Abandoned mines in Gunnison County, Colorado

1. Mine openings

   shafts, adits, air shafts, portals and vertical openings: the ways into underground workings
   564 20.6%
2. Prospect pits and trenches

   shallow exploration diggings that never became a mine
   2,035 74.2%
3. Mines and surface workings

   labelled mines, open pits, strip mines, placer and hydraulic workings
   44 1.6%
4. Quarries, gravel and borrow pits

   construction-material and industrial-mineral extraction
   64 2.3%
5. Dumps, tailings, spoil and gob

   what mining left above ground
   24 0.9%
6. Other reclamation problems

   highwalls, subsidence, polluted or clogged water, fires, slides and gases in OSMRE's inventory
   10 0.4%

A name is the label printed beside the symbol on the map. "First mapped" is the earliest topographic edition that shows the symbol, which bounds the feature's age from above; it is not the date it was worked. Unnamed features (most prospect pits, adits and shafts carry no label) are in the counts above but not this list.

Problem types carry OSMRE's priority prefix: P1 and P2 are threats to health, safety and property, P3 is environmental. A problem area is a cluster of problems reclaimed as one project; several rows can share one location.

1. Adobe Longhorn Mine

   Underground metal/non-metal · Sweetwater Mining Corporation · MSHA ID 0505107
   Abandoned 2019-10-01
2. Bear #3 Mine

   Underground coal · Bear Coal Company Inc · MSHA ID 0503787
   Abandoned and Sealed 1997-08-11
3. Bear Mine

   Underground coal · Bear Coal Company Inc · MSHA ID 0500292
   Abandoned and Sealed 1982-05-27
4. Bear Ranch Gravel Mine

   Surface metal/non-metal · Environmental Excavation LLC · MSHA ID 0505014
   Abandoned 2015-02-27
5. Blister Horn Mine

   Underground metal/non-metal · KME LLC · MSHA ID 0505112
   Abandoned 2023-05-12
6. Blm (Granite Park)

   Surface metal/non-metal · Colorado Department Of Highways · MSHA ID 0503362
   Abandoned 1979-10-09
7. Carter

   Underground metal/non-metal · Atlas Precious Metals Inc · MSHA ID 0500575
   Abandoned 1986-03-24
8. Carter-Raymond

   Underground metal/non-metal · Timberline Mining Company · MSHA ID 0503300
   Abandoned 1979-04-12
9. Chloride

   Underground metal/non-metal · Atlas Precious Metals Inc · MSHA ID 0503967
   Abandoned 1986-03-21
10. Cleopatra

    Underground metal/non-metal · Miocene Resources Inc · MSHA ID 0503591
    Abandoned 1985-04-23
11. Dickerson Pit

    Surface metal/non-metal · Gunnison Gravel & Earth Moving LLC · MSHA ID 0503970
    Abandoned 2016-11-16
12. Elk Creek Mine

    Underground coal · Oxbow Mining, LLC · MSHA ID 0504674
    Abandoned and Sealed 2016-02-01
13. Elk Creek Surface Facilities

    Facility coal · Oxbow Mining, LLC · MSHA ID 0500294
    Abandoned 2001-03-26
14. Enterprise

    Underground metal/non-metal · Harrison Western Corp · MSHA ID 0500676
    Abandoned 1978-08-09
15. Forest Queen

    Underground metal/non-metal · Forest Queen Mines Inc · MSHA ID 0500628
    Abandoned 1976-10-15
16. Gold Links

    Underground metal/non-metal · Keystone Engineering Inc · MSHA ID 0503837
    Abandoned 1983-07-06
17. Gold Poke Placer

    Surface metal/non-metal · Gold Poke Placer · MSHA ID 0504475
    Abandoned 1992-09-24
18. Green Mountain Mill

    Facility metal/non-metal · MW Sorter LLC · MSHA ID 0505143
    Abandoned 2024-02-02
19. Gunnison

    Surface metal/non-metal · Varra Companies, Inc · MSHA ID 0504691
    Abandoned 2009-01-08
20. Gunnison 32 Rd Quarry

    Surface metal/non-metal · Frontier Construction Company · MSHA ID 0504167
    Abandoned 1990-09-13
21. Gunnison County Pit

