Crazy Hiker Chick: Mineral Fork Trail to Wasatch Mine

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Mineral Fork Trail to Wasatch Mine

Two historic mining site hikes in two weeks, in two different canyons a few short miles from my home. What fun I have!! The Mineral Fork trail to the Wasatch Mine begins about 6 miles up Big Cottonwood Canyon on the right hand side of the road and is blocked by a heavy metal gate. The trail is actually an old mining road, an extremely rocky old road, that is now closed to vehicles with the exception of maybe ATVs and dirt bikes. It is 3 miles to reach the Wasatch Mine with an elevation gain of 1940 feet.

The trail makes several switchbacks and crosses a stream twice. I love the sight and sound of this waterfall flowing across the road. After about 3/4 of a mile the trail opens up for a very nice view down canyon into the Salt Lake Valley.

Mineral Fork cirque.

The trail divides at this small sign with the marker pointing right but either direction leads to the Wasatch mine site. It makes a nice loop! We were walking in some fairly deep snow at this point.

Trail leading to Wasatch Mine

Beauty in ordinary weeds

Snow starts getting deeper.

We see mine tailings and know we are close to Wasatch Mine.

Close up of mine tailings with stream flowing.

Rust colored stream flows from mine entrance.

Unfortunately or fortunately depending on how you look at it, ore in commercial quantities was never found at this mine site and active work stopped in the 1940's. This adit (a level passage from the surface into a mine) goes back some 5000 feet. Luckily the mine entrance is block by a heavy metal gate so no one can venture deep into the mine.