Michigan has 1,853 records of mines listed by the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
Quick Facts
- 1,853 USGS records of mines in Michigan.
- Iron , Copper , Silver , Gold , and Silica mines located in Michigan. See All
Top Counties
by Total Mines
- Iron (862 Total Mines)
- Marquette (331 Total Mines)
- Houghton (172 Total Mines)
- Keweenaw (111 Total Mines)
- Gogebic (102 Total Mines)
- Baraga (88 Total Mines)
- Ontonagon (73 Total Mines)
- Dickinson (38 Total Mines)
- Menominee (8 Total Mines)
- Berrien (7 Total Mines)
Michigan Mine Locations
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© The Diggings™
Historic Mining Records (USGS)
Michigan has 1,853 identified mines listed in The Diggings™. The most commonly listed primary commodities in Michigan mines are Iron , Copper , and Silver . At the time these mines were surveyed, 215 mines in Michigan were observed to have ore mineralization in an outcrop, shallow pit, or isolated drill hole—known as an occurance mine.1 Michigan has 783 prospect mines.2 818 mines were in production at the time the data was entered into USGS records. Iron, Marquette, and Houghton are the with the most mines.
Quick USGS Facts
- 1,853 records of mines in Michigan.
- 783 records of prospects
- 215 records of mineral occurrences of observable ore mineralization.
- 37 records of mining plants
- 818 records of mineral producers
Mines By County
In Michigan
| Total | Authorized Countiess |
|---|---|
| Iron | 862 |
| Marquette | 331 |
| Houghton | 172 |
| Keweenaw | 111 |
| Gogebic | 102 |
| Other | 275 |
1 Grade, tonnage, and extent of mineralization for such mines are unspecified.
2 Such mines have some degree of development such as surface trenching, adits, shafts, drill holes, geophysics, geochemistry, or geological mapping to estimate grade and tonnage.
Popular Public Lands & Regions
in Michigan
Land TypeTotal ClaimsActive ClaimsClosed ClaimsActive AcresTotal MinesProspectsOccurrencesPlantsProducers
Ottawa National Forest
National Forests
0
0
0
0
71
19
29
1
22
Isle Royale National Park
National Parks
0
0
0
0
9
0
0
0
9
Keweenaw National Historical Park
National Parks
0
0
0
0
6
0
0
0
6
Isle Royale Wilderness
Wilderness Areas
0
0
0
0
5
0
0
0
5
L'Anse Reservation
Indian Lands
0
0
0
0
3
2
1
0
0
Manistee National Forest
National Forests
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
1
1
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
National Parks
0
0
0
0
2
0
2
0
0
Hiawatha National Forest
National Forests
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
0
0
McCormick Wilderness
Wilderness Areas
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
Top Mining Districts
in Michigan
StateTotal ClaimsActive ClaimsClosed ClaimsActive AcresTotal MinesProspectsOccurrencesPlantsProducers
Menominee Iron Mining District
Michigan
0
0
0
0
904
597
82
2
223
Marquette Iron Mining District
Michigan
0
0
0
0
397
92
71
12
222
Keweenaw Copper Mining District
Michigan
0
0
0
0
347
74
2
2
269
Michigan Gogebic Iron Mining District
Michigan
0
0
0
0
97
4
42
0
51
Covert Township Area
Michigan
0
0
0
0
6
0
0
0
6
Manistee Mining District
Michigan
0
0
0
0
6
0
0
1
5
Norton Shores Area
Michigan
0
0
0
0
6
0
0
2
4
Lake Township Area
Michigan
0
0
0
0
5
0
0
0
5
Ludington Area
Michigan
0
0
0
0
4
0
0
2
2
Midland Area
Michigan
0
0
0
0
4
0
0
2
2
Popular Towns, Cities, Etc.
in Michigan
CountyStateTotal ClaimsActive ClaimsClosed ClaimsActive AcresTotal MinesProspectsOccurrencesPlantsProducers
Alpha
Iron
Michigan
0
0
0
0
866
591
82
1
192
Amasa
Iron
Michigan
0
0
0
0
866
595
82
1
188
Crystal Falls
Iron
Michigan
0
0
0
0
859
585
81
1
192
Gaastra
Iron
Michigan
0
0
0
0
816
552
81
1
182
Stambaugh
Iron
Michigan
0
0
0
0
805
547
81
1
176
Caspian
Iron
Michigan
0
0
0
0
799
543
81
1
174
Iron River
Iron
Michigan
0
0
0
0
792
538
81
1
172
Mineral Hills
Iron
Michigan
0
0
0
0
787
536
80
1
170
West Ishpeming
Marquette
Michigan
0
0
0
0
336
58
73
12
193
National Mine
Marquette
Michigan
0
0
0
0
334
57
72
12
193
Mining Claim News From The Diggings™
Learn more about the Bureau of Land Management, Public Land Survey System, and mining claims.
-
Understanding Claim Ownership
We receive lots of emails from people who find their name or a relative’s name on our site and want to know if this means they have some right to the land listed under that name.
-
Understanding BLM Administrative Areas
Whether it is filing a mine or researching one, the administering BLM office is going to be the definitive source.
-
Understanding Location Data
Mine handled by the Bureau of Land Management are not mapped by latitude and longitude, instead, these mines harken back to the Public Land Survey System.
-
Understanding Townships
A “township” can refer to two different things. Both are part of the PLSS measurement system but have different uses.
