Big Eye Mine

Total Miles
5.6

Elevation

658.25 ft

Duration

5 Hours

Technical Rating

3

Easy

Best Time

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Trail Overview

This is a fairly easy trail to negotiate with many interesting sights along the way, most bringing back memories of days long past. This is not a loop trail - you will have to come out the same way you went in, however, the ever-changing scenery looks mostly different on the way out than it did on the way in. There are many long-abandoned small mines and digs along the way to explore and photograph, plus two natural arches. The grand finale is the Big Eye Mine at the trail's end. From the small Big Eye Trailhead "parking" area it is a fairly easy .6mi uphill hike over a rocky trail to the series of mine structures and storage tanks.

Photos of Big Eye Mine

Big Eye Mine
Big Eye Mine

Difficulty

Uneven, rutted dirt trail with potential for loose rocks and sandy washes. Potential trail obstacles up to 6" including ledges and short, steep grades. There are ample places to pass along most of the route.

History

I believe the Big Eye Mine was most active in the late 1800s to the early 1900s and was manned with limited production until the 1930s. At the previously-designated parking area, there is a kiosk that has free annotated maps that explains a lot about the history of the surrounding area including the Castle Dome, KOFA, and Big Eye Mines.

Technical Rating

3

Access Description

Please see the screenshot in the included photos. The US-95 Big Eye Mine road turnoff point is at 32.96129, -114.29328. This is 20-30mi south of Quartzite AZ. Proceed NE to the parking area at 33.01466, -114.2326. This area is large enough to park ~20 rigs, with plenty more dessert off-road parking in the surrounding area. After unloading, proceed NE on the Big Eye access road to the trailhead.

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