    Surface metal/non-metal · Gunnison County · MSHA ID 0503647
    Abandoned 1982-12-20
22. Gunnison Pit

    Surface metal/non-metal · Kiewit Western Company · MSHA ID 0504235
    Abandoned 1988-07-11
23. Hawks Nest Coal Yard

    Facility coal · Hawks Nest Coal Yard Inc · MSHA ID 0503996
    Abandoned 1989-04-28
24. Hawks Nest East

    Underground coal · Western Slope Carbon Inc · MSHA ID 0500293
    Abandoned and Sealed 1981-10-01
25. Hawks Nest West

    Underground coal · Western Slope Carbon Inc · MSHA ID 0500257
    Abandoned and Sealed 1986-01-03
26. HOLLENBECK PIT

    Surface metal/non-metal · Columbine Paving Company Inc · MSHA ID 0504007
    Abandoned 1998-08-20
27. Jack David Pit

    Surface metal/non-metal · Butala Construction Company · MSHA ID 0503979
    Abandoned 1985-08-29
28. Jence Mine

    Underground metal/non-metal · Minerals Inc · MSHA ID 0503894
    Abandoned 1984-07-09
29. Levicy

    Underground metal/non-metal · Halcyon Mining Company · MSHA ID 0503949
    Abandoned 1987-07-20
30. McCabe Pit

    Surface metal/non-metal · Rocky Mountain Aggregate & Construction LLC · MSHA ID 0505096
    Abandoned 2025-10-01
31. Midland Mine

    Underground metal/non-metal · Martin Trost Associates · MSHA ID 0503564
    Abandoned 1982-09-09
32. Mineral Hill Mine

    Surface metal/non-metal · Colorado Gold Mines · MSHA ID 0503990
    Abandoned 1987-07-15
33. Monte Carlo

    Underground metal/non-metal · Atlas Precious Metals Inc · MSHA ID 0503966
    Abandoned 1986-03-21
34. Mount Emmons Project

    Underground metal/non-metal · U.S. Energy Corp. · MSHA ID 0500409
    Abandoned 2014-01-29
35. Mt Emmons

    Underground metal/non-metal · Climax Molybdenum Company · MSHA ID 0503142
    Abandoned 1979-01-09
36. National Park Service

    Surface metal/non-metal · Colorado Department Of Highways · MSHA ID 0503363
    Abandoned 1982-08-13
37. Nest Egg Ventures Inc

    Underground metal/non-metal · Nest Egg Ventures Inc · MSHA ID 0503082
    Abandoned 1977-08-11
38. O C Coal Mine

    Underground coal · O C Coal Mine · MSHA ID 0500259
    Abandoned and Sealed 1992-06-12
39. Paymaster Mine

    Underground metal/non-metal · C C F Mining · MSHA ID 0503191
    Abandoned 1979-02-16
40. Placer No 1

    Surface metal/non-metal · Griffen Mining · MSHA ID 0503192
    Abandoned 1979-02-16
41. Quartz Creek Gravel

    Surface metal/non-metal · Quartz Creek Gravel · MSHA ID 0504784
    Abandoned 2009-07-16
42. Quinn's Quarry

    Surface metal/non-metal · Substratum Excavation · MSHA ID 0504962
    Abandoned 2019-04-09
43. Raymond

    Underground metal/non-metal · Atlas Precious Metals Inc · MSHA ID 0503968
    Abandoned 1986-03-21
44. Rozman Pit

    Surface metal/non-metal · Valco Inc · MSHA ID 0503972
    Abandoned 1987-01-12
45. Sanborn Creek Mine

    Underground coal · Oxbow Mining, LLC · MSHA ID 0504452
    Abandoned and Sealed 2003-10-01
46. Silka Pit

    Surface metal/non-metal · Southway Const Co Inc & Asphalt Gravel Prod Inc · MSHA ID 0503458
    Abandoned 1979-09-20
47. Snowshoe Ranch Pit

    Surface metal/non-metal · Burnett Construction Company · MSHA ID 0503957
    Abandoned 1985-09-06
48. Soderquist

    Surface metal/non-metal · Colorado Department Of Highways · MSHA ID 0503364
    Abandoned 1982-08-13
49. Soderquist Pit

