Mascot Mine Natural Area

🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 Underground Crystal Mine — Historic mica and beryl mine with tunnels you can explore — one of the few walk-in mines in New England

Mascot Mine Natural Area in Groton protects a historic mica and beryl mine — part of the Grafton County pegmatite mining district that once supplied mica for insulation, windows (before glass was common), and electronics. The mine features walk-in tunnels where visitors can see pegmatite veins containing mica, quartz, feldspar, and occasionally beryl (the mineral family including emerald and aquamarine). New Hampshire’s Grafton County was one of the world’s most productive mica mining regions from the 1800s through World War II.

Visitor Information

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I collect minerals?

Collecting is generally not permitted in the Natural Area, but the surrounding Grafton County region has several fee-dig sites where you can collect your own mica, quartz crystals, and beryl specimens. Ruggles Mine (nearby) was historically the most famous collecting site.

About Mascot Mine

Mascot Mine Natural Area in Gorham preserves a historic feldspar and mica mine in the White Mountains. New Hampshire — the “Granite State” — was a major source of feldspar, mica, and beryl for over a century. The pegmatite deposits of the White Mountains produced mica for electrical insulation and feldspar for ceramics. The abandoned mine tunnels and waste rock piles illustrate the state’s mining heritage.

Things to Do

Exploring the historic mine area, mineral collecting (surface specimens), hiking, learning about New Hampshire’s mining heritage, and studying the geology of White Mountain pegmatites.

Insider Tips

Mica mine: Mascot Mine was once a major mica producer — the mineral was essential for electrical insulation before synthetic alternatives. Pro tip: New Hampshire’s White Mountains contain exceptional mineral deposits — the state has produced beryl, mica, feldspar, and rare earth minerals. Mineral collecting: The abandoned mine area is popular with rock hounds — but stay out of the mine shafts (dangerous).

Best Time to Visit

Summer: Best for exploring the grounds. Fall: Mountain foliage around the mine site. Spring: Wildflowers among mine ruins. Year-round: Interpretive trail accessible.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was mica used for?

Mica is a silicate mineral that splits into thin, transparent, heat-resistant sheets — making it ideal for electrical insulation, windows in wood stoves, and peepholes in furnaces. Before plastics, mica was essential for the electrical industry. New Hampshire mica mines produced high-quality muscovite sheets. The mines closed as synthetic alternatives became cheaper, but mica remains important in electronics and cosmetics.

Wildlife & Nature

Mascot Mine Natural Area — in Gorham — preserves the remains of a 19th-century gold and silver mine in the White Mountains. Mining operations — active from the 1880s to early 1900s — extracted gold-bearing quartz from the metamorphic rock. The mine tunnels, tailings, and foundations remain. The surrounding forest of spruce, fir, and birch supports black bears, moose, and snowshoe hares. Dark-eyed juncos and white-throated sparrows sing from the understory.

Nearby Attractions

Gorham — adjacent — is a White Mountains gateway with access to the Presidential Range. Mount Washington Auto Road — 10 miles south — ascends to the highest peak in the Northeast. Pinkham Notch — 10 miles south — has the AMC Visitor Center and Tuckerman Ravine trailhead. Shelburne Birches — 5 miles east — has scenic white birch groves.