Old mines, ghost towns, etc......

  • HTML tutorial

trikebubble

Rank V
Launch Member

Advocate I

2,522
Penticton, BC
Member #

1969

Tri

Trik - where was the 4th photo taken ... the one with the vehicle in the rock formation / cave-looking thing?
That's the upper stope at the French Mine in the Similkameen. From what I hear they have blocked it off due to vandalism. The whole area is fantastic. The Mascot Mine is probably the most famous old mine in the area.
 

Captain Chaos

Rank VI
Launch Member

Traveler III

3,402
No
First Name
No
Last Name
No
I’ve recently became interested in mining. I can’t believe I’ve missed this thread all these years.
 
  • Like
Reactions: grubworm

johnO

Rank II
Launch Member

Contributor II

301
Portland, OR
First Name
John
Last Name
Olivier
Member #

14892

Ham/GMRS Callsign
KJ7BXG
That's the upper stope at the French Mine in the Similkameen. From what I hear they have blocked it off due to vandalism. The whole area is fantastic. The Mascot Mine is probably the most famous old mine in the area.
Thanks - it is way cool.
 

Forte

Rank IV
Launch Member

Enthusiast III

1,210
Fountain Hills, AZ, USA
First Name
Colin
Last Name
McW
Member #

15957

What a sweet thread! I'll second an earlier post, I love rusty stuff!

89162
This is @bawesomfels old XJ when we were out exploring AZ north of Phoenix. I guess I'm not exactly sure on location, he could probably fill in exactly where we were, we went solo in his rig. Few old concrete structures, water tower, and a large iron hopper that the pic was taken from.

89163
This is at the abandoned SASCO mining town north of Tucson AZ. Played a lot of airsoft (with permission of the land owners) out there when I was going to school in Tucson. There are a bunch of cool old concrete structures out there including a very large 20+ft tall hexagonal forge and a stretch of tall concrete pylons that supported rails for the trains that brought ore to SASCO. There are also a few brick buildings nearby the dirt road to SASCO and a water crossing as well. Usually it was less than 12" deep and a stock 4WD made it through just fine, but we did have to push out someone's 90s Explorer once that the owner had hydrolocked. Never drove further than the mine but I'm sure there are some good trails out there. Exit 226 off the I-10 for the curious...
 

bawesomfels

Rank VI
Launch Member

Influencer I

3,346
Phoenix, AZ
First Name
Ben
Last Name
Ockenfels
Member #

13437

Service Branch
Army
What a sweet thread! I'll second an earlier post, I love rusty stuff!

View attachment 89162
This is @bawesomfels old XJ when we were out exploring AZ north of Phoenix. I guess I'm not exactly sure on location, he could probably fill in exactly where we were, we went solo in his rig. Few old concrete structures, water tower, and a large iron hopper that the pic was taken from.
I got you fam, here's the lat/ long for our little adventure in the XJ. 33°57'53.78"N 112°29'6.75"W
 
  • Like
Reactions: Forte

torquenbeans

Rank IV
Launch Member

Contributor I

1,346
Tustin, CA, USA
Member #

16965

Anyone happen to have a map or locations around southern California or close to? I'd love to plan a trip just around seeing some of these style sites.
 

Prerunner1982

Local Expert, Oklahoma USA
Launch Member
Member

Member III

3,372
Navina, Oklahoma
First Name
Jon
Last Name
B
Member #

16274

We don't have a whole lot of mining in Oklahoma, except for America's most toxic ghost town, Picher, Ok.
But I do also have a thing for ghost towns, old homesteads, old schools, bridges, and cemeteries.
Here are a few of mine, more can be found on the Day of Dirt Adventure facebook page: Day of Dirt Adventure
DSCF2535.JPGDSCF2352.JPG
DSCF2314.JPGSAM_3062.JPGSAM_3085.JPG
DSCF0534.JPG
DSCF0473.JPG
 

CR-Venturer

Rank VI
Launch Member

Traveler III

3,372
Ardrossan, AB, Canada
First Name
Jas
Last Name
Spr
Member #

16340

That's the upper stope at the French Mine in the Similkameen. From what I hear they have blocked it off due to vandalism. The whole area is fantastic. The Mascot Mine is probably the most famous old mine in the area.
Vandals absolutely infuriate me. The worst kind of alpha hotels... There used to be an awesome 4x4 route that went along Chilliwack lake almost to the border, but they blocked it at some point due to...you guessed it, vandals.
 

grubworm

Rank V
Launch Member

Member III

2,358
louisiana
First Name
grub
Last Name
worm
Member #

17464

Service Branch
USN-Submarines
I’ve recently became interested in mining. I can’t believe I’ve missed this thread all these years.
Same here. I was driving thru southwest Colorado years back and since I had a 4x4 I decided to venture off onto some side roads off Hwy 550. Ended up seeing some some old abandoned mines and then went on a tour of a old mine outside Silverton and was really fascinated by it all. I could easily make a trip just out of seeing old mines...
 

