Ray Mica Mine
Burnsville, NC US
Uploaded By Scott (webmaster)
Uploaded on Wednesday, January 6, 2010 at 02:15:42 PM

Viewed 17588 times


Location Type: Public Access
DetailsDirections
Supposedly this location is free for collecting because it is forest service land according to this link (2004). You can find beryl (greenish), mica books on matrix, apatite, quartz, fluorite, red or black garnets, pink thulite, schorl, tourmaline, etc. For pictures go to this page.Here are the directions from my source: "directions to the Ray Mica Mine: from Asheville North Carolina, take US Highway 19-23 North (new I-26 West) to exit 9, Burnsville/Spruce Pine exit, turn right towards Burnsville on US 19 North, drive 17.1 miles into Burnsville, turn right onto Pensacola Road/NC 197 South, drive 0.7 miles to Bolens Creek Road, turn left, drive 1.3 miles to Ray Mine Road, turn left follow Ray Mine Road to the dead end at the US Forest Service road. Park in the gravel parking area and hike approximately 0.3 miles to the base of the dump piles at the Ray Mine, there are several vertical shafts in the area, you will be able to see where people have been collecting". This was from Rick from the wncrocks.com website.

I borrowed the mindat.org GPS coordinates. However I checked it against the directions and it pretty much seems like the same place. However I was confused at the end where the directions did not correspond with the google map. So go wing it with the written directions.
GPS Coordinates (lat,long): (35°53'9"N, 82°16'44"W)
or (35.885833, -82.278888)
Google Map: (The GPS marker is supposed to be exact.)
Follow this Link to Get Google's Directions

Reference Info: http://www.rockhounds.com/rocknet/archive/messages/30848.shtml
Extra Notes: