The Smuggler Mine is a silver, gold, and lead mine located in Dolores county, Colorado at an elevation of 9,508 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: 9,508 Feet (2,898 Meters)
Commodity: Silver, Gold, Lead
Lat, Long: 37.76167, -108.09944
Map: View on Google Maps
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Smuggler Mine MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: Smuggler Mine
Secondary: Smuggler-Almont Mine
Secondary: Patented Claims: Smuggler, MS 17325a
Secondary: Almont, MS 17325a
Secondary: Horlick, MS 17325a
Secondary: Yule, MS 17325a
Secondary: Priest, MS 17325a
Secondary: Heddle, MS 17325a
Secondary: Dick, MS 17325a
Secondary: Lombard, MS 17325a
Secondary: Lombard Mill Site, MS 17325b
Secondary: Mount Pleasant Mill Site, MS 20539
Secondary: Unpatented Claims: Tiger
Secondary: Racine
Secondary: Blue
Secondary: Fannie
Secondary: Columbine
Secondary: Pine
Secondary: Spruce
Secondary: Iowa
Secondary: Spring
Secondary: Eagle
Secondary: Lynx
Secondary: Aspen
Secondary: Kenosha
Secondary: Chicago
Secondary: Mink
Secondary: Elk
Secondary: Wedge
Commodity
Primary: Silver
Primary: Gold
Primary: Lead
Secondary: Copper
Secondary: Coal
Tertiary: Zinc
Tertiary: Antimony
Tertiary: Tellurium
Location
State: Colorado
County: Dolores
District: Lone Cone (Dunton) 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.
Administrative Organization: San Juan N. F.
Holdings
Not available
Workings
Not available
Ownership
Owner Name: Mining Development Resources
Home Office: Rico, Co.
Years: 1974 -
Production
Not available
Deposit
Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: Vein
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1885
Year Last Production: 1940
Discovery Year: 1883
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S
Physiography
General Physiographic Area: Intermontane Plateaus
Physiographic Province: Colorado Plateaus
Physiographic Section: Canyon Lands
Mineral Deposit Model
Model Name: Polymetallic veins
Orebody
Not available
Structure
Type: R
Description: San Juan Uplift, Paradox Basin
Type: L
Description: Rico Dome, Dunton Syncline, Emma Fault, Unnamed Fault
Alterations
Not available
Rocks
Name: Gabbro
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Pliocene
Analytical Data
Analytical Data: ORE MINED IN 1940 CONTAINED 4 OZ/TON AG AND 0.1 OZ/TON AU. ASSAYS FROM OTHER POINTS ALONG NO. 4 LEVEL SHOWED 1.2 TO 16 OZ/TON AG (FROM 750 FT TO FACE) AND USUALLY OVER 20 OZ/TON TO AS HIGH AS 109 OZ/TON AG (FROM 125 TO 750 FT FROM PORTAL).
Materials
Ore: Argentite
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Coal
Ore: Pyrargyrite
Ore: Stibnite
Ore: Galena
Ore: Polybasite
Ore: Pyrite
Gangue: Chalcedony
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Barite
Comments
Comment (Names): DISTRICT: BLAND; COCHITI MINING DISTRICT; MINES: ALBEMARLE, CROWN POINT, IRON KING, LONE STAR, WASHINGTON; CLAIMS-PATENTED AND UNPATENTED: IN 1954 W.M. BUNDY REPORTED 49 PATENTED CLAIMS IN THE DISTRICT; IN 1935 J.C. EVANS (NMBMMR GENERAL FILE DATA) REPORTED 18 PATENTED CLAIMS AND 36 UNPATENTED CLAIMS; IN 1899 J.L. ZIMMERMAN REPORTED 23 PATENTED CLAIMS AND 113 UNPATENTED CLAIMS IN THE DISTRICT (CLAIM MAP, NMBMMR GENERAL FILE DATA.
