Eureka Shaft

The Eureka Shaft is a fluorine-fluorite mine located in El Paso county, Colorado at an elevation of 8,819 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

Name: Eureka Shaft  

State:  Colorado

County:  El Paso

Elevation: 8,819 Feet (2,688 Meters)

Commodity: Fluorine-Fluorite

Lat, Long: 38.75083, -104.90083

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.


Satelite image of the Eureka Shaft

Eureka Shaft MRDS details

Site Name

Primary: Eureka Shaft


Commodity

Primary: Fluorine-Fluorite
Secondary: Gemstone
Tertiary: Titanium, Metal


Location

State: Colorado
County: El Paso
District: Cheyenne (St. Peters Dome) District


Land Status

Land ownership: National Forest
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

Not available


Production

Not available


Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
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


Structure

Type: R
Description: Front Range Uplift, Pikes Peak Batholith

Type: L
Description: Mt Rosa Intrusive Center, Ute Pass Fault, Manitou Park Half Graben


Alterations

Not available


Rocks

Name: Pegmatite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Neoproterozoic

Name: Pegmatite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Neoproterozoic


Analytical Data

Not available


Materials

Ore: Cryolite
Ore: Fluorite
Gangue: Riebeckite
Gangue: Nacrite
Gangue: Rutile
Gangue: Zircon
Gangue: Microcline


Comments

Comment (Location): EXACT LOCATION UNCERTAIN BUT COULD BE SHAFT NW NW SEC. 16 0.6 MILE NE OF ST. PETERS DOME. ELEV AND LAT-LONG GIVEN ARE FOR SAID SHAFT. EUREKA TUNNEL PROBABLY IN SW SW SEC. 09 OR NW NW NW SEC. 16. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1981)

Comment (Commodity): THIS MINE IS ONLY DESCRIBED NACRITE LOCALITY IN COLORADO AND ALSO PROBABLY THE SITE OF DISCOVERY OF WEBERITE IN OLDER SPECIMENS ORIGINALLY THOUGHT TO BE CRYOLITE.

Comment (Deposit): COUNTRY ROCK OF PIKES PEAK GRANITE INTRUDED BY SMALL STOCKS AND PLUGS OF FAYALITE GRANITE AND CUT BY N 60 W-TRENDING APLITE DIKES. ROCK FRACTURED BY FIRST-GROUP JOINTS AT N 50 TO 60 W, VERTICAL, AND BY SECOND-GROUP JOINTS AT N 30 E, 40 TO 70 SE. IRREGULAR RIEBECKITE-CRYOLITE PEGMATITE OCCURS NE OF SHAFT BELOW ROAD PROBABLY AT SITE OF TUNNEL. SPECIMEN TOPAZ NOTED FOR EXCELLENT FORM AND BEAUTIFUL COLORS OF PINK, EMERALD GREEN, LIGHT WINE TO HONEY YELLOW, PURPLE, RICH REDDISH BROWN.

Comment (Workings): ONE SHAFT OF UNKNOWN DEPTH AND POSSIBLY ONE TUNNEL


References

Reference (Deposit): FINLAY, G.I., 1916, DESCRIPTION OF THE COLORADO SPRINGS QUADRANGLE: USGS FOLIO 203.

Reference (Deposit): TRIMBLE, D.E., AND MACHETTE, M.N., 1979, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE COLORADO SPRINGS-CASTLE ROCK AREA, FRONT RANGE URBAN CORRIDOR, COLORADO: USGS MAP I-857-F.

Reference (Deposit): PAULY, HANS, 1954, WEBERITE FROM PIKES PEAK, COLORADO: AM. MINERALOGIST, V. 39, NOS. 7 AND 8, P. 669-674.

Reference (Deposit): OVER, EDWIN, JR., 1929, SOME MINERAL LOCALITIES OF EL PASO COUNTY: ROCKS AND MINERALS, V. 4, NO. 4, P. 106-107.

Reference (Deposit): PEARL, R.M., 1965, COLORADO GEM TRAILS AND MINERAL GUIDE: DENVER, SAGE BOOKS, P. 171-180.

Reference (Deposit): STEVEN, T.A., 1949, GEOLOGY AND FLUORSPAR DEPOSITS OF THE ST. PETERS DOME DISTRICT, COLORADO: COLORADO SCI. SOC. PROC., V. 15, NO. 6, P. 259-284.


Colorado Mining Photos

Placer mines at Cripple Creek, Colorado ca. 1892

Check out this collection of Colorado's best historic mining photos: Incredible Photos of Colorado Mining Scenes.