Eastern Oklahoma

I live in the river valley area near Fort Smith, so pretty much up in north east OK, I kinda figured there wasnt much here other than the sand and iron

I have been to the tailing piles from the Galena mines in OK. which isn't far from Joplin MO. You will find dolomite, calcite, Galena, black jack and ruby jack. That is all I have found in NE OK.
I don't know how far the salt plains are. I live about 2 hrs SE of you there is always my garage, basement and other building full. Most of my stuff is specimens. ;D Donna

here is some info for your state...john


OKLAHOMA
The Sooner State occupies approximately 70,000 sq. mi. of nearly level land in the
southern part of the Great Plaines. The western Oklahoma Panhandle is part of the arid,
short grass Great High Plains, broken by the Black Mesa in the northwest corner of
Cimarron Co. and the Wichita Mts. in the southwest. Black Mesa, at 4,978’ elevation, is the
highest point of the state. From the Panhandle the land slopes gently east and south to a
minimum elevation of less than 350’ in the extreme southeastern corner of the state, There
are elevated regions, ranging from 200’ to 1,200’ higher than the surrounding plains, in the
Wichita, Kiamichi, Ouachita and Arbuckle mountains and in the westward extensions of the
Missouri Ozarks.
Parts of Oklahoma are mineralogically important. Extensive coal beds occur around
McAlester, Pittsburg Co., and the great mines of the extreme northeastern corner, known as
the Tri-State Area, are famed for their production of Lead and Zinc along with similar
production from the adjacent mines in Kansas and Missouri. While western Oklahoma
produces a good deal of Gypsum, it is the immense petroleum deposits which have given the
state much of its fame and wealth.
Barite occurs at many localities in maroon sediments of Lower Permian age, with
the greatest concentrations south and east of the Wichita Mts. and in the central counties of
Comanche, Kiowa, Stephens and Tillman, with locally abundant exposures in McClain and
Garvin counties. In the Barite dists, the mineral occur in veins, nodules and Barite-clay
carbonate concretions in shale or as sand-barite concretions in sandstone. The state stone of
Oklahoma, if it can be called that, is the Barite Rose.
Southwestern Oklahoma, especially in Beckham and Tillman counties, produces
alabaster, agatized and petrified wood, and other quartz family gemstones from
regional gravel pits and stream beds. Along the Cimarron and North Canadian rivers,
gravel bars carry agate, jasp-agate, jasper and petrified wood along with fossil bones
and teeth of Pleistocene mammals.
ALFALFA COUNTY
JET, W 6 mi. on US 64, then N 3 mi. on dirt rd. to crossrds., then E 1¼ mi. to gate;
collecting area on the Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge are posted⎯Selenite crystals.
Collecting on the refuge is permitted from 8 AM to 5 PM only on weekends and holidays
between April and mid October; per person limits are 10 lbs. Plus one crystal cluster per
day. Natural salt (halite) coating the plains, 7 mi. long by 3 mi. wide.
ATOKA COUNTY
AREA, Impsom Valley, W side, on branch of Tenmile Cr., in fissure veins in Stanley
shale⎯Grahamite.
ATOKA, area quarries⎯novaculite.
BECKHAM COUNTY
AREA, Gypsum quarries⎯alabaster, Selenite, petrified wood.
