Visit Fort Drum Crystal Mine, Okeechobee, Florida

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The Fort Drum Mine, also known as the Rucks Pit or Fort Drum Crystal Mine, was first recognized as a geologically and scientifically important locality as far back as the early 1990's. During that time, Dr. Thomas M. Scott, Assistant Florida State Geologist, discovered the presence of calcite spar geodes within a gray sandy limestone in the old Rucks pit (now the large recreational lake adjacent to the mine campground). Besides the presence of the calcite geodes, the mine was of special interest to scientists in that it was continuously pumped, allowing for in situ collecting of fossil specimens and for direct study of the exposed geological formations. The calcite geodes were also of special interest, as they had formed as large aggregations of dogtooth spar growing inside fossilized clams (bivalve mollusks) and whelks (gastropod mollusks). As far as is known, this type of dogtooth spar geode is unique to the Fort Drum Mine. The gem-like crystals were discovered after the hard limestone deposits came to be excavated for aggregate. In 2008 the quarry known as Ruck's Pit was closed and allowed to flood. Nowadays another location 2 blocks west have been opened. Ruck's Pit in Fort Drum, Florida, which is owned and operated by Eddie Rucks, is the PRIME locality to find minerals and fossils combined in the same specimen. Specimens from this locality range from 1.6 to 2 million years old. What you'll find: • Loose, gem-quality calcite crystals and crystal clusters. Some individual crystals can be over an inch long. • Large, fossilized clams filled with calcite crystal • Other fossilized shellfish, like whelks and olive shells. On rare occasions, you’ll find one of these filled with tiny crystals. Tips for happy hunting: • Wear comfortable clothes that you won’t mind getting dirty. Because they will. • Boots – or other shoes with ankle support – are a good idea. Loose rocks can give you a twist. • Wear gloves. The tiny, fossilized shells that make up the rock can have rough edges. • Bring a hammer, chisel, hoe and flathead screwdriver. The driver is a valuable tool for carefully loosening the dirt and rock around your fragile finds. • Bring buckets. For adults, the mine charges $30 for a five-gallon bucket. For kids under 12, it’s $15. • Bring newspapers. Calcite is “soft” crystal and easily scratched. Wrap your finds before they go in your bucket. • Bring a cooler and plenty to drink. • Wear sunscreen. While there are shade pavilions, when you get the “crystal fever,” you’ll forget how long you’ve been standing in the sun.

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