The Deer Hill amethyst locality is a pegmatite of granitic composition. The term pegmatite simply means that the individual mineral grains are relatively large; upwards of 3-5 cm. where as in granite the average individual grain size is much smaller. This location has produced a large amount of amethyst (purple quartz) along with many other minerals, including feldspars of many varieties, beryl, garnet, columbite, pyrite, and muscovite. The collecting area on Deer Hill is located on the south east side of the hill where you can dig through glacial sediments under the surficial deposits.
Directions
Follow Rte.113 to Deer Hill Rd. in No. Chatham, NH. Follow Deer Hill Rd. 2.2 miles to the Deer Hill Mineral Collecting Area trailhead. Follow the yellow blazed hiking trail for .1 miles to a fork in the trail. Bear right for .4 miles to permit area 1, left for .4 miles to permit areas 2 and 3. Hobby mineral collecting is only allowed in these designated areas marked by a blue painted boundary.
GPS Coordinates
Latitude 44° 13′ 53.0004″ N
Longitude 70° 58′ 48.0000″ W