Ward Stamp Mill
Up in the high country of the Eastern Sierra and south of Bridgeport, is the old site of Ward. Never a big mine or camp but it makes an interesting place to visit in that a stamp mill still remains there. It's also a bit of a challenge
Vontrigger Springs
Also known as Von Trigger Springs, the spring and surrounding hills were first prospected in 1858 (some say the 1870s) by a German man named Erick Vontrigger for gold. He found a rich pocket of gold but kept his discovery secret. He died in San Francisco in 1880, taking his
Golden Bee Mine
Most people who visit the Cholla Cactus Garden don't know is an old mine with an interesting history is just a few miles away, gazing down on them.
Hanging Valley and Tungstar Mines
In the late 1930s and early 1940s, surging worldwide demand for tungsten led to the opening of several tungsten mines in the High Sierra above Bishop. Two small but relatively high-grade ore bodies were discovered on the west side of Mt. Tom, which would become the Hanging Valley Mine and
Rattlesnake Canyon Smelter and the Heartbreak Ridge Arrastra
Most people interested in the old mines of Southern California know about the old "Spanish" smelter on the eastern edge of the San Bernardino Mountains. It is just off Burns Canyon Road in Rattlesnake Canyon and is well-visited.
Hexahedron Mine
Sometime before 1894, Al Tingman ("The Father of Indio") and Ed Holland (of Lost Horse Mine fame) staked claims on some rich gold ore outcrops high above Pleasant Valley. They sold the mine to Bill and John Garrison, who formed the Hexahedron Mining Company. The Company dug a