Golconda Mining Complex, Engineer, California and Hurricane Passes

Destination:  Golconda Mining Complex

The Golconda Mining Complex is a gold mining site established in the 1920s. Gold, silver, lead, zinc and copper were extracted from the mine.  It is one of only 2 mines in the district that produced native gold, which was more valuable, as it could be processed without chemicals.  The workforce consisted of about 100 miners, who lived in the massive boarding house.  The mine consists of over 7,000 feet of underground, interconnecting tunnels.  The portal is gated and inaccessible.  The BLM stabilized the boarding house in 2015.  Visitors can view the pneumatic compressor equipment inside the outbuilding.

The spur road leading to the Golconda Mine is approximately 2.5 miles long.  It’s rocky, steep and narrow.  Meeting oncoming traffic on this road becomes a challenge.  Be prepared to have to back up on this steep, narrow and rocky road.

On the drive up, Mary used the radio to give the group a little history about the area.  We spent about an hour at the mine to explore and have lunch.

On the return trip to Silverton, we made the turn at Animas Forks to head over California and Hurricane Passes.  We stopped for the must-have photos at all the pass signs.

A couple rigs then took Corkscrew Pass toward Ouray, while most of the group continued through Gladstone and back to Silverton.

It was a full day, but a great time was had by all!

Photo credits to Lisa Taylor and Gary Harris.