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Field CollectingMontauk State park/Current river in Missouri

14th Jun 2018 20:22 UTCGreg Simmons

I leave Saturday for a 4-day canoe trip down the Current River in southern missouri, just north of the AR state line. I've tried to find information online and on mindat as to what I might be able to find to collect in that region. We are also going to make a stop in Onandaga State park and go to the cave there. I plan to bring my pick and a chisel, just in case, but I have no idea what to keep an eye out for in this region. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks!

14th Jun 2018 21:24 UTCKen Doxsee

I am confident you don't mean you intend to use the pick and chisel in the Onandaga cave! Just saying to stave off a potential flurry of outraged responses! --Ken

14th Jun 2018 22:18 UTCKevin Conroy Manager

A lot of the mines in these areas are on private land, and the owners are VERY reluctant to allow collecting. You can occasionally find agate and druse quartz in the streams so keep an eye out as you're going along. By the way, the Current River has plenty of bass in it, so if you're into that get a Missouri fishing license (https://huntfish.mdc.mo.gov/fishing/permits) and bring a rod and reel.

If you want to do some "camera collecting" you're going to be close to the Viburnum Trend. From Eminence head east toward Ellington. Turn left on B (about 5 miles before Ellington). As you drive north Sweetwater Mine will be on your left. All of the mines are owned and operated by the Doe Run Company. They're well marked with signs, you can't miss the turn-offs! Highway B dead ends into 72. Turn left on TT (which turns into KK) and continue north toward Viburnum. Along the way you'll pass by Fletcher, West Fork, Brushy Creek and Buick mines. These are the majority of the mines still operating. If you want more info see https://www.mindat.org/lsearch.php?from=nsearch&loc=viburnum+trend

Highway KK will dead end into 32. Turn left, continue to Salem, turn right on 68, continue north until you reach I-44 in St James (there's a good winery there on the north outer road!), go east on I-44 to the Leasburg/Onandago Cave exit then follow the signs.

Have fun!

14th Jun 2018 22:37 UTCGreg Simmons

Ken LOL!!! NO!.. not in the cave.

Thanks Kevin. I thought we'd be near Viburnum Trend. Great tip on keeping an eye out in the water. I hear it's really clear.

28th Jun 2018 21:08 UTCGreg Simmons

So here the results of my trip. I was able to pick a number of small pieces of white and gray chert, several pieces that show the layered karst matrix that makes up the area, most of which have at least some quartz druze on them. Also got a few pieces of calcite that look like small iceland spars. I'll post pics after they are cleaned up. I did purchase a decent DT Calcite on Galena, that I'm sure is viburnum trend but unfortunately no idea which mine it's from, at the gift shop at Onandaga cave that I will post as well.

It seemed that most of what was in the river and along shore was karst bedrock, as it would be expected, but that made it hard to determine if any of what I was seeing would be considered agate. Admittedly, I'm not well versed in the different kinds of agates and this is my first venture to this region so I went into it a bit ignorant.

Look for pics soon.

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