Comment (Deposit): NW-DIPPING DOLORES FM RED BEDS CUT BY GENERALLY NNW-TRENDING EMMA FAULT. NORTH OF RIVER ALMONT FAULT SPLITS FROM EMMA FAULT, TRENDS DUE SOUTH CURVING SLIGHTLY SSE, AND TERMINATING ON GENERALLY NE- TO ENE-TRENDING CROSS FAULT THAT EXTENDS EAST TO CUT EMMA FAULT SE OF MINE. BASTIN (1922) OBSERVED ALMONT VEIN TO BE 1 TO 3 FT WIDE AND CONTAINING IRREGULAR AGGREGATES OF QUARTZ, RARE CHALCEDONY, BARITE, BASE METAL SULFIDES, ARGENTITE, AND POLYBASITE OR PEARCEITE; NONBANDED. ARGENTITE OCCURS AS INCLUSIONS IN SPHALERITE AND IS CONSIDERED PRIMARY ALONG WITH POLYBASITE. KRANTZ AND FREEMAN (1923) DESCRIBED SECONDARY ORES AS PROUSTITE, PYRARGYRITE, CHALCOPYRITE, AND ARGENTITE DEPOSITED ON FRACTURES THAT CUE EARLIER SULFIDE ORE. STIBNITE OCCURS AS RADIATING CRYSTAL CLUSTERS ON QUARTZ IN VUG LININGS. BLEACHING EXTENDS 10 TO 20 FT FROM VEIN AND IS CHARACTERIZED BY DISSEMINATED PYRITE. SLIGHT OXIDATION NOTED TO DEPTH OF ABOUT 500 FT. KRANTZ AND FREEMAN NOTED RICH RUBY AG ORES AND GALENA NEARER
Comment (Location): (LAND STATUS AND ADMINISTRATIVE AREA LOCATIONS CALCULATED USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS FOR SAN JUAN N. F.). MINE LOCATED ON SOUTH SIDE OF DOLORES RIVER 0.5 MILE BELOW DUNTON. PATENTED CLAIMS EXTEND ALONG BRANCH OF EMMA FAULT TO SE ACROSS EAGLE CREEK. SMUGGLER COAL BANK WORKINGS LIE ALONG PAPOOSE CREEK 0.45 MILE SE OF DUNTON (COAL LOTS 3 AND 4, SEC. 33). ELEV AND LAT-LONG GIVEN ARE FOR SMUGGLER SHAFT (UPPERMOST WORKINGS). ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1975
Comment (Workings): MINE DEVELOPED BY FOUR LEVELS AND SHAFT. BASTIN (1922) DESCRIBES ALMONT WORKINGS AS OF 1913: NO. 1 LEVEL DRIVEN GENERALLY SOUTH OR SSW ALONG ALMONT VEIN FOR SLIGHTLY OVER 150 FT; NO. 2 LEVEL LIES ABOUT 95 FT BELOW NO. 1, DRIVEN GENERALLY SOUTH OR SSW ALONG ALMONT VEIN FOR ABOUT 650 FT; NO. 3 LEVEL LIES ABOUT 110 FT BELOW NO. 2, DRIVEN GENERALLY SOUTH OR SSW AONG ALMONT VEIN FOR MORE THAN 1200 FT; NO. 4 LEVEL LIES 205 FT BELOW NO. 3, DRIVEN GENERALLY SOUTH OR SSW ALONG ALMONT VEIN OR MORE THAN 1200 FT. CDM INF. REPTS. DESCRIBE NO. 4 (MAIN) LEVEL IN 1941 AS BEING 2700 FT ALONG WITH RAISE TO NO. 3 LEVEL AND 325 FT OF DRIFT ON SUBLEVEL. OVERHEAD STOPING ABOVE ALL LEVELS. SMUGGLER TUNNEL LIES 75 FT BELOW NO. 4 LEVEL, DRIVEN GENERALLY SOUTH FOR 500 TO 600 FT ON SMUGGLER VEIN. AT ONE TIME SITE ALSO HAD 20-STAMP CONCENTRATING MILL. IN 1941 AERIAL TRAM CARRIED ORE FROM MINE TO EMMA MILL.
Comment (Deposit): SURFACE THAN AT DEPTH; PYRITE AND SPHALERITE LEANER NEAR SURFACE. COAL MINED FROM THIN SEAMS IN DAKOTA SANDSTONE ON WEST LIMB OF DUNTON SYNCLINE WHERE INTRUDED BY AND POSSIBLY LOCALLY UPGRADED BY LAMPROPHYRE SILL.
References
Reference (Deposit): BUSH, A.L., AND BROMFIELD, C.S., 1966, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE DOLORES PEAK QUADRANGLE, DOLORES AND SAN MIGUEL COUNTIES, COLORADO: USGS MAP GQ-536.
Reference (Deposit): BASTIN, E.S., 1922, SILVER ENRICHMENT IN THE SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, COLORADO: USGS BULL. 735-D, P. 120-124.
Reference (Deposit): COLORADO DIV. MINES INF. REPTS. AND ANNUAL OPERATOR REPTS.
Reference (Deposit): BLM MINERAL SURVEYS MS 17325A&B, 20539
Reference (Deposit): KRANTZ, P.R., AND FREEMAN, W.H., 1923, A STUDY OF THE ORES OF DUNTON, DOLORES COUNTY, COLORADO: COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES THESIS T-503.
Reference (Production): COLORADO DIV. MINES ANNUAL OPERATOR REPTS.
Colorado Mining Photos
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