By editor
Cascade County
The town of Neihart sits deep within the Little Belt Mountains, surrounded by the remnants of a silver mining boom that peaked in the 1880s. The geology here consists of Paleozoic sedimentary rocks cut by mineral-rich veins of silver, lead, and zinc.
Visitor Access
The old mine dumps scattered across the surrounding public Forest Service land are free and open to recreational collecting. Neihart is known for producing galena, polybasite, and notably, gem-quality sphalerite. Finding clear, cuttable zinc sulfide is exceptionally rare, making the public dumps around Neihart a prized, accessible locality for serious mineral collectors.