Whats so special about Mt. Apatite?
In the early 1900s, Mt. Apatite, which is located on the outskirts of Auburn, housed quarries that produced large amounts of commercial feldspar. Mining activities in these quarries also turned up rare minerals, colorful tourmaline crystals, and large crystals of smokey quartz. Today, Mt. Apatite Park is owned and administered by the City of Auburn and is one of the best places in Maine for members of the general public to go mineral hunting. For directions to Mt. Apatite, plus an excellent summary of its history and geology, see the Maine Geological Survey’s Geologic Field Trips Page.
