Where to Find Quartz Crystals in Alaska: 82 Mapped Sites
Alaska has 82 documented sites where quartz crystals have been reported, and the best-known are Mountain View Group-Gray Copper Vein, Sischu Mountain, and Groundhog Basin. 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
Quartz Crystals Map: Alaska
All 82 quartz crystals sites in Alaska. Click a pin for the full site report.
Where Quartz Crystals Are Found in Alaska
Crystals line veins, pegmatite pockets, and vugs in many rock types; some famous finds come from cavities in dolostone. Vein quartz float on a hillside is the standard breadcrumb trail to a pocket zone.
The richest reported sites in Alaska: Mountain View Group-Gray Copper Vein, Sischu Mountain, Groundhog Basin, Sweetheart Ridge Gold-Copper-Silver Prospect, Texas Creek Comstock.
All Quartz Crystals Sites in Alaska
- Mountain View Group-Gray Copper Vein — Forest Service
- Sischu Mountain — BLM/Public Lands
- Groundhog Basin — Forest Service
- Sweetheart Ridge Gold-Copper-Silver Prospect — Forest Service
- 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
- Gold Cliff Premier — Forest Service
- Hobo — Forest Service
- Iron Cap Prospect — Forest Service
- Mountain View Group - Skookum Vein — Forest Service
- Silver King — Forest Service
- Blasher — Forest Service
- Keno — Forest Service
- Lillie — Forest Service
- Londevan — Forest Service
- Mt. Ogden Prospect — Forest Service
- Nowell-Otterson Prospect — Forest Service
- RW Zone — BLM/Public Lands
- Big Ledge Nickel-Copper Prospect — Forest Service
- Boundary — BLM/Public Lands
- Concord group — Forest Service
- Cripple Creek — Forest Service
- Engineer — Forest Service
- Gilpatrick — Forest Service
- Hummel — Forest Service
- Iron Cap — Forest Service
- Jim Creek — BLM/Public Lands
- Lucky Boy Extension — Forest Service
- Titan — Forest Service
- West Hill Prospect — Forest Service
- Whiting River Silver-Gold Prospect — Forest Service
- Apex-El Nido Mines — Forest Service
- Berg Basin — Forest Service
- Bishop — Forest Service
- Charles — Forest Service
- Double Anchor — Forest Service
- Dugas — Forest Service
- Fremming Prospect — Forest Service
- Gladstone Prospect — Forest Service
- Green Spike — BLM/Public Lands
- Hirshey and Carlson — Forest Service
- Lookout Prospect — Forest Service
- Mathews River — BLM/Public Lands
- Shakan Molybdenum Deposits — Forest Service
- Sixmile — Forest Service
- Texas Discovery — Forest Service
Showing 50 of 82 sites — every site appears on the map above.
How to Identify Quartz Crystals
Quartz crystals are six-sided prisms ending in a six-faced point: glassy, hardness 7 (scratches glass and a steel knife), breaking with conchoidal fracture instead of flat cleavage planes. Varieties are color names on the same crystal — smoky, rose, milky, citrine. Calcite mimics the look but scratches with a knife and fizzes in vinegar.
Not sure what you found? Try our identification guide →Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I find quartz crystals in Alaska?
Alaska has 82 mapped sites where quartz crystals have been reported. The best-known are Mountain View Group-Gray Copper Vein, Sischu Mountain, and Groundhog Basin. Each listing on the map above includes GPS coordinates, access type, and what has been found there.
How many quartz crystals sites are mapped in Alaska?
We have 82 documented quartz crystals sites in Alaska, compiled from community submissions and published locality records and reviewed by the Rockhounding.org Research Team.
Is it legal to collect quartz crystals 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 quartz crystal?
Quartz crystals are six-sided prisms ending in a six-faced point: glassy, hardness 7 (scratches glass and a steel knife), breaking with conchoidal fracture instead of flat cleavage planes. Varieties are color names on the same crystal — smoky, rose, milky, citrine. Calcite mimics the look but scratches with a knife and fizzes in vinegar.
What should I bring to collect quartz crystals?
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.