Keane Wonder Mine [Suggest Edits]

Description

The Keane Wonder operated for only five years (1907 to 1912) before it ran out of profitable gold-bearing ore. In that short time, several different owners pulled roughly $35,000,000 (at today’s prices) of gold out of the Funeral Mountains. To do so, they built a a mill at the bottom of the mountain and connected it to the mine via a mile-long aerial tramway. They also piped water in from a spring four miles away! The old mill site is a short distance from the parking area but to see the upper tramway terminal and the old mine, you have to do a steep 1.5 mile, 1,500-foot hike up the mountain. The neatest thing about this hike – beyond the amazing views it offers of the Valley – is the well-preserved tramway, with most of its towers intact, some cables still attached, and one ore bucket hanging in space.

Half-Day Hike: The parking area is at the end of a 2.8 mile gravel road (passable to 2WD cars but drive with care) from the Beatty Cutoff Road, 5.7 miles north from Highway 190. The old mill site is easily accessible from the parking area but reaching the upper tramway structure and the mine itself involves a short, but steep, hike.

Gem Type: Historic Site