The Hidden Treasure Mine is a gold, silver, lead, and copper mine located in Hinsdale county, Colorado at an elevation of 10,200 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: 10,200 Feet (3,109 Meters)
Commodity: Gold, Silver, Lead, Copper
Lat, Long: 38.02556, -107.36806
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.
Hidden Treasure Mine MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: Hidden Treasure Mine
Secondary: Patented Claims: Hidden Treasure, MS 342
Secondary: Don Quixote, MS 12572
Secondary: Crystal, MS 13193
Secondary: Invincible, MS 13478
Secondary: Protector, MS 13478
Secondary: Hard To Beat, MS 14988
Secondary: Winner, MS 14988
Secondary: Hard Tack, MS 14988
Secondary: Steele, MS 15157
Secondary: Otis, MS 15157
Secondary: Albany, MS 15157
Secondary: Windsor, MS 15157
Secondary: Metropole, MS 15157
Secondary: Mccombe No. 2, MS 15157
Secondary: Unpatented Claims: Hot Stuff
Secondary: Hot Stuff No. 2
Secondary: Dutch Mike
Secondary: O'Donnell
Secondary: Hidden Treasure Tunnel Site
Secondary: Manager
Commodity
Primary: Gold
Primary: Silver
Primary: Lead
Primary: Copper
Tertiary: Zinc
Tertiary: Antimony
Tertiary: Manganese
Location
State: Colorado
County: Hinsdale
District: Galena (Henson Creek) 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: St. Louis Smelting And Refining Co.
Home Office: St. Louis, Mo.
Years: 1926 -
Owner Name: Mccarthy-Hidden Treasure Mining Co.
Home Office: Omaha, Ne.
Years: 1926 -
Production
Year: 1918
Description: Ap_Grade: ^14.73 Oz/Ton Ag, 35.55 % Pb, 0.099 Oz/Ton Au
Deposit
Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: Vein
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1897
Year Last Production: 1922
Discovery Year: 1880
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
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
Form: IRREGULAR, PINCH AND SWELL
Structure
Type: R
Description: San Juan Volcanic Field, San Juan Depression
Type: L
Description: Wallrock Silicification; Serictization; Pyritization
Alterations
Not available
Rocks
Name: Rhyolite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Oligocene
Name: Rhyolite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Oligocene
Name: Rhyolite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Oligocene
Analytical Data
Not available
Materials
Ore: Silver
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Gangue: Chalcedony
Gangue: Sericite
Gangue: Gypsum
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Fluorite
Gangue: Magnetite
Gangue: Rhodochrosite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Dickite
Gangue: Kaolinite
Gangue: Ankerite
Gangue: Barite
Comments
