Mineral Collecting in Maine (Edgecomb Mine)

This mine is not much to look at, but it is a big mine.sharp left turn onto Old County road and drive 0.75
Living on the coast of Maine also does not leave toomile to where driveways turn left and right. From this
many options for mineral collectors. Most of the majorpoint, continue straight ahead for another 0.30 mile on
mines, with the exception of the Callahan mine arewoods road, driving carefully over the rough parts. This
found in North Western Maine. This mine is located inis a dirt road. Turn right into parking area for C.O.
the town of Edgecomb in the County of Lincoln, Maine.Schmid Preserve, at entrance to side road, and park
This mine has not been worked for a long time. Thereon left side of this road. (avoid private property on right
are two open pits that I have found, both of which areside) Walk south on woods road for about 900 feet to
filled with water. The first quarry is smaller than theclearing on knoll. Quarry pits and dumps are in woods
second, but it is still quite large. Talise piles can beon south side of clearing. (Maine Mineral Localities 3rd
found around this quarry and along either side of theEDT. by W.B Thompson, D.L. Joyner, R.G. Woodman,
road. A dirt road runs along the quarries and then theV.T. King)
trail turns into four wheel trails. The second and olderMake sure to ware a heavy duty pair of boots,
quarry is back in the woods a ways. Talise piles arepreferably water proof. There are some marshy
scattered all around this quarry. Judging from their sizeareas on the way to the mine. I would also
and depth I would say they removed a lot of materialrecommend that you bring some bug spray. The black
from this second pit. I believe this mine was originally inflies and mosquitos are thick out there.You don't have
operation for its muscovite mica. I really did not find tooto be too concerned about sun screen, because the
many fantastic specamines from this mine. I only camearea is pretty heavily wooded. There was plenty of
away with some samples of smokey quartz,shade when I was there. A sifting screen will come in
muscovite mica, and some orthoclase feldspar.handy here since the talise piles have bot been
Minerals that can be found here are almandine garnet,worked in a long time. If you want to find anything then
beryl, biotite, muscovite, microcline, milky quartz andyour best bet is to sift through the talise piles. I dug
smokey quartz. I did find some samples of almandinethrough the piles for a while and only found quartz,
garnet, but they were small crystals. Unfortunately Imica, and feldspar. I generally only visit this mine when
was unable to find any beryl. I did find examples of allthe urge to go mineral hunting strikes me, but I don't
of the other minerals that can be found here. Here arefeel like traveling too far. I recommend visiting this mine
the directions to locating the mine:only because you never know what you are going to
Driving from the junction of route 1 with route 27 infind. Just because I had no luck it does not mean that
Edgecomb, drive south on route 27 for 3.10 miles. Takeyou won't.