The Highland Tunnel is a silver, lead, and zinc mine located in Pitkin county, Colorado at an elevation of 8,661 feet.
About the MRDS Data:
All mine locations were obtained from the USGS Mineral Resources Data System. The locations and other information in this database have not been verified for accuracy. It should be assumed that all mines are on private property.
Mine Info
Elevation: 8,661 Feet (2,640 Meters)
Commodity: Silver, Lead, Zinc
Lat, Long: 39.12889, -106.84278
Map: View on Google Maps
Satelite View
MRDS mine locations are often very general, and in some cases are incorrect. Some mine remains have been covered or removed by modern industrial activity or by development of things like housing. The satellite view offers a quick glimpse as to whether the MRDS location corresponds to visible mine remains.
Highland Tunnel MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: Highland Tunnel
Commodity
Primary: Silver
Primary: Lead
Primary: Zinc
Tertiary: Copper
Location
State: Colorado
County: Pitkin
District: Aspen (Roaring Fork) District
Land Status
Land ownership: Private
Note: the land ownership field only identifies whether the area the mine is in is generally on public lands like Forest Service or BLM land, or if it is in an area that is generally private property. It does not definitively identify property status, nor does it indicate claim status or whether an area is open to prospecting. Always respect private property.
Holdings
Not available
Workings
Not available
Ownership
Owner Name: Richmond Hill Exploration Co.
Home Office: Aspen, Co.
Years: 1966 -
Owner Name: R. G. Sullivan
Home Office: Aspen, Co.
Years: 1966 -
Production
Not available
Deposit
Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: Vein
Operation Type: Unknown
Year Last Production: 1940
Discovery Year: 1932
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S
Physiography
General Physiographic Area: Rocky Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Southern Rocky Mountains
Mineral Deposit Model
Not available
Orebody
Not available
Structure
Type: R
Description: Sawatch Uplift, Central Colorado Trough, Piceance Basin, White River Uplift, Elk Uplift
Type: L
Description: Castle Creek Fault Zone
Alterations
Not available
Rocks
Name: Shale
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Pennsylvanian
Name: Shale
Role: Host
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Paleocene
Analytical Data
Not available
Materials
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Pyrite
Comments
Comment (Deposit): IN 1934 HIGHLAND MINES CO. OWNED UNPATENTED CLAIMS (HIGHLAND FRACTION, GLENDALE, BERNARD, LOIS LOUISE, PATRICIA, CAROLYN, VIRGINIA IRENE, EVELYN, CLAIRE, HELEN MAXINE, COLUMBINE FLOWER, JERRY JAMES, CASTLE VIEW, DOROTHY, KATHERINE, GLORIA) AND PATENTED CLAIMS (CLAIRMONT (MS 2219), MONTECRISTO (MS 4693)). COMPANY LEASED FROM PRECHTEL BROS. ALL OR PARTS OF ALICE AND ALICE NO. 2 (MS 6701); LEASED FROM S. WACHTEL THE MONTE CRISTO (MS 4693), AZURITE NOS. 3 AND 4, PRINCE ALICE NOS. 1 AND 2, TOP LIFT (MS 2169), HANLAN (MS 1860), MOUNTAIN RANGER (MS 1855), LINCOLN, MOUNTAIN ELK; LEASED FROM MIDNIGHT MINING THE CRAZY DAN (MS 6781), BULLION (MS 6045), PHOENIX (MS 6330), MAMIE AND PARK (MS 5869), LUCKY DAN, TRIANGLE, AND LENA B. (MS 6432), COLORADO AND LEONIE (MS 5973), BAER (MS 6287), COMSTOCK (MS 2128), FREIGHTER AND GENEVA (MS 6658), IRON (MS 2623), J. M. E. (MS 6367), LOYAL LEAGUE (MS 6125), HOUSTON (MS 6732), HUMBOLDT (MS 4003), MIDNIGHT (MS 4468), MAGGIE AND HOME RULE (MS 6806), BLUE JAY
Comment (Location): WEST OF ANNIE BASIN JUST EAST OF CASTLE CREEK. ELEV AND LAT-LONG FROM BRYANT (1972) ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1980)
Comment (Production): COLORADO DIV. MINES CITES NO PRODUCTION FROM 1934-39. IN 1940, MILL PRODUCTION WAS REPORTED AS 335.5 DRY TONS CONTAINING 18234 OZ AG, 99951 LB PB, 27776 LB ZN, 66246 LB FE, 90054 LB S
Comment (Development): TUNNEL DRIVEN IN 1930S TO INTERSECT POSSIBLE DOWNWARD EXTENSION OF MIDNIGHT MINE ORE BODY. ALTHO NO SIGNIF. ORE WAS FOUND, TUNNEL AND ITS LATER EXTENSION IN 1966 PROVIDED MORE CONTROL ON STRUCTURE AND STRATIGRAPHY IN CASTLE CREEK FAULT ZONE. SOME FEATURES COULD BE CORRELATED WITH THOSE IN MIDNIGHT AND ANNIE MINES, AND HOPE TUNNEL.
Comment (Deposit): (MS 5750), CROWN POINT (MS 5984), PITKIN AND YOPSIE NO. 2 (MS 4948), YOPSIE 1 AND 2 (MS 1902), DELAWARE AND F & M (MS 6245), ONEIDA (MS 2587), QUEEN (MS 5967), MAMMOTH (MS 1987), SHERMAN (MS 6045), ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT
Comment (Workings): ONE TUNNEL IN EXCESS OF 7000 FT LENGTH, DRIVEN INITIALLY AT N75E; AT LEAST 1400 FT OF DRIFTS
Comment (Deposit): Discovery Year: EARLY 1930S
Comment (Deposit): TUNNEL ENCOUNTERED COMPLEXLY FOLDED AND FAULTED SEQUENCE OF PENNSYLVANIAN ROCKS OF BELDEN, GOTHIC, AND MAROON FORMATIONS. AT EAST EDGE OF CASTLE CREEK FAULT ZONE, ENCOUNTERED CASTLE CREEK (STRIKING N 45 TO 60 W), ANNIE, DUBUQUE, AND WINNIE FAULTS DISPLACING LEADVILLE LIMESTONE, BELDEN FM AND APLITE PORPHYRY SILL IN LOWER BELDEN AGAINST PRECAMBRIAN QUARTZ MONZONITE. PARTS OF CAMBRIAN-DEVONIAN SECTION PRESERVED IN FAULT SLICES HIGHER IN ELEVATION TOWARD SURFACE. SOME PYRITE FOUND IN BRECCIATED LIMESTONE, DOLOMITIC LIMESTONE, AND SHALE OF BELDEN FM.
References
Reference (Deposit): BRYANT, BRUCE, 1979, GEOLOGY OF THE ASPEN 15-MINUTE QUADRANGLE, PITKIN AND GUNNISON COUNTIES, COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 1073, P. 110-111.
Reference (Deposit): BRYANT, BRUCE, 1972, MAP SHOWING MINES, PROSPECTS, AND AREAS OF SIGNIFICANT SILVER, LEAD, AND ZINC PRODUCTION IN THE ASPEN QUADRANGLE, PITKIN COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS MAP I-785-D
Reference (Deposit): SPURR, J.E., 1898, GEOLOGY OF THE ASPEN DISTRICT, COLORADO: USGS MON. 31
Reference (Deposit): BRYANT, BRUCE, 1971, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE ASPEN QUADRANGLE, PITKIN COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS MAP GQ-933
Colorado Mining Photos
Check out this collection of Colorado's best historic mining photos: Incredible Photos of Colorado Mining Scenes.
