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Best of Salida - Rockhounding and Mineral Collecting The State of Colorado ranks as one of the most strongly mineralized areas in the world. In the United States it is surpassed only by California in the variety of minerals to be found there. Most minerals in the State do not appear in large concentrations but are widely scattered in small sites throughout the state. Many of those sites are on public lands. Although Colorado is a leading producer of gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, uranium, radium, vanadium and molybdenum, ores are not the only minerals found in the State. Also found throughout the state are at least thirty varieties of gems. Rock Hounding Sites in Chaffee County Semiprecious and precious gems and minerals are found in a number of locations in the region. Chaffee County is one of the most productive geological areas in the world. A total of 127 different minerals have been identified in the county. The Columbine Gem and Mineral Society offers outings and excursions to sites around Chaffee County. Brown's Canyon District Access: From US 285 take Chaffee County Roads 194 and 193 east. Most unmarked roads
lead to mines. Road 194 (Hecla Junction Road) passes four old fluorspar
mine sites. Minerals include: fluorspar and small specimens of botryoidal
fluorite. Marshall Pass - Jasper, agate, marble, some geodes, picture sandstone and rhyolite are found along the old abandoned railroad grade which serves as a summer visitors road over Marshall Pass. Some fossils are found on the western slope. Mt. Antero (and Mt. White)-- Probably one of the most interesting mineral areas in North America. Third highest gem field in the world and is Americas highest gem field. Rare aquamarine crystals, bright blue beryl, goshenite, phenacite, betrandite, smoky quartz, microcline, topaz, flourite and apatite can be found on the talus slopes at around 14,000 feet.The minerals occur in small cavities and pegmatites in granite. The weather is always unpredictable. Frequent afternoon thunderstorms, rain and hail can discourage the most dauntless collector. Minerals found here include: aquamarine, phenakite, smoky quartz, flourite, topaz, blue and green beryl. Collecting here is not dangerous but it is difficult.The collecting season is very short--only about four months--since snow blocks the roads until the end of June. Access up the Mt. Antero Road is slow due to the extremely rough road and many extreme switchbacks. It should be attempted only in a high clearance, 4-wheel drive vehicle. Making this trip and climbing to the summit leaves little time for collecting. So start early. Carry emergency supplies and proper clothing. Sudden, dramatic weather changes and thunderstorms are common. Get off the summit in the event of a storm. Antero Collecting is for the hardy soul who is in good physical condition. Poncha Pass - Sheelite, a very fluorescent tungsten mineral. Use a portable black light at night to search for this mineral. Ruby Mountain area near Nathrop, six miles south of Buena Vista, has been an active specimen collecting area for over 100 years and produces small crystals of spessartite garnet, yellow topaz and obsidian in perlite.The Ruby Mountain Site includes BLM and private land. Until 1992, the site was an open collecting area until local land owners began charging a small fee to collect here. Two other volcanic hills that form this group, Dorothy Hill and and Sugarloaf Mountain, also produce specimens. Smoky quartz and sanadine crystals have been found in pegmatites in the area. The three volcanic hills are early Tertiary rhyolite dikes characterized by bases of loose rocks and steep slopes alternating with sharp cliffs dropping into the river. Garnet and topaz specimens can be found by sorting the talus rock at the base of the cliffs. Climb Ruby Mountain from the northeast side. Although the upper portion of Ruby Mountain is rhyolitic, the base is a repository for masses of glassy perlite. "The perlite is lustrous gray and contains many rounded pellets of black obsidian properly known as marekanite." These are popular with mineral collectors and are called Apache tears. "They can be rolled out of the cavities and picked up by the thousands." Access: From Nathrop post Office, go north on US 285. (1.9 mi) Turn right on Chaffee CO 47. Cross the Arkansas River.(2.6) Turn right before farmhouse (on left) and cross Denver and Rio Grande Western RR. Veer east and then south on main road past Sugarloaf Mountain and dry gullies.(5.3) Campground at north end of Ruby Mtn; branch roads go in various directions. Dorothy Hill lies between the highway and the Arkansas River. Sedalia Copper Mine - The deposits at the Sedalia Mine were discovered in 1881. Production began in 1884 and by World War I, the mine was the largest copper mine in Colorado. Work in the mine ceased in 1910. Though the Sedalia dumps produced a wide array of minerals they are particularly known for large almandine garnet crystals weighing up to fifteen pounds. This abandoned copper mine, located 4 miles north of Salida in the Trout Creek Hills is noted for an abundance of large almandite-garnet crystals as well as staurlite, actinolite, asbestos, epidote, corundum, spinel, horneblende, chorite minerals, chrysocolla, malachite, and very rare willemite. This is located on private property, the gates are locked and permission must be secured before collecting. Access: From Salida go north on Colorado 291 toward US 285. Cross the Denver & Rio Grande Western RR. Pass Spiral Drive (Chaffee Co. 180) to right. Cross bridge over the Arkansas River. Turn right opposite Chaffee CO 35 and cross railroad tracks. Turn immediately right following the road along tracks past two farmhouses. Turn left through gate and close it. Go toward hills and follow along fence. Turn right through the second gate and close it. Park near the mine. St. Elmo & Romley - Gold and metal sulfides were discovered in the Mary Murphy Vein in 1870. This initiated a boom that included the Mary Murphy Mine as