Comment (Deposit): ARE INTERGROWN WITH DISSEMINATED PYRITE. OUTWARD FROM VEIN, LESS ALTERED ROCK COMPOSED OF QUARTZ, SERICITE, PYRITE, CLAYS (KAOLINITE AND POSSIBLY DICKITE), RELICT FELDSPAR AND APATITE, PRIMARY MAGNETITE/HEMATITE SELECTIVELY REPLACED BY PYRITE AND RARE ACCESSORY BASE-METAL SULFIDES. NE TREND OF VEIN CONSIDERED TRANSVERSE TO TREND OF NORTH LAKE CITY RING FAULT; HOWEVER, SUCH NE TRENDS NORTH OF LAKE CITY CALDERA AND NE TRENDS OF "CONCENTRIC" VEINS NW OF LAKE CITY RING FAULT ARE PARALLEL TO NE TREND OF PRE-LAKE CITY EUREKA GRABEN FAULTS/FRACTURES AND INDICATE PRE-LAKE CITY AGE. BARITE/PRECIOUS-METALS OVERPRINT AT UTE-ULAY/HIDDEN TREASURE MINES SUGGESTS YOUNGER MINERALIZATION PHASE RELATED TO INTRUSIONS (SUCH AS RED MTN) ALONG EAST RING FAULT OF LAKE CITY CALDERA. MINIMUM AGE SUGGESTED BY K-AR DATE OF 20.3+/-0.4 MY FROM SERICITE STRINGER IN HIDDEN TREASURE VEIN. FRACTURES HOSTING QUARTZ/BASE-METALS ASSEMBLAGE MAY HAVE OPENED INITIALLY DURING UNCOMPAHGRE-SAN JUAN CALDERA RESURGENT DOMING,
Comment (Deposit): MINE LOCATED NORTH OF LAKE CITY CALDERA RING FAULT IN UNCOMPAHGRE CALDERA INFILL SEQUENCE CONSISTING OF EUREKA MEMBER RHYOLITE OVERLYING PICAYUNE MEGABRECCIA, COMPOSED OF CHAOTIC MASSES OF PRECALDERA INTERMEDIATE-COMPOSITION ROCKS INTERPRETED TO BE RESULT OF SLUMPING FROM OVERSTEEPENED CALDERA WALLS DURING INITIAL SUBSIDENCE OF UNCOMPAHGRE CALDERA. AT SUGARLOAF ROCK (ONE MILE EAST OF HIDDEN TREASURE SHAFT) AND APPROX ALONG TREND OF UTE-ULAY/HIDDEN TREASURE VEIN NE OF HIDDEN TREASURE SHAFT ARE PORPHYRO-APHANITIC, ANDESITIC TO RHYOLITIC PLUG AND DIKE, RESPECTIVELY, BOTH INTRUDING EUREKA RHYOLITE. ACCORDING TO IRVING AND BANCROFT (1911), VEIN LIES ENTIRELY WITHIN MEGABRECCIA, ALTHOUGH NE END OF HIDDEN TREASURE VEIN EXTENDS CLOSE TO OVERLYING EUREKA RHYOLITE. VEIN SYSTEM IS GENERALLY CONCAVE TO NW AND TRENDS N 46 E AT SW END, N 37 E IN CENTER, AND N 19 E AT NE END. DIP AND STRIKE BOTH SHOW MANY DEFLECTIONS IN TREND; AVERAGE DIP IS 56 TO 60 NW. VEIN WIDTH VARIES FROM 20 FT TO FRACTURES OR
Comment (Development): HIDDEN TREASURE CLAIM WAS SURVEYED AND PATENTED IN 1880-1881 BY H. MUSGRAVE AND OTHERS. DON QUIXOTE, CRYSTAL, INVINCIBLE, AND PROTECTOR CLAIMS WERE SURVEYED AND PATENTED IN 1898-1903 BY C.E. DEWEY. REMAINING CLAIMS IN PROPERTY WERE SURVEYED AND PATENTED IN 1901-1904 BY P.C. MCCARTHY. SHAFT WAS SUNK ON VEIN FOR 265 FT BEFORE ENCOUNTERING ORE THAT PAID EXPENSES. ORE FIRST TAKEN IN JUNE 1897 AND SHIPPED TO SMELTERS. CONCENTRATION MILL BUILT IN 1897. POWER FOR MILL SUPPLIED BY 150-HP PELTON WHEEL FED BY WOODEN PIPELINE FROM DAM ON HENSON CREEK. HIDDEN TREASURE AND UTE-ULAY MINES BECAME DISTRICT'S LARGEST PRODUCERS.
