Vulcan Mine New Castle, Colorado

Vulcan Mine – New Castle, Colorado
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The Trek Details

The Trek in a snapshot

Location

New Castle, Colorado

Managing Agency

Private ownership

Pets

Allowed

Fees

None

Restrooms

None

Camping

Not allowed

Trail Condition

No trail. Can see the mine right from your car

Sights

Ore hopper, other mining relics

Water Info

Bring a bottle of water if needed

Best Season

All

Distance

Less than 10 ft

Time Required

Less than 15 minutes

Parking Elevation

5629 ft

Summit Elevation

Varies slightly

Elevation Difference

Varies slightly

Trek Planner Maps

Trail Map

GPS Coordinates

Ore Hopper: 39.5605, -107.49915
Shack: 39.56074, -107.49877
Caved Entrance: 39.56015, -107.49866

Experience. Discover. Explore.

The Trail

Follow along on our adventure then go out on your own!

Be a responsible explorer

On the way to a family trip to Glenwood Springs, I saw this huge structure off the side of the road.  I quickly found the next exit and found a way over to the structure to take some pictures.  There are several buildings, shacks, and other structures worth seeing and you could see most everything without ever leaving your car!  It’s clear that these structures are for mining and I quickly discovered that this was a coal mine.  You could easily see everything here in about 10 minutes.  It’s neat to see up-close and you can quickly tell that this was a very large operation.

Abandoned mines are inherently dangerous, but coal mines are something I will not enter.  This mine is luckily caved in, but coal mines are considered “soft rock” mines which are more susceptible to collapse and cave-ins.

According to this news article, there was an explosion and fire on February 18, 1896 that killed 49 miners.  The bodies were eventually recovered, but there is an underground fire STILL burning to this day.  It is the longest burning coal-seam fire in the country.  To read more about this mine please click here.

You can see the giant ore hopper and some ore tracks.  On the left-hand side of the road, you can see a small shack.  You can see many pieces of metal and parts from machinery.  Please be respectful and do not remove or collect any of these relics.

Personal Thoughts

Personal Thoughts

I think this was a fun and interesting stop. It probably isn't worth making a trip just to see this, but if you are in the area wanting to see some mine history, then this would be a good stop.

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