Schickler Fluorite Occurrence, Desmont Mine, Titanite Hill and CN Rock Pile 1 or 2-Day Field Trip

Members can choose to attend just one day or both days. Reserve a motel in Bancroft early if staying overnight.

Please register at the bottom of this page for each day.

Saturday:  Schickler Fluorite Occurrence and Desmont Mine

Near Wilberforce (about 30 minutes from Bancroft) are two mineral locations.  We will meet at the Bancroft Mineral Museum at 10:00 am on Saturday and then drive to the Desmont Mine in the morning and those that want to go to the Schickler Fluorite Occurrence can go in the afternoon. Schickler is rather small so space is limited to 12.

Minerals found at Desmont: Albite, amphibole, biotite, calcite, diopside, edenite, garnet, limestone, magnetite, microcline, molybdenite, pyrite, pyroxene, pyrrhotite, smoky quartz, serpentine, sphalerite, rare stillwellite, thorite, titanite, uraninite.  Desmont Mine is a granite pegmatite and was originally mined for uranium in the 1950s.

Minerals found at Schickler:   Augite, calcite, fluorapatite, fluorite, pyrite, microcline, scapolite, thorite and titanite and yttriaite-y. Fluorites range from clear to deep violet.  There a 15-min walk through beautiful woods to get to the Schickler Occurrence from its parking lot.

There are charge to visit these locations; however the Municipality of Highlands East requires that each attendee over 18 has to complete their online form at: Mineral Collection Application – Highlands East. Please do so before the visit.

Saturday Evening: CN Rock Pile

Minerals at the CN Rock Pile are very different than Desmont mine, Schickler and Titanite Hill. The rocks came from the Golding-Keene Quarry and contains a wide variety including: nepheline, albite, peristerite, biotite, cancrinite (fluorescent), zircons, graphite, plagioclase feldspar, sodalite, hackmanite (fluorescent) and others.

We will meet at 7:30 pm at the entrance to the CN Rock Pile (Follow trial/road across the street from the Mineral Museum). Parking is right next to the CN Rock Pile so it is very easy to start finding minerals. Since the top of the CN Rock Pile has been picked over, digging down a little will produce better specimens. Evening is ideal to find great bright yellow-orange fluorescent minerals so bring along-wave UV (365 nm).

Sunday: Titanite Hill

Located about 25 minutes from Bancroft, Titanite Hill is part of the same local geology as the famous, now closed to the public: Bear Lake Diggings which produced many fine specimens of amphibole and apatite crystals plus others.

On the Sunday, we will meet at Lakeside Gems at 10:00 am. (stay on Highway 28 through Bancroft and drive about 8 minutes), then proceed to the town of Tory Hill (about 20 minutes) which is close to Titanite Hill.  Lakeside Gems will lead the trip to Titanite Hill.

Titanite Hill has produced wonderful specimens of not only amphiboles and fluoroapatite but also titanite, biotite, feldspar, rare fluoro-richterite, quartz, calcite, and others.

Titanite Hill parking is down a small road from Tory Hill village with limited spaces so car pooling is advised. Digging, following calcite veins, can be done at the bottom of the hill or on the hill but realize past rockhounds have already removed many specimens; however good finds are still happening. The best opportunities for better apatite specimens is now at the top which requires a fairly strenuous uphill climb (no paths so no wagons). Recommended tools are hand rake and trowel to extend past digging. A shovel to remove the surface soil in new digging areas would be very helpful. Even a soil sifter is handy to find smaller specimens caught in the soil.

Bring a lunch and drinks.

There is a charge of $15.00 for adults to be collected onsite.