Bear Basin

The Bear Basin is a gold, copper, zinc, lead, and silver mine located in King county, Washington at an elevation of 4,400 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

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.

Site Name

Primary: Bear Basin
Secondary: Bear Creek Prospects

Commodity

Primary: Gold
Primary: Copper
Primary: Zinc
Primary: Lead
Primary: Silver
Tertiary: Arsenic
Tertiary: Tin
Tertiary: Antimony

Location

State: Washington
County: King
District: Buena Vista District

Land Status

Land ownership: National Wilderness
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: In Alpine Lakes Wilderness In Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Type: Underground

Ownership

Owner Name: Bear Basin Mining Co.
Home Office: Bremmerton, Wa.
Years: 1952 -

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Occurrence
Operation Type: Unknown
Discovery Year: 1925
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Pacific Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Cascade-Sierra Mountains
Physiographic Section: Northern Cascade Mountains

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Polymetallic veins

Orebody

Form: VEIN

Form: VEIN

Structure

Type: L
Description: Steeply Dipping Shear Zone

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Sericitization, Kaolinization, Silicification

Rocks

Name: Diorite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Miocene

Name: Diorite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Miocene

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: ALSO OTHER ASSAYS)
Analytical Data: SAMPLE IN ADIT ASSAYED 0.06 OZ/TON AU, 16.9 OZ/TON AG, 0.13% ZN. SAMPLES FROM ADIT NO. 3 SHOWED 0.1-33.7 OZ/TON AG, MAX. 0.05 OZ/TON AU, AND MAX. 0.16% CU (GUALTIERI AND OTHERS, 1975

Materials

Ore: Galena
Ore: Freibergite
Ore: Stannite
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Jamesonite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Molybdenite
Ore: Stibnite
Ore: Sphalerite
Gangue: Quartz

Comments

Comment (Location): LOCATED IN GLACIAL CIRQUE AT HEAD OF BEAR CREEK. LOCATION GIVEN IS FOR ADIT SYMBOL IN SEC. 23

Comment (Reserve-Resource): RESERVES ARE ESTIMATED TO BE SMALL BUT SEVERAL AREAS MAY BE FAVORABLE FOR EXPLORATION

Comment (Deposit): TWO SETS OF MINERALIZED SHEAR ZONES CONTAINING QUARTZ STRINGERS OT 5.9 FT WIDE IN ADIT NO. 3. OTHER ADITS ALSO DRIVEN ON SHEAR ZONES

Comment (Workings): 8 ADITS, WINZE

Comment (Deposit): Discovery Year: EARLY 1900'S

Comment (Deposit): LAT. & LONG. ARE GENERAL ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT

Comment (Deposit): SNOQUALMIE APPEARS TO BE PART OF BEAR BASIN PROPERTIES. SEE ALSO MRDS RECORD MP00222

References

Reference (Deposit): HUNTTING, M.T., 1956, INVENTORY OF WASHINGTON MINERALS: WASHINGTON DIVISION OF MINES AND GEOLOGY BULLETIN 37, V. 1, P. 295.

Reference (Deposit): PURDY, C.P., JR., 1951, ANTIMONY OCCURRENCES OF WASHINGTON: WASHINGTON DIVISION OF MINES AND GEOLOGY BULLETIN 39, P. 84-87.

Reference (Production): GUALTIERI AND OTHERS, 1975

Reference (Deposit): GUALTIERI, J.L., THURBER, H.K., MILLER, M.S., MCMAHAN, A.B., AND FEDERSPIEL, F.F., 1975, MINERAL RESOURCES OF ADDITIONS TO THE ALPINE LAKES STUDY AREA, CHELAN, KING, AND KITTITAS COUNTIES, WASHINGTON: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OPEN-FILE REPORT 75-3, P. 64-67.

Washington Gold

"Where to Find Gold in Washington" looks at the density of modern placer mining claims along with historical gold mining locations and mining district descriptions to determine areas of high gold discovery potential in Arizona. Read more: Where to Find Gold in Washington.