Comment (Deposit): SERIES OF FRACTURES AND AVERAGES 4 FT, BUT WITH PINCHES AND SWELLS. IN UTE MINE, VEIN IS WELL DEFINED BETWEEN SIMPLE WALLS. IN HIDDEN TREASURE MINE, VEIN SPLITS INTO STRINGERS, MOST NOTABLE OF WHICH WAS RICHLY MINERALIZED AND OCCURRED ON FIFTH LEVEL WHERE 10-FT- AND 4-FT-WIDE BRANCHES SPLIT FROM 20-FT-WIDE VEIN, WITH JUNCTION PITCHING NE IN PLANE OF VEIN. ON UTE NO. 5 LEVEL, VEIN SPLITS INTO MANY SMALL PARALLEL STRINGERS SEPARATED FROM MAIN VEIN BY BARREN SILICIFIED ROCK. VEIN SYSTEM LIES IN SLACK'S (1980) QUARTZ-BASE-METAL ASSEMBLAGE AND SHOWS LATERAL ZONING FROM INNER QUARTZ-CHALCOPYRITE ZONE IN SW (CLOSEST TO LAKE CITY RING FAULT), INTO MIDDLE HYBRID (TRANSITION) ZONE, TO OUTER CARBONATE-TETRAHEDRITE ZONE ON NE. MINERALOGY IS COMPLICATED BY BARITE AND SPHALERITE OVERPRINT FROM YOUNGER BARITE/PRECIOUS-METALS ASSEMBLAGE MORE PROMINENT JUST TO EAST AROUND NE RIM OF LAKE CITY CALDERA IN LAKE DISTRICT (SEE LAKE DISTRICT RECORD FOR MINERALOGY AND PARAGENESIS OF BARITE/PRECIOUS-METALS
Comment (Deposit): ASSEMBLAGE). LATERAL ZONING ON UTE NO. 5 LEVEL: (1) QUARTZ, SPHALERITE, ARGENTIFEROUS GALENA, MINOR CHALCOPYRITE, TRACE PYRITE AND BARITE (AT SW END NEAREST LAKE CITY RING FAULT), (2) INCREASED GALENA, DECREASED SPHALERITE, PLUS SMALL AMOUNTS OF RHODOCHROSITE AND HEMATITE (CENTER), (3) MASSIVE RHODOCHROSITE, MINOR SERICITE, AND TETRAHEDRITE (NE END). IN GENERAL, ZONATION SHOWS THAT PARAGENETICALLY YOUNGER PERIODS OF QUARTZ/BASE-METAL MINERALIZATION FORMED PROGRESSIVELY OUTWARD (TO NE) ALONG VEIN. BARITE/PRECIOUS-METALS OVERPRINT ALSO SHOWS VERTICAL ZONATION: (1) QUARTZ, SPHALERITE, MINOR BARITE AND GALENA, AND TRACE MAGNETITE, TETRAHEDRITE, AND OTHER SULFOSALTS (UTE NO. 5 LEVEL), TO (2) ABUNDANT COARSE BARITE, TETRAHEDRITE, AND ACCESSORY QUARTZ AND SULFIDES (SURFACE EXPOSURE). ADJACENT TO VEIN SYSTEM, ALTERED ROCK COMPOSED OF DENSE MIXTURE OF FINE-GRAINED QUARTZ, PYRITE, AND MINOR SERICITE. IN INNER ZONE, MINOR SPHALERITE, GALENA, CHALCOPYRITE, AND ARSENOPYRITE FILL THIN FRACTURES AND
Comment (Workings): LEVELS. 3000-FT AERIAL TRAM CONNECTED MINE TO MILL SITE ON HENSON CREEK. 100-ST-CAPACITY CONCENTRATION MILL ERECTED IN 1898 HAD WATER-DRIVEN COMPRESSOR, 50-HP ELECTRIC HOIST, AND BLEICHERT WIRE-ROPE TRAM WITH TWENTY-FIVE 450- TO 500-LB BUCKETS HAVING CAPACITY OF ABOUT 12 TON/HR.
Comment (Geology): GANGUE AND OTHER ACCESSORY MINERALS LISTED ARE BASED ON GENERAL DESCRIPTIONS OF UTE, ULE, AND HIDDEN TREASURE VEINS; ALL MAY NOT NECESSARILY BE PRESENT HERE.
Comment (Deposit): AND REACTIVATED AND MINERALIZED CONTEMPORANEOUSLY WITH EMPLACEMENT OF MIOCENE PERIPHERAL PORPHYRIES.
