Burt Mica Mine

Part of the old Custer Mica Mining District, the Burt Mica Mine is close to Custer and an easy place to find neat Mica-Schist specimens.

When to visit: Spring, Fall, Winter (if dry), Summer (if cool)

What you can find: Mica Schist, Rose quartz, black tourmaline

What to bring: Rock hammer, pick axe, chisels, bucket, backpack, water, snacks.

Where to stay: The town of Custer is 10 minutes away and offers hotels, camping, and food. Dispersed camping is allowed in the Black Hills National Forest in many areas, refer to the Black Hills road use maps for more information on where camping is allowed.

Getting there:

From Custer, South Dakota head east 1.1 miles and turn right on Sidney Park Road. Drive 1.3 miles and turn left onto Hazelrodt Cutoff. After 2.5 miles you will see a turn to your left. There is a “No Motor Vehicles Beyond This Point” sign as you turn in. I do typically park just past this sign but do not travel the roads in and I have not had any issues with forest service. This parking area is “Site A.” From here you can follow the the road to the left for a few hundred yards before you head to the right to reach the mine (Site B.) 4wd and high clearance are recommended if traveling secondary forest service roads.

(Site A: 43°44’39.4″N 103°32’14.1″W)
(Site B: 43°44’47.3″N 103°32’14.5″W)

Rockhounding

This old mica mine near Custer South Dakota is loaded with mica schist specimens that are fairly easy to collect. Site B is the main cut of the old mine and mica specimens can be found laying around in and around the mine cut. If you explore the mine tailings in the area many beautiful specimens can be found including nice shiny black tourmaline. Pale rose quartz has also been found in this area. The hillsides behind the main mine are likely to have more pegmatite minerals waiting to be found.