By editor
Sapphire Mountains, Ravalli County
Deep in the Sapphire Mountains, twenty-two kilometers east of Darby, lies a deposit that defies the usual Montana expectations of gold and copper. The Crystal Mountain Mine was an open-pit operation that pulled fluorite from the earth between 1954 and 1973. At Crystal Mountain, the fluorite formed in deep purple, green, and stark white cubes.
Visitor Access
This site is entirely on private property and is strictly closed to the public. Collecting is not permitted without explicit permission from the landowner. It remains a legendary locality in the literature, but it is not a destination for the casual rockhound.