Comment (Workings): MINE DEVELOPED BY 960-FT SHAFT INCLINED 60 DEG GENERALLY WEST OR WNW ALONG VEIN, WITH EIGHT LEVELS. FIRST LEVEL 1 (NEW LEVEL 1), AT 350-FT DEPTH, DRIVEN 220 FT NE WITH SMALL OVERHEAD STOPE. MAIN LEVEL 1, AT 420-FT DEPTH, DRIVEN 400 FT NE AND CONNECTS WITH UTE NO. 1 LEVEL AT SHAFT. LEVEL 2, AT 560-FT DEPTH, DRIVEN 1000 FT NE AND CONNECTS WITH UTE NO. 2 LEVEL AT SHAFT. LEVEL 3, AT 650-FT DEPTH, DRIVEN 1440 FT NE. LEVEL 4, AT 700-FT DEPTH, DRIVEN 170 FT NE. LEVEL 5, AT 750-FT DEPTH, DRIVEN 1025 FT NE AND CONNECTS WITH UTE NO. 3 LEVEL AT SHAFT. LEVEL 6, AT 900-FT DEPTH, DRIVEN 920 FT NE AND CONNECTS WITH UTE NO. 4 LEVEL AT SHAFT. LEVEL 7, AT 960-FT DEPTH, DRIVEN 150 FT NE. WINZE CONNECTS LEVELS 2 AND 3 AT 680 FT FROM SHAFT; WINZE CONNECTS LEVELS 3 AND 5 AT 850 FT FROM SHAFT; WINZE CONNECTS LEVELS 3, 5, AND 6 AT 470 FT FROM SHAFT. SOME STOPING ABOVE LEVELS 6 AND 7, BUT PRINCIPAL STOPED AREA LIES BETWEEN LEVEL 5 AND LEVEL 1. SW OF SHAFT, VEIN IS STOPED FROM UTE NO. 4 TO ABOVE UTE NO. 1
Comment (Location): MINE LOCATED ON HILL NORTH OF HENSON CREEK AND HENSON (UNCOMPAHGRE PEAK QUAD) BETWEEN UTE CREEK AND CRYSTAL CREEK. SECOND CLAIM BLOCK (MS 12572, 13193, 14988) EXTENDS EAST FROM HENSON ALONG SOUTH BASE OF HILL TO CRYSTAL CREEK. ELEV AND LAT-LONG GIVEN ARE FOR HIDDEN TREASURE SHAFT, 0.6 MILE NE OF HENSON, IN SE NE NW SEC. 31. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1977
Comment (Production): PARTIAL PRODUCTION RECORD. FIGURES UNAVAILABLE FOR PRIOR YEARS. MINERAL RESOURCES OF U.S. VOLUMES CITE PRODUCTION IN 1906, 1907, 1912, 1912, 1913, AND 1922, BUT NO FIGURES WERE GIVEN
References
Reference (Deposit): LIPMAN, P.W., 1976, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE LAKE CITY CALDERA AREA, WESTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO: USGS MAP I-962.
Reference (Deposit): IRVING, J.D., AND BANCROFT, HOWLAND, 1911, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS NEAR LAKE CITY, COLORADO: USGS BULL. 478, P. 87-95.
Reference (Deposit): SLACK, J.F., 1980, MULTISTAGE VEIN ORES OF THE LAKE CITY DISTRICT, WESTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, COLORADO: ECON. GEOLOGY, V. 75, NO. 7, P. 963-991.
Reference (Deposit): BROWN, W.H., 1926, THE MINERAL ZONES OF THE WHITE CROSS DISTRICT AND NEIGHBORING DEPOSITS IN HINSDALE COUNTY, COLORADO: MINES MAG., V. 15, NO. 11, P. 5-15.
Reference (Deposit): IRVING, J.D., 1905, ORE DEPOSITS IN THE VICINITY OF LAKE CITY, COLORADO: USGS BULL. 260 P. 78-84.
Reference (Deposit): LIPMAN, P/W/. AND OTHERS, 1976, MULTIPLE AGES OF MID-TERTIARY MINERALIZATION AND ALTERATION IN THE WESTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, COLORADO: ECON. GEOLOGY, V. 71, NO. 3, P. 571-588.
Reference (Deposit): COLORADO DIV. MINES INF. REPTS. AND ANNUAL OPERATOP REPTS.
Reference (Deposit): BLM MINER SURVEYS MS 342, 12572, 13193, 13478, 14988, 15157
Reference (Production): COLORADO DIV. MINES ANNUAL OPERATOR REPTS.
Colorado Mining Photos
Check out this collection of Colorado's best historic mining photos: Incredible Photos of Colorado Mining Scenes.