ELK CITY, area quarries⎯alabaster, Selenite.
A Location Guide for Rock Hounds in the United States
341
BLAINE COUNTY
AREA (extending SW into Custer Co.), regional quarries⎯Borate minerals
(Priceite, Probertite, Ulexite).
SOUTHARD, area quarries⎯Borate minerals.
WATONGA, NE 6 mi., quarry⎯Borate minerals.
WINNVIEW, area scattered through clay shale exposures, as raw nuggets⎯native
Copper.
CADDO COUNTY
APACHE, SW 4 mi., quarry⎯Calcite rhombs (fluorescent).
CANADIAN COUTNY
EL RENO (W end of the Oklahoma City complex), in gravel bars along the North
Canadian R.⎯agate, jasper, petrified wood.
CIMARRON COUNTY
KENTON: �� E 2 mi. on Rte. 18 to turnoff to Roberts Ranch and 2.3 mi. to ranch
house, fee, collecting area⎯agatized algae, agatized cycad wood; �� N to Tri-State
Marker (OK-CO-NM), on hill⎯rose agate; �� E ½ mi., turn N across Cimarron R. 11.2 mi.
into Colorado, turn E 2.3 mi. to the Layton Ranch (fee), in bed and sides of Carrizozo Cr. S
from Colorado into Oklahoma ⎯rose agate, agatized algae, agatized cycad wood.
COAL COUNTY
LEHIGH, HUNTON, area mines⎯Manganese minerals.
COTTON COUNTY
RANDLETT: �� E 3 mi., and �� E 6 mi., as small fissures in red shale⎯Malachite.
DEWEY COUNTY
SEILING, TALOGA, area⎯agate, Jadeite, jasp-agate, jasper, petrified wood,
etc.
GARFIELD COUNTY
ENID, T. 24 N, R. 8 W (NE¼SE¼ Sec. 24), area⎯native Copper.
GARVIN COUNTY
PAULS VALLEY, area of Sec. 18, T. 4 N, R. 1 E, in red sandstone⎯Malachite.
GREER COUNTY
AREA, the Wichita Mts., regional mines⎯Amphiboles, Zircons.
Oklahoma
342
MANGUM: �� area quarries⎯alabaster; �� N of town, general area⎯agatized
wood.
HARPER COUNTY
BUFFALO, area⎯agate, chalcedony, chert, jasper.
ROSSTON, on twin buttes 1 mi. E of Hwy. 283 and 7 mi. N of jct. of Hwy. 283 with
Hwy. 64⎯Aragonite.
HUGHES COUNTY
WETUMKA, area of Sec. 30, T. 8 N, R. 9 E, as clear, transparent, coarsely crystalline
masses⎯Barite.
JACKSON COUNTY
ALTUS, area draws, washes, cut banks, gravels⎯Smoky Quartz crystals.
JOHNSTON COUNTY
MILL CREEK: �� area mines⎯Manganese minerals; �� NE 6 mi., old Thompson
Ranch near W line of NW¼ Sec. 15, T. 1 S, R. 5 E⎯Barite, Iron oxides.
KIOWA COUNTY
HOBART, in quarries near Altus Reservoir⎯Quartz crystals.
OTTAWA COUNTY
MIAMI-PICHER, regional Lead-Zinc dist. Mines as important contributors to the
Tri-State Dist. Mineral production⎯Anglesite, Aragonite, Barite, Calamine, Calcite,
Chalcopyrite, chert, Dolomite, Galena, Greenockite, Gypsum, Marcasite,
Melanterite, Quartz crystals, Pyrite, Smithsonite, Sphalerite.
The major producing mines occur within an area of 25 to 30 mi. revolving around the
mining towns of Picher, Cardin, Century and Quapaw.
PEORIA, QUAPAW, area mines⎯Calamine, Cerussite, Galena.
SENECA, area mines⎯tripoli.
PUSHMATAHA COUNTY
ANTLERS: �� area draws, washes, gravels⎯green Quartz crystals; �� Impson
Valley, McGee Creek and Moulton mines⎯Impsonite (bitumen).
WOODS COUNTY
ALVA: �� countywide regional fields, washes, stream beds, cut banks, etc., especially
�� S of Alva⎯agate (banded, mossy), chalcedony, chert, jasper.

Hey! If you guys find some magic spot in the area, please let me know.
I am right up AR 59, in Uniontown (not downtown, though....in the 'burbs) I grow rocks, just not the right kind.
Nancie

I love 'A to Z'...bet you were in the tool store, which is my favorite.
Nancie