Chapter 3 page 17
Selected Arkansas Mineral Collecting Localities

12. Hot Spring County: Magnet Cove

(A) Sphene nepheline syenite occurs at the curve on the north roadbank on Ark. Highway 51 about 0.5 miles west of Cove Creek.

(B) Carbonatite occurs in the north road bank just west of the Cove Creek bridge on Ark. Highway 51. Locally, the carbonatite contains carbonatite-apatite, monticellite, magnetite, perovskite, kimzeyite, and biotite.

(C) A boulder containing eudialyte nepheline syenite pegmatite is near the southwest corner of the Cove Creek bridge abutment just south of location B.

(D) Weathered biotite, melanite garnet and residual masses of nepheline occur in the south bank of Ark Highway 51, near the Magnet Cove Church.

(E) Magnetite, melanite, nepheline and rutile may be found on the shoulders of Ark Highway 51, 0.25 of a mile east of the Magnet Cove Church.

(F) Pyrite occurs in Cove Creek approximately 0.2 of a mile east of the iron bridge (paved crossroad north from Highway 51, west of Magnet Cove cemetery).

(G) Smoky quartz and brookite occur on a small hill due south of the cemetery at the junction of Ark Highway 51 and the barite mine road (N.L. Baroid sign on Highway 51)

 

Source: Arkansas Geological Commission

There are many mineral collecting locations in Arkansas on public property. However, most of the better known sites are on private property, claims on public property, or leases on private property. This guide is written to describe various mineral collecting locations and is not to be used or construed to be permission to obtain access to sites. Permission should be obtained from owners, lease holders, or companies before collecting any location not on public land. Federally owned or administered properties are controlled by various Federal agencies and certain of these lands, such as Wilderness areas, National Parks, and National Guard training camps are withheld from collecting. Highway right-of-ways (except interstate), navigable streams and the majority of Federal lands are open to hand tool collecting.

Ch 3 page 17

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