Where to Find Pyrite in Alaska: 99 Mapped Sites
Alaska has 99 documented sites where pyrite have been reported, and the best-known are Mountain View Group-Gray Copper Vein, Sischu Mountain, and Sweetheart Ridge Gold-Copper-Silver Prospect. Every site is mapped below with GPS coordinates and links to a full report of access and what's been found there.
Last updated: — data compiled by the Rockhounding.org Research Team · methodology
Pyrite Map: Alaska
All 99 pyrite sites in Alaska. Click a pin for the full site report.
Where Pyrite Are Found in Alaska
Pyrite grows in nearly every rock type: cubes in slate and shale, balls in concretions, massive seams in ore veins. Mine dumps, black-shale roadcuts, and creek concretions all produce it.
The richest reported sites in Alaska: Mountain View Group-Gray Copper Vein, Sischu Mountain, Sweetheart Ridge Gold-Copper-Silver Prospect, Windy Pass, Texas Creek Comstock.
All Pyrite Sites in Alaska
- Mountain View Group-Gray Copper Vein — Forest Service
- Sischu Mountain — BLM/Public Lands
- Sweetheart Ridge Gold-Copper-Silver Prospect — Forest Service
- Windy Pass — BLM/Public Lands
- Texas Creek Comstock — Forest Service
- Glacier Creek Barite-Silver Prospect — BLM/Public Lands
- Glacier Creek Prospect — BLM/Public Lands
- Last Shot — Forest Service
- Mount Henry Clay — BLM/Public Lands
- Brenner — Forest Service
- Cache Creek Area — BLM/Public Lands
- Gold Cliff Premier — Forest Service
- Hobo — Forest Service
- Mertie Lode Prospect — Forest Service
- Silver King — Forest Service
- Snipe Bay Nickel-Copper Prospect — Forest Service
- Blasher — Forest Service
- Bluebird — Forest Service
- Fish Creek — Forest Service
- Keno — Forest Service
- Last Chance — Forest Service
- Last Shot — Forest Service
- Liberty Jackson — Forest Service
- Lillie — Forest Service
- Londevan — Forest Service
- Nowell-Otterson Prospect — Forest Service
- Otter Creek — BLM/Public Lands
- RW Zone — BLM/Public Lands
- Sulphide Gulch Placer Occurrence — BLM/Public Lands
- Big Ledge Nickel-Copper Prospect — Forest Service
- Boundary — BLM/Public Lands
- Concord group — Forest Service
- Cripple Creek — Forest Service
- Double Anchor — Forest Service
- Duke Island — Forest Service
- Duke Island Ultramafic Complex — Forest Service
- Engineer — Forest Service
- Gilpatrick — Forest Service
- Hummel — Forest Service
- Kayak Island — Forest Service
- Lucky Boy Extension — Forest Service
- Lucky Boy Extension — Forest Service
- Pilgrim — BLM/Public Lands
- Titan — Forest Service
- West Hill Prospect — Forest Service
- Whiting River Silver-Gold Prospect — Forest Service
- Apex-El Nido Mines — Forest Service
- Apex Gold-Silver Mine — Forest Service
- Berg Basin — Forest Service
- Bishop — Forest Service
Showing 50 of 99 sites — every site appears on the map above.
How to Identify Pyrite
Pyrite is brassy metallic yellow with crystals as sharp cubes or 12-sided balls, faces often striated. The fool’s-gold test is simple: pyrite is hard (6–6.5) and brittle — a knife point makes it crumble to greenish-black powder — while real gold is soft, dents, and leaves a yellow streak. Pyrite is also noticeably lighter than gold.
Not sure what you found? Try our identification guide →Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I find pyrite in Alaska?
Alaska has 99 mapped sites where pyrite have been reported. The best-known are Mountain View Group-Gray Copper Vein, Sischu Mountain, and Sweetheart Ridge Gold-Copper-Silver Prospect. Each listing on the map above includes GPS coordinates, access type, and what has been found there.
How many pyrite sites are mapped in Alaska?
We have 99 documented pyrite sites in Alaska, compiled from community submissions and published locality records and reviewed by the Rockhounding.org Research Team.
Is it legal to collect pyrite in Alaska?
Casual collecting is generally allowed on BLM and National Forest land for personal, non-commercial use — the standard BLM limit is 25 lbs per day plus one specimen. National parks, monuments, and many state parks prohibit collecting, and private land always requires the owner's permission. Check the site report for each location and verify current land status before you dig.
How do I identify pyrite?
Pyrite is brassy metallic yellow with crystals as sharp cubes or 12-sided balls, faces often striated. The fool’s-gold test is simple: pyrite is hard (6–6.5) and brittle — a knife point makes it crumble to greenish-black powder — while real gold is soft, dents, and leaves a yellow streak. Pyrite is also noticeably lighter than gold.
What should I bring to collect pyrite?
The basics: a rock hammer, safety glasses, gloves, a bucket or padded bag for specimens, and a GPS app with the coordinates from this page. Add a spray bottle — wetting a stone makes color and banding far easier to judge in the field.
⚠️ Always verify current regulations, weather conditions, and access requirements before visiting any location. Information provided is based on community submissions and may not be current or accurate.
Data: USGS Mineral Resources Data System — reviewed and approved by the Rockhounding.org Research Team. Always verify current land status, regulations, and access before visiting any site.