    Surface metal/non-metal · Corn Construction Company · MSHA ID 0503981
    Abandoned 1984-10-17
50. Stevens Creek Pit

    Surface metal/non-metal · C E Mills Construction Company Inc · MSHA ID 0503671
    Abandoned 1983-06-21
51. Sylvanite

    Underground metal/non-metal · B & J Crushing · MSHA ID 0503987
    Abandoned 1986-03-21
52. Sylvester Gulch No 1

    Underground coal · Frontier-Kemper Constructors Inc · MSHA ID 0504603
    Abandoned 2000-06-22
53. Sylvester Gulch Test Audit

    Underground coal · Atlantic Richfield Company · MSHA ID 0502781
    Abandoned 1976-10-07
54. Tomichi Equipment Pit

    Surface metal/non-metal · Tomichi Equipment Company · MSHA ID 0504003
    Abandoned 1987-01-12
55. Vader Pit

    Surface metal/non-metal · Valco Inc · MSHA ID 0500986
    Abandoned 1985-07-08
56. Valco Gunnison Concrete

    Surface metal/non-metal · Valco Inc · MSHA ID 0502177
    Abandoned 1991-06-03
57. Vulcan

    Facility metal/non-metal · Great West Gold & Silver Inc · MSHA ID 0503873
    Abandoned 1988-07-11
58. WHINNERY PIT

    Surface metal/non-metal · Whinnery Construction Company · MSHA ID 0504649
    Abandoned 2001-04-09
59. Wildlife Pit

    Surface metal/non-metal · Colorado Department Of Highways · MSHA ID 0503443
    Abandoned 1980-11-12
60. Windjammer #1 Mine

    Underground coal · Anchor Coal Company Inc · MSHA ID 0503193
    Abandoned and Sealed 1981-10-02

Status and date are as reported to MSHA by the operator. Each mine's own page carries its accident, citation and inspection record.

• San Juan County 3,913
• Lake County 3,672
• Saguache County 2,319
• San Miguel County 2,242
• Gilpin County 2,148
• Montrose County 2,077
• Custer County 2,062
• Clear Creek County 1,996
• Park County 1,624
• Chaffee County 1,486
• Summit County 1,449
• Boulder County 1,083

1. USGS, Consolidated Prospect- and Mine-Related Features from 7.5- and 15-Minute Topographic Quadrangle Maps of the United States (USMIN)
   597,612 point and area features digitized from about 106,350 historical topographic maps published 1886–2006; public domain (CC0). A feature is a map symbol, not a field-verified site, and the map does not say whether it was still worked.
2. USGS Fact Sheet 2025–3003, The Abandoned Mine Inventory of the United States
   States that as of 2025 there is no comprehensive national inventory of abandoned mine features, and that the detailed national database now being built will not be published.
3. OSMRE, Abandoned Mine Land Inventory System (e-AMLIS), public Problems layer
   One row per abandoned mine land problem in a problem area, with its type, funding program and reclamation status; mostly coal mined before the 1977 Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act. Coordinates are the problem area's.
4. MSHA, Mines dataset (Mine Data Retrieval System)
   Every mine registered with MSHA since the 1970s; a mine reads Abandoned or Abandoned and Sealed when its operator reported that status. Refreshed weekly.
5. US Census Bureau, 2023 cartographic county boundaries (1:500,000)
   Each feature's county is assigned by its coordinates against these boundaries, not copied from the source file.
6. GAO-20-238, Abandoned Hardrock Mines (March 2020)
   Federal agencies had identified at least 140,000 abandoned hardrock mine features on federal land and estimated more than 390,000 more not yet captured in their databases.
7. Abandoned Hardrock Mine Reclamation (AHMR) Program, US Department of the Interior
   The program the USGS inventory is compiled for. Its appropriations and the 674,000 field-confirmed feature count on this page were provided by the program manager, Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance, and are cited with permission (2026-09-08).
8. IMCC-NAAMLP Hardrock AML Report
   Page 48 carries the two figures this page leans on: USGS estimates 633,181 of the 725,690 mine features it recorded from historic topographic maps, 87 percent, are hardrock; and state and federal agencies have submitted more than 724,000 AML features to the national database being built, already more than the historic maps hold. Year-by-year AHMR funding is on page 35.