Desert Runner

Rank VII
Launch Member

Expedition Master III

8,507
Southern Nevada
First Name
Jerold
Last Name
F.
Member #

14991

Ham/GMRS Callsign
/GMRS=WREA307
We don't have a whole lot of mining in Oklahoma, except for America's most toxic ghost town, Picher, Ok.
But I do also have a thing for ghost towns, old homesteads, old schools, bridges, and cemeteries.
Here are a few of mine, more can be found on the Day of Dirt Adventure facebook page: Day of Dirt Adventure
View attachment 93830View attachment 93831
View attachment 93832View attachment 93833View attachment 93834
View attachment 93835
View attachment 93836
Just love the old bridge to nowhere, and those stone, rail line abutment's on the abandoned grade.
 

Willys_2014

Rank IV
Launch Member

Advocate III

1,346
AZ, USA
First Name
G
Last Name
B
Member #

18391

What a sweet thread! I'll second an earlier post, I love rusty stuff!

View attachment 89162
This is @bawesomfels old XJ when we were out exploring AZ north of Phoenix. I guess I'm not exactly sure on location, he could probably fill in exactly where we were, we went solo in his rig. Few old concrete structures, water tower, and a large iron hopper that the pic was taken from.

View attachment 89163
This is at the abandoned SASCO mining town north of Tucson AZ. Played a lot of airsoft (with permission of the land owners) out there when I was going to school in Tucson. There are a bunch of cool old concrete structures out there including a very large 20+ft tall hexagonal forge and a stretch of tall concrete pylons that supported rails for the trains that brought ore to SASCO. There are also a few brick buildings nearby the dirt road to SASCO and a water crossing as well. Usually it was less than 12" deep and a stock 4WD made it through just fine, but we did have to push out someone's 90s Explorer once that the owner had hydrolocked. Never drove further than the mine but I'm sure there are some good trails out there. Exit 226 off the I-10 for the curious...
I have not been out to Sasco in some time, but we go occasionally. My wife has family buried at the adjacent old cemetery.

Last time I explored the mining town, it was really really trashed. A terrible shame, as the history is lost.

Neat place otherwise. And yeah, aside from crossing the Santa Cruz, it is an easy drive.

***

Sometimes we will camp by the old Cochran town site, not far from the Gila.

But, there is literally nothing left of Cochran but slabs.

***

Beautiful photography in this thread. Stunning work.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 9Mike2

9Mike2

Rank V
Launch Member

Member III

2,741
Garden Grove, California
Member #

2706

I have not been out to Sasco in some time, but we go occasionally. My wife has family buried at the adjacent old cemetery.

Last time I explored the mining town, it was really really trashed. A terrible shame, as the history is lost.

Neat place otherwise. And yeah, aside from crossing the Santa Cruz, it is an easy drive.

***

Sometimes we will camp by the old Cochran town site, not far from the Gila.

But, there is literally nothing left of Cochran but slabs.

***

Beautiful photography in this thread. Stunning work.
Yes , it's very sad to see what people are leaving and doing to these places.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Willys_2014

Advtres

Rank VI
Member
Investor

Steward I

4,122
Hollister, CA, USA
First Name
Lizabeth
Last Name
Deliriumskid
Member #

30725

Ham/GMRS Callsign
KN6STB
Like many of you I am into the old townsites, history and pre-history relic hunting… when we went out to Death Valley during tday weekend we met another 4runner in Skiddo, the individual was like hey do you know where the stamp mill is, and I was like in my head : there is a stamp mill out here? Darn I didn’t even know that… so after they took off I scouted around and found it down the trail… it was so cool!

BC3F7101-85BD-47AC-96F1-EF9B58B53990.jpeg
 

PCO6

Rank V
Launch Member

Member III

2,268
Newmarket, Ontario
First Name
Stew
Last Name
Beatty
Member #

12534

I took this pic at Seguin Falls which is about a half an hour east of Parry Sound in Ontario. It shows the supports for the abandoned railroad trestle bridge and the now popular trail below it. Seguin Falls was one of the towns along the Nipissing Colonization Road. They were built at about 10km intervals along the Nipissing Road to provide rest and food for travelers. At the end of the 1800s and into the early 1900s it had a hotel and saw mill but the town was all but gone by the early 1930s.

Seguin Falls 1.jpg
 

CR-Venturer

Rank VI
Launch Member

Traveler III

3,372
Ardrossan, AB, Canada
First Name
Jas
Last Name
Spr
Member #

16340

I took this pic at Seguin Falls which is about a half an hour east of Parry Sound in Ontario. It shows the supports for the abandoned railroad trestle bridge and the now popular trail below it. Seguin Falls was one of the towns along the Nipissing Colonization Road. They were built at about 10km intervals along the Nipissing Road to provide rest and food for travelers. At the end of the 1800s and into the early 1900s it had a hotel and saw mill but the town was all but gone by the early 1930s.

View attachment 219938
Awesome. I love finding stuff like this. I'm hoping to do a trip to Cassiar, BC during the summer of 2022. It was an old asbestos mining town.
 
  • Like
Reactions: PCO6 and 9Mike2

05EXCURSION

Rank VI

Influencer I

3,665
Renton, King County, Washington, United States
First Name
Jason
Last Name
Lujan
Member #

30081

Figured I would share a few from Washington state
Mining town of Monte Cristo &
Henry Jackson mine
 

Attachments