Mackay Mine Hill Tour

Year round outdoor adventures for everyone.

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