VULTURE MINE witness of the past

Vulture Mine (enlargeable)

Location: southwest of Wickenburg, AZ
Mailing Address: Vulture Mine, P.O. Box 1869, Wickenburg, AZ 85358, phone (602) 859-2743
Distance: about 45 miles from the intersection I-17 / AZ-74 (Carefree Highway) in northern Phoenix.
Opening hours: Thu - Mon from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm
Fees: $6 entrance fee
Direction: From the junction of US-60 and US-93 in Wickenburg go west on US-60 for about 2.4 miles, there turn south onto Vulture Mine Peak Road and continue for 11.5 miles to the turnoff (sign) to the Vulture Mine; there turn west and drive up to the parking area.

Vulture Mine. Discovered in 1863 by the Austrian Henry Wickenburg it was the largest producing gold mine in the history of Arizona.
Today you can visit the ghost town and explore this witness of the past on a self-guided tour.



Vulture Mine, view at the main mine shaft area on a hill (enlargeable)
The history. In 1863 the Austrian Henry Wickenburg discovered gold at this place. The Vulture Mine became the most productive gold mine in Arizona (more than 200 million dollars worth of gold and silver). More and more mining workers came to the mine - the Vulture City with many buildings, some of them are still standing, became a town with almost 5000 people.

Outside the 'office building'

In 1866 Henry Wickenburg sold most of the mine and settled as a farmer near the stamp mill and a new development at the Hassayampa River - today known as Wickenburg. It is said that legal fights over the contract broke the hapless Henry. In 1905 he died by his own hand at the age of 86 - only a few cents left in his pocket.
President Roosevelt closed the mine in 1942 (WW II) and the once thriving place around the Vulture Mine became a ghost town.

The visit. The visit begins at the 'office' where you can see some mining memorabilia, ore samples from the mine and pay the entrance fee for the self-guided tour. Visitors get a tour map of the town which leads them to the main attractions of the mining ghost town.

Stop-by-stop description of the self-guided tour (partially taken from the map):

The 'Glory Hole'

After paying the admission you follow the trail with the help of the map and some signs.

Soon you can look through a gate at the 'Glory Hole' on the right side of the trail. There, in 1923, a hundred feet of rock collapsed on top of seven miners (and twelve burros), working underground in one of the ore rich chambers. They had no chance to survive.

Assay office, built in 1884

Then you will get to the first rock building - the assay office and manager's headquarters.
The Assay Office was built in 1884 out of ore from the mine. It's walls contain over $600 thousand in gold and silver. There you can discover the oven in which the valuable metals were melted and then poured into forms to make bars.

Oven and bar forms

The other parts of the building contain the bullion storage room where gold and silver bars were stored in an underground storage room, and the living quarters (first and second floor) where you can see daily items from a long time ago - like a sewing machine, table and chairs, clothes, a metal bed missing a mattress and colorful bottles in an window.

Taking the trail to the right of the assay office, the original stamp mill can be seen. The Vulture gave up $200,000,000 in gold and silver before the Federal Government closed it in 1942. An estimated 2 to 3 times this amount still remains.

Looking down into the more than 3,000 ft. deep main mine shaft

Proceeding on up the trail, the blacksmith shop and main shaft are visible. The concrete slab at the entrance to the main shaft is where Henry Wickenburg made his "strike" in 1863. The main shaft is over 3,000 feet deep and maintains a perfect 35 degree angle. The main shaft connects the network of underground tunnels and today the mine is flooded below the 600 ft. level.

Looking to the south from the blacksmith shop, the new ball mill and tailing recovery structures are visible.

After walking the short distance to the ball mill and observing the contents, a large metal building can be seen behind the mill. This structure houses the power plant for the Vulture as well as serving the machine shop. In the metal building you still can see the huge engine and all the other necessary equipment.

The 'Hanging Tree' and the remains of Henry's cabin

Following the trail back towards the assay office, the vast tailing deposits can be seen. These tailings contain an estimated seven to twelve dollars per ton of flower gold.

Upon returning to the rock building area, please observe the Hanging Tree from which eighteen miners were hung for high-grading gold. Henry Wickenburg's original home can be seen here.
Actually what's left from it are the old wooden door frame and remains of the rock walls - the old home of a miner who could have been the richest man in Arizona.

On your way back to the starting point of the self-guided tour you will pass more buildings from the time when Vulture City made history. The buildings in this area were built circa 1884.

Tipps. Keep in mind that the self-guided tour trail goes through the desert. Be smart and wear appropriate clothing, sun protection and be aware of the chance to 'meet' a rattlesnake.
The Vulture Mine is a paradise for photographers. Keep your eyes open and you will find many spots for an interesting photo - like the one below.



Vulture Mine (enlargeable)
Source: my visit at the Vulture Mine and the self-guided tour map
All photos: © by gbintheworld.com
All information: as of spring 2004

Nearby attractions:
Please visit the page Trips and Sightseeing, greater Phoenix area for other interesting parks, monuments and places in and around Phoenix.

Links to websites and information about the Vulture Mine and Wickenburg (links open in a new window):
Vulture Mine The Vulture Mine website
Wickenburg tourism website of Wickenburg

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