Rapid Creek: Rockhounding in Inuvik Region, Yukon
- Minerals reported
- 4
Rapid Creek is a mapped rockhounding spot in Inuvik Region, Yukon, Canada. Reported finds include lazulite, wardite, gormanite, quartz. Below: coordinates, access notes, and nearby spots.
About Rapid Creek
Rapid Creek, in the far northern Yukon, is one of the world's great phosphate mineral localities: the Geological Survey of Canada has documented more than thirty phosphate species from the area. The host is the Rapid Creek Formation, a Cretaceous sequence of phosphate- and siderite-rich ironstone interbedded with shale and sandstone, fractured during folding and mineralized by low-temperature fluids. Since its discovery in the 1970s, the locality's sharp indigo lazulite crystals have been regarded as the finest in the world, and lazulite is the official gemstone of Yukon; wardite and gormanite occur alongside. The site is among the most remote in Canada, historically reached by helicopter, and collecting is no longer permitted.
Plan your visit
Confirm rules before collecting
- County
- Inuvik Region
- Province
- Yukon
- Coordinates
- 68.54000, -136.79960
Coordinates are approximate. Confirm the exact ground and access before you head out.
Land & collecting status
Confirm rules before collecting
Land status here is not confirmed. National and provincial parks prohibit collecting, while Crown land and many beaches allow it. Verify with the managing agency before you collect.
Collecting rules in Canada are set provincially and by land owner. Crown land and many public beaches allow casual hand collecting, while provincial and national parks are off-limits. Confirm the rules for this site before you dig.
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LazuliteEncyclopedia →
Wardite
Gormanite
QuartzEncyclopedia →
Nearby rockhounding spots
Other rockhounding spots in Yukon within driving distance of Rapid Creek.
Rapid Creek FAQ
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More rockhounding in Yukon
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