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Lakeshore Mine
Hiking Around Las Vegas, Gold Butte National Monument
Lakeshore Mine
Lakeshore Mine
Lakeshore Mine (view SE from the top of a nearby hill)

Overview

Lakeshore Mine is located out at the far south end of Gold Butte National Monument near the edge of the Jumbo Springs Wilderness Area, inside Lake Mead National Recreation Area. The mine produced gold and some silver from Precambrian granites beginning in 1934 to about 1940.

Lakeshore Mine primarily was a strip mine where a low ridge was scraped way using bulldozers to reveal a vein of quartz. A bit of old gear, a loading chute, mill foundations, and one short adit remain.

Below the mill foundations, mud from the mill fills the wash to about 8-ft deep. These muds likely are contaminated with mercury, so don't stir up the dust.

Access to this mine requires 4WD vehicles and more than likely a hike down Scanlon Dugway. This is not an easy place to visit.

Link to map.

Lakeshore Mine
Loading chute (view E from wash)

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about driving in the desert, ... this is a pretty safe area, but stay out of holes in the ground, as they are never safe to enter, and the muds likely are contaminated with mercury, so don't stir up the dust.

This is wild and remote country without services of any kind (no restrooms, no water, no gas, no food). Bring what you need to survive. Be prepared and be self-reliant. It is a big place, but someone will eventually find you if you stay on a main road, but be prepared to survive alone for a day or two, or even longer on side roads. Consider signaling the tourist helicopters that traverse the area coming and going from the Grand Canyon.

While out, please respect the land and the other people out there, and try to Leave No Trace of your passage. Also, this is a remote area, so be sure to bring the 10 Essentials.

Lakeshore Mine
Adit entrance (view E)

Getting to Lakeshore Mine

Lakeshore Mine is located out in Gold Butte National Monument at the northeast end of Lake Mead, about 6 hours northeast of Las Vegas in a wild, remote, and scenic area.

From town, drive out the paved Gold Butte Road for 21 miles to Whitney Pocket. Continue south on the unpaved Gold Butte Road for 20 miles to Gold Butte Townsite. Continue south on Scanlon Road to the top of Scanlon Dugway, which is the end of the road for most people. From there, hike the 2 miles down to the mine, which is clearly apparent when you get there.

Lakeshore Mine Lakeshore Mine
Lakeshore Mine Lakeshore Mine
Lakeshore Mine Lakeshore Mine
Lakeshore Mine
Debris along road just above the main mine site (view SE)
Lakeshore Mine
Debris along road just above the main mine site (view N)
Lakeshore Mine
Debris along road just above the main mine site (view N)
Lakeshore Mine
Debris along road just above the main mine site (view SE)
Lakeshore Mine
Debris along road just above the main mine site (view down)
Lakeshore Mine
Debris along road just above the main mine site (view SE)
Lakeshore Mine
Main site: loading chute above wash with muds (view S)
Lakeshore Mine
Loading chute (view S)
Lakeshore Mine
Pit below loading chute (view S)
Lakeshore Mine
Loading chute (view NW from strip mine area)
Lakeshore Mine
Loading chute (view NW from strip mine area)
Lakeshore Mine
Loading chute (view N from strip mine area)
Lakeshore Mine
Mill foundation and muds in wash (view SW)
Lakeshore Mine
Foundation in the wash (view W)
Lakeshore MineMill foundation and muds in wash (view SW) Lakeshore Mine
Loading chute (view SE from strip mine area)
Lakeshore Mine
Mill foundation (view SW)
Lakeshore Mine
Mill foundation (view SW)
Lakeshore Mine
Mill foundation (view S)
Lakeshore Mine
Mill foundation (view N)
Lakeshore Mine
Muds in wash (view NW)
Lakeshore MineMuds in wash (view N)
Lakeshore Mine
Muds in wash (view S)
Lakeshore Mine
Muds in wash (view S)
Lakeshore Mine
Muds in wash (view NE)
Lakeshore Mine
Muds in wash (view NE)
Lakeshore Mine
Muds in wash (view SW)
Lakeshore Mine
Mill site (view NE from muds in wash)
Lakeshore Mine
Muds in wash with foundation and wooden timbers (view SW)
Lakeshore Mine
Muds in wash with foundation and wooden timbers (view SW)
Lakeshore Mine
Foundation upstream from mill site (view S)
Lakeshore Mine
Foundation across wash from mill site (view S)
Lakeshore Mine
Foundation across wash from mill site (view SE)
Lakeshore Mine
Muds in wash (view NW from strip mine area)
Lakeshore Mine
Strip mine area (view S)
Lakeshore Mine
Strip mine area (view SE)
Lakeshore Mine
Strip mine area (view SE)
Lakeshore Mine
Mule deer antler - I don't expect deer this low in the desert)
Lakeshore Mine
Cabin site on hilltop (view SE)
Lakeshore Mine
Cabin site on hilltop (view NE)
Lakeshore Mine
Cabin site on hilltop (view SE)
Lakeