Public to get new look of old mine in Death Valley
Death Valley National Park plans to give the public a look at the old Keane Wonder Mine on Nov. 7.
A celebration of the historic mine is planned for that day at the site, off the Beatty Cutoff Road. Officials recommend carpooling due to limited parking.
Keane Wonder Mine is one of historical gold mines in Death Valley National Park. The aerial tramway still has ore buckets hanging from cables.
In the early 1900s, miners used the tramway to lower 70 tons of gold ore per day down the steep Funeral Mountains.
“We’re so excited to be able to open this site up to the public again,” Superintendent Mike Reynolds said in a news release. “The mine, tramway, and mill are charismatic.”
Before the National Park Service established a temporary closure in the area due to safety concerns, Keane Wonder Mine was one of the most popular sites in the park, officials said. The closure dates back to 2008.
Death Valley officials closed off entrances to mine openings and stabilized the tramway towers, upper terminal, and lower terminal.
Concerns about the content of mill tailings have been studied via multiple rounds of soil sampling, officials said.
The Nov. 7 schedule includes a 10 a.m. ribbon cutting and 10:30 a.m. site tour with Jeremy Stoltzfus, a mining historian. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., park rangers plan to be there to answer questions
Contact reporter Daria Sokolova at dsokolova@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @dariasokolova77
