Smuggler Mine

The Smuggler Mine is a gold mine located in Madison county, Montana at an elevation of 7,001 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: Smuggler Mine
Secondary: Beaverhead National Forest

Commodity

Primary: Gold
Tertiary: Silver

Location

State: Montana
County: Madison

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: Underground
Mining Method: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Rocky Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Northern Rocky Mountains

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Not available

Comments

Comment (Environmental Factors): APPROXIMATELY 80% OF THE TAILINGS SURFACE WAS NATURALLY REVEGTATED. FOUR ADITS WERE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SITE; HOWEVER ONLY ONE OF THEM (ADIT #1) WAS DISCHARGING WATER. THE ADIT #1 DISCHARGE WAS VERY MINOR (<1 GPM), AND EVENTUALLY SEEPED INTO THE GROUND. THE DISCHARGE DID NOT EXCEED ANY MAXIMUM CONTAMINANT LEVELS. MILL CREEK WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 200 YARDS DOWNGRADIENT FROM THE ADITS AND ASSOCIATED WASTE ROCK DUMPS, AND APPROXIMATELY 200 YARDS DOWGRADIENT FROM THE TAILINGS ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE MILL CREEK ROAD. MILL CREEK WAS NOT SAMPLED DURING THE INVESTIGATION. ADIT #4 WAS OPEN AND POSED A HAZARD.

References

Reference (Deposit): PRIORITY SITES, SUMMARY REPORT, MARCH 1994, P. 5-167.

Reference (Deposit): MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES & GEOLOGY BULLETIN 100, 1976, P. 16.

Reference (Deposit): MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES & GEOLOGY MEM. 20, 1940, P. 77.

Reference (Deposit): MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES & GEOLOGY MEM. 15, 1935, P. 52.

Reference (Deposit): MONTANA DEPARTMENT OF STATE LANDS. ABANDONED HARDROCK MINES

Principal Gold Districts of Montana

In Montana, 54 mining districts have each have produced more than 10,000 ounces of gold. The largest producers are Butte, Helena, Marysville, and Virginia City, each having produced more than one million ounces. Twenty seven other districts are each credited with between 100,000 and one million ounces of gold production. Read more: Principal Gold Districts of Montana.