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Mackay's Mine Hill
Tour - Made possible by the White Knob Historical
Preservation Committee
Mackay's Mine Hill is the most significant part of the Alder
Creek Mining District. Ore was first discovered in 1879, meaning
full production began in 1884, and ore was mined into the 1980s.
Almost a million tons of ore have been removed over the years,
yielding about 42,000 oz. of gold, 2,000,000 oz. of silver,
62,000,000 lbs. of copper, 15,000,000 lbs. of lead, and 5,000,000
lbs. of zinc. Geological sampling still occurs, and mining could
be renewed at any time to withdraw the millions of dollars of
ore remaining in the ground.
The Mackay Mine Hill Tour is a self-guided tour of mining
locations on Mackay's Mine Hill. The tour exists of three routes
color-marked for three different modes of touring:
· Green Route is accessible to all transportation modes.
· Blue Route is accessible to all transportation modes except
low-clearance automobiles.
· Red Route is open only to all-terrain-vehicles
(ATVs), bicycles, motorcycles, horses, or hikers.
The Trestle Route is a separate segment of the Green and
Red Routes.
All of the routes entail a change of elevation from about
6,000 feet at Mackay to about 8,500 feet at the highest point,
and take 2 to 8 hours depending on the route selected and mode
of transportation.
The White Knob Historical Preservation Committee and The
South Custer County Historical Society has created this tour
with help from the City of Mackay, Custer County, The U.S. Forest
Service and The Bureau of Land Management. This is one of the
projects the White Knob Historical Preservation Committee has
led to save Mackay's mining historical sites. These sites are
constantly being restored for the publics safety and enjoyment.
Private individuals, The US Bureau of Land Management, and
The US Forest Service own the land. Treat it gently and courteously.
Travel at your own risk.
Maps are available at Mackay City Hall, South Custer Historical
Society Museum, Local Motels, Restaurants for a donation to
cover cost of printing. download for free -
map,
site description,
brochure
To see more of the Mackay Mine Hill Tour go to:
BLM's Heritage
Website
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