New Mexico's mining history was responsible for the boom - and often bust - of many towns in our state. Some of these places became total ghost towns. Today, abandoned mines and mining equipment tell the story of the success and decline associated with this industry. Here are some creepy abandoned gold mines in New Mexico you might want to keep away from (or check out, we don't know - and we don't recommend, either):
1. The headframe is pretty much all that's left of the Kelly Mine, in the ghost town of Kelly.
At one point, this small New Mexico town near Magdalena had 3000 residents and seven saloons!
2. This mine is in the ghost town of Lake Valley in Sierra County.
During the 1870s, it was a silver boomtown. Nowadays, Lake Valley is a lot quieter.
3. These mining carts can be find in Mogollon, located in the Gila National Forest.
$15 million of gold, silver, and copper were extracted from the mines of Mogollon, New Mexico.
4. The Hayner Ruby Mine is in the Organ Mountains.
5. This is the mouth of the Ruby Mine, which looks like it's started to cave in. Yikes.
6. Old mining equipment like this litters the area around the Ruby Mine.
When active, the Hayner Ruby Mine produced fluorite. Don't discount the Organ Mountains, though - they're home to one of our favorite hiking trails in New Mexico.
7. The mining ghost town of Hagan is northeast of Albuquerque.
Even when the coal mine was active, this remained a small town. Today, Hagan, New Mexico is on private property. But you can still view it from the road.
8. Ambrosia Lake is a uranium mine near Grants.
Since 1998, all uranium mines have ceased operating in New Mexico. You can, however, tour uranium mines in New Mexico to this day.
9. This image from 1935 depicts the coal mine in Madrid.
For a while it was pretty much deserted, but, in the 1970s, artists revived this small town. (Madrid is a little further south on the Turquoise Trail than Cerrillos.)
To learn more about about New Mexico's mining history in a fun environment, head to the mining museum in Grants.
If you're interested in knowing which Land of Enchantment towns started out as mining camps, check out these mining towns in New Mexico! Can't seem to get enough of the abandoned gold mines in New Mexico? What about all the other New Mexico ghost towns there are to explore? Same - check out this epic New Mexico ghost town road trip for some fun. Don't know what to pack? Check out our definitive road trip packing list for all the essentials!
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