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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 Wevsite
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