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Jones Mill Quarry, Arkansas, USA
You are here: MineralCollecting.org >> Localities >> Jones Mill Quarry, Arkansas, USA

| Locality Data | Description | Locality Pictures | Collecting | Minerals | Tools
| Directions | Area Maps | Weather Conditions | Area Businesses | Closest Campgrounds |
| Other Points of Interest | Other Collecting | Area Rock Shops | Literature | Related Websites |

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Locality Data

Name: Jones Mill Quarry
Alternate Name: Highway 51 Quarry
Alternate Name: Mid-State Quarry
Location: near Jones Mill, Hot Spring county, Arkansas, United States
GPS:
Locality Type: Active Open Pit Mine
Mined by: Martin Marietta Materials
Prodominent Host Rock: Staley Shale (sedimentary) and Syenite (igneous)
Prodominent Mineralization Host: Quartz Viens and Syenite Pegmatite
Mineral Species Count: ~40
Accessibility: Moderately Difficult
Collectibility: Moderate
Explanations

Description

Jones Mill Quarry straddles the contact between Magnet Cove and the outlying Stanley Shale. Magnet Cove is an igneous intrusion that invaded the Stanley Shale (sedimentary) causing contact metaphorphism on and around the border where the two rock types meet. The result was severe hardening of the shale which makes it a wonderful use for aggregate. The southern three quarters of the quarry is in the metamorphosed Stanley Shale and is the active portion of the mine. The northern one quarter of the quarry is a transition zone from shale altered to fenite grading into the border syenites of the Magnet Cove complex. This area has only recently been exposed and for the first time in a decade collectors can aquire fresh minerals from Magnet Cove again. The mine is a large open pit operation which is now four benches deep.

Locality Pictures

Collecting

Collecting is with permission in advance only and it is suggested that you attend with a pre-scheduled group. In addition to hard hats, the quarry now requires that steel toed shoes and safety glasses are worn at all times. In the past, good minerals have been found in quartz veins in the Stanley Shale. Now that the quarry nears Magnet Cove a number of large dikes containing unusual minerals have been exposed. The dikes are very weathered and are rather unsuitable at present for collecting decent specimens. Dikes running parallel to the bedding of the shale, or sills rather, have typically yielded good specimens of a variety of unusual minerals. These dikes resemble small seams between the layers of shale which open to faces of crystals when split. Local minerals may include but are not restricted to the following: anatase, apatite, fluorite, hematite, kolbeckite, pyrite, rutile, smoky quartz crystals, titanite, quartz crystals.

Minerals

Local minerals may include, but are not restricted to, the available specimens in the pictures listed below:

Tools

Always remember safety glasses, steel toe shoes, and hard hat. Recommended tools include the following in order of importance: rock hammer, crack hammer, sledge hammer, chisel, buckets or bags or flats, hammer drill, optivisor or loupe or magnifying glass, tweezers.

Recommended supplies include the following: water, snacks, wrapping paper, sunscreen

Driving Directions

I-30 south from Little Rock, AR to exit 98 Malvern. Right on 270 to Hot Springs. About 4 miles west on 270 then right at sign for entrance to Jones Mills Quarry.

Area Maps

Weather Conditions

Area Businesses

Super 8 Motel
(501) 332-5755
Malvern exit then north 0.3 miles
Wal-Mart
1 mile southeast of I-30 on Hwy. 270
Western Sizzlin'
Clayton House
Waffle House
Subway
1-2 miles southeast of I-30 on Hwy. 270
Midway Barbecue
Hwy. 270 north midway between Malvern and Hot Springs

Closest Campgrounds

Hot Springs National Park KOA
838 McClendon Rd
Hot Springs, AR 71901
1-501-624-5912

Lake Catherine State Park
1200 Catherine Park Road
Hot Springs, AR 71913
lakecatherine@arkansas.com
1-501-844-4176

Lake Ouachita State Park
5451 Mountain Pine Road
Mountain Pine, AR 71956
lakeouachita@arkansas.com
1-501-767-9366

Pinnacle Mountain State Park
11901 Pinnacle Valley Road
Roland, AR 72135
pinnaclemountain@arkansas.com
1-501-868-5806

Crater of Diamonds State Park
209 State Park Road
Murfreesboro, AR 71958
1-870-285-3113

Other Points of Interest

Wild River Country Water Park
6820 Crystal Hill Road
Little Rock, AR 72118
1-501-753-8600
http://www.wildrivercountry.com/

Pinnacle Mountain State Park
11901 Pinnacle Valley Road
Roland, AR 72135
1-501-868-5806

Little Rock Zoo
1 Jonesboro Drive
Little Rock, AR 72205
1-501-663-4733
http://www.littlerockzoo.com/

Other Collecting in the Area

3M Quarry
Granite Mountain Quarry #1
Granite Mountain Quarry #2
Granite Mountain Quarry #3
Magnet Cove
Mauldin Mountain

Area Rock Shops

CTS Rocks & Minerals
1501 E. Grand
Hot Springs, AR 71901

Wright's Rock Shop
3612 Albert Pike Road
Hot Springs, AR 71901
1-501-767-4800

Jim Coleman Crystal Mines and Rock Shop
5837 N. Highway 7
Jessieville, AR
1-501-984-5453 or 1-501-318-0739

Stanley's Rock Shop
513 S. Pine Street
Mount Ida, AR 71957

Literature

Arkansas Literature Listings

Related Websites

Images of Minerals from Jones Mill
Picture of Jones Mill with desciption

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