Red Mountain Mining District
Red Mountain Mining District (Ouray, CO)
Over Independence Day weekend this year, I met up with Alex and we headed out to check out the Red Mountain Mining District. This is a short and easy trail very close to Highway 550 that takes you through an area that was actively mined for many years. It is very evident by all of the old mining structures you will pass along this route and can check out.
One of the most successful and famous silver mines in the area is located here; the Yankee Girl Mine. This route also takes you by the Cora Bell Mine, Genessee Mine, National Bell Mine and the Longfellow Mine. If you are interested in the mining history of the area and want to learn more, there is a book called Mountains of Silver by P. David Smith that I would highly recommend. I picked it up locally at a shop in Silverton.
There is more than just old mining structures along this route, there is also great scenery surrounding the trail including the Red Mountains towering above you. There are a number of spur trails that lead up some of the creeks and gulches to explore, and there are even a few meadows and lakes along the way. This is a very photogenic trail.
You can continue past the Red Mountain Mining District into US Basin and then on to Browns Gulch which will take you back towards Silverton if you want to extend your day. However when we got into US Basin, we were stopped by a downed tree and a large snow drift, so we had to turn around and head back to US 550.
Please feel free to leave your comments and post your pictures from the Red Mountain Mining District below.
Red Mountain Mining District KML Track
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Open file above in Google Earth.