well as six other mines, two smelters and one of Colorado's first aerial tramways. Operating continuously until 1926, the Mary Murphy produced over $25 million in gold, silver, lead and zinc. The mine was finally closed in 1952. Minerals to be found in the area around the mines and dumps include: smithsonite and cerrusite, pyrite, chalcopyrite, galena, sphalerite, rhodochrosite, rhodonite, quartz. Access: From Nathrop Post Office go south, take Colorado Route 162 west sixteen miles west to St. Elmo. Take Forest Service Road 295 three miles south to nermous mines near the sites of Romley and Pomeroy Gulch. The Alpine Tunnel - Numerous highly mineralized formations exist with abandoned mines every miles or so as you travel over the abandoned narrow gauge railroad bed. Mine dumps produce over 50 varieties of minerals and crystals. The Turret Mining District contains the ghost town of Turret as well as the Calumet Iron Mine, several old gold mines and numerous pegmatite bodies. Minerals to be found include epidote, beryl, muscovite, garnet, jasper, quartz, corundum, feldspar, hematite, actinolite, uralite, biotite, marble and others. Other mines in the area include the Homestake Mine (albite) and the Independence Mine (molybdenite). the Homestake mine is the site of numerous pegmatite minerals. Feldspar, mica and quartz are present in the min dumps and in the area around the mine. The Homestake is also near the massive old quarry where caution is advised if you choose to hike around it. The quarries floor is flooded and slippery rocks in wet conditions can be dangerous. The Calumet Mine ownership has changed hands from time to time and it is necessary to get permission prior to entering the property. Access: To the Calumet from Salida: Take 291 north toward US 285. Cross D&RG Western Railroad. Turn right onto Spiral Drive. Cross bridge over Arkansas River. Turn right onto CR 180. Keep left across the railroad at refinery. Keep ahead on Chaffee County 180. Road to right goes up Tenderfoot Hill. Enter San Isabel National Forest through cattle guard. Keep ahead on CR 180 (Right road goes 2 miles to Federal granite quarry.) Fork left onto Chaffee County 190. (180 goes to Whitehorn). Railroad Gulch. Junction of Chaffee County 190 to Turret and CO 31 to Calumet Mine.(The Rock Mine is located on the left side of this junction. ) At the junction of CR 190 and Co31 go on CO 31 to Calumet mine. To the Homestake Mine: Continue up 185 another .7 mile where you will see mine dumps ahead of you. 185 Continues around the quarry. Ute Trail Granite Quarries - Large commercial granite deposits, jasper and crystals. Limonite cubes and fossils can be found near Midway Springs in this vicinity. Taylor Mtn, Cree Creek and Missouri. Fine quartz crystals, limonite cubes, malachite and galena can be found on the slopes and in the mine tailings in the area. Texas Creek - Location of the famous Devil's Hole Mine. Minerals to be found include rose quartz, muscovite, beryl, garnet and columbite. The quarry is once again active and permission to collect should be obtained from Colorado Quarry Trout Creek Pass Area: Jasper and agate float are found in several old pegmatite quarries near Trout Creek Pass. These pegmatites typically have cores of quartz, pink microcline feldspar, and biotite and muscovite mica, with intermediate zones containing quart, potash feldspar, and albit, as well as niobium and thorium minerals on the south and east slopes of Trout Creek Pass area. Also found in the area are rare earth minerals in the local pegmatites and fossils in some of the sedimentary beds. Crystal No. 8 Mine is located on U.S. 24-285 5.9 miles east of the intersection of US 24/285. The mine dump is visible one-quarter mile south of the highway on a low hill across Trout Creek. The Clara May Mine is located one mile east of the Crystal Mine. On Trout Creek Bridge off Hwy 24 follow Forest Service 215 for about one mile. Park in the clearing at the base of the wooded hill and proceed about 250 feet south and up the old mine road. Minerals present include: rose quartz, feldspar, monazite, green flourite, garnet and muscovite mica. Upper Brown's Creek, California Mine- This mine is located on the south slope of the divide between Brown's Creek and Baldwin Gulch, about 2 miles southwest of Mt. Antero, at an altitude of 12,500. It can be reached from the southeast by a hiking trail up Browns Creek from US Hwy 285 near Nathrop or by the jeep road up Baldwin Gulch from Chalk Creek to Mt. Antero. The mine is accessed from the Mt. Antero road at an intersection in the saddle between Mt. Antero and Mt. White. The mine yields specimens of beryl variety aquamarine, biotite, brannerite, flourite, jarosite, molybdenite, quartz, rutile, topaz. Access: From Nathrop Post Office go south to CO162. which follows Chalk Creek west. Take the Baldwin Gulch Road to the summit. Wellsville Area The largest deposit of travertine in Colorado can be found in Wells Gulch on the borders of Chaffee and Fremont Counties. This stone was used in many important buildings throughout the country including in the Dept. of Commerce Bldg. Also found in the area are jasper, manganese, calcite, rare earth minerals, and Paleozoic fossils. The property is currently privately owned. Blocks as large as 100 tons have been excavated from the site. From Salida take US 50 east about 6 miles. Turn left on road to Wellsville. Cross over bridge over Arkansas River. Cross Denver and Rio Grande Western RR tracks and cattle guard. Take right fork of the road. Go .4 miles and follow road to the west as it goes behind a large mining A frame. Turn hard right and follow the road up the hill. Next road to the right leads to the quarry. Box Canyon south of the river near Wellsville - source for many fine dog-toothed calcite crystals in the Pennsylvanian limestone. Cleora - Location for many mines that produced malachite, sheelite and garnet. Check the mine dumps for this material. Rockshops Prospector Rock Shop Rock Hut Columbine Gem and Mineral Society |
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