A common resource used in the Smithing skill, Iron is an ore that can be mined in various places across Old School RuneScape.
Starting at 15 Mining, Iron ore can be used as a viable Mining training method, peaking at around 60k Mining experience per hour if done correctly.
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With Iron as a common ore found in dozens of areas, finding the best place to mine it can be tricky. Players often base where they mine Iron with how quickly they can reach a bank and back (or drop it where they are).
The best places to mine Iron in OSRS include the Trahaern Mine, the Mining Guild, Al Kharid Mine, and the two mining spots south of Varrock.
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Best Places to Mine Iron in OSRS
Iron is used for a variety of reasons, primarily as a training resource for training Smithing at a low level.
For accounts who just left Tutorial Island, mining Iron is one of the best ways to train their skills, as it is both easy to obtain and valuable to sell on the Grand Exchange.
For a more detailed explanation on training Mining in Old School RuneScape, check our levels 1-99 Mining training guide.
Al Kharid Mine
One of the first mines that players reach, the Al Kharid mine, comes with 9 different Iron rocks that players can mine from.
One of the few locations that have three Iron rocks next to each other, F2P players can easily do power mining here for solid Mining experience rates.
Varrock Mine
Walking a bit south from the West Varrock Bank and avoiding the Level-6 Mugger, you will find a small mining area with 3 Iron rocks.
Additionally, on the east side of Varrock is another mine with 3 more Iron rocks to mine from. However, similar to its sister mine, a Level-6 Giant Rat wanders nearby, so low-level players should be cautious.
Dwarven Mine
Accessible through the staircase in the northeast corner of Falador or through the ladders on Ice Mountain, the Dwarven Mine has plenty of ores scattered in the tunnels to mine from, including 9 different Iron rocks.
Although a bit of a further walk from the bank, it is still a suitable location for players looking to mine multiple types of ores in a single trip.
The Mining Guild
If you have 60 Mining, you will be able to access the Mining Guild, which has up to 8 different Iron rocks (depending on if you are using the F2P or members area) and a plethora of other ores.
Another common spot for power-mining, the Mining Guild comes with the added benefit of having a decreased respawn rate for all of its ores. This, combined with the cluster of Iron rocks that are next to each other, makes this an ideal location for mining.
While mining rocks in the Mining Guild, there is a chance you will get an Unidentified Mineral, which is used to purchase the different tiers of Mining Gloves.
Rimmington Mine
If you wish to utilize your Player-Owned House (POH) based in Rimmington, you can quickly head over to the nearby mine, where 6 Iron rocks are available.
Although far from a bank, being able to quickly teleport nearby by only utilizing House Teleports still makes this a notable location to mine Iron.
Mor Ul Rek (TzHaar City) Mine
For higher-level players who have earned a Fire Cape and unlocked the inner ring of TzHaar City, they will find three Iron rocks in the mine towards the city’s south side.
One of the trickier parts about power mining Iron is finding a triangle-shaped cluster that isn’t occupied by other players.
Since the inner ring of Mor Ul Rek is only available to players who have earned a Fire Cape, it is mostly free of bots and other players.
Fossil Island
In the Verdant Valley on Fossil Island, where players complete a portion of their Birdhouse runs, you can find three Iron rocks in a triangle formation for power mining.
While this location is not ideal compared to places like the Mining Guild, where you have a decreased spawn rate and Unidentified Minerals, it is a nice last resort if you want to do a bit of mining while waiting for your Birdhouse to fill up.
Edgeville Dungeon Mine
More commonly reached through the small hut southwest of the Grand Exchange, the Edgeville Dungeon Mine has 3 Iron rocks to mine from. However, you will need to have a Brass Key in your inventory to unlock the door to the hut.
Be warned: in that area of the dungeon are dozens of Level-21 Hill Giants and Level-21, 22, and 25 Skeletons in the mine itself.
While it is handy to deposit the Iron ores to the Grand Exchange quickly, it may not be viable for low-level players.
Wilderness Resource Area
Deep in level 53 Wilderness is the Wilderness Resource Area, where there are all types of ores to mine, including 6 Iron rocks.
The Wilderness Resource Area requires a maximum fee of 7.5k to enter the area (the price lowers depending on how much of the Wilderness Achievement Diary you have completed).
This area is one of the few cases where being a low level may put you at an advantage. While Pkers often come here to do PvP, you may be outside of the combat range bracket for others to attack you if you are at an extremely low level.
Otherwise, if you are a mid or high-level player, be sure to bring gear that has a high melee and magic defense or prepare to die often.
There is also an NPC named Piles that will note items (a reverse of Phials in Rimmington) for a price of 50gp per item. If you are attempting to collect a stack of Iron ore and are willing to risk some gp, you can use Piles to stack up on Iron ore.
Trahaern Mine
If you have completed the “Song of the Elves” quest, you can access the Trahaern Mine in Prifddinas, where 26 different Iron rocks are available, the highest amount in Old School RuneScape.
With “Song of the Elves” being a Grandmaster-level quest, the Trahaern Mine is only reserved for high-level players.
More often, players come to the Trahaern Mine to repeatedly mine the 4 different Runite rocks across different worlds. However, it is still a great spot for power-mining.
There is also a bank around twenty tiles away from the mine entrance, making it great to pile up on ores.
Those are the best places to mine Iron in Old School RuneScape!
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