbles, pegmatites, mica-schists, quartzites, calc-silicates and several gneisses can be found
here. Placer gold — From Route 100A, 1.4 miles south of intersection with Route 100, take dirt
road along Hale Hollow to the remains of the former village of Plymouth Five Corners. Any
location along Broad Brook should yield some gold. Also magnetite and garnet can be recovered
from the heavy sediments of the stream. Other sites include the Ottauquechee River in
Bridgewater, and White River between Stockbridge and Rochester.
* * * * * * * * *
*
SPECIMEN COLLECTING IN VERMONTON PRIVATE LANDS:Landowner permission is
required; General trespass laws pertain to collecting.
ON STATE LANDS: Collecting is NOT permitted in State Parks or in state designated Natural Areas. Permission
to collect on other lands is required from: Dept. of Forests, Parks and Recreation103 South Main St., 10 South
Bldg. Waterbury, VT 05671-0301802-241-3683ORDept. Of Fish and Wildlife103 South Main St., 10 South
Bldg. Waterbury, VT 05671-0301802-241-3700ON FEDERAL
LANDS: Loose, surface samples may be collected in most instances, but the use of excavating tools
is restricted. Permission is required from: Green Mountain National Forest231 N. Main
St. Rutland, VT 05701802-747-6700For lands other than the Green Mountain National Forest
contact: Eastern States Office, Bureau of Land Management
US Department of the Interior7450 Boston Blvd. Springfield, VA 22153703-440-1511revised 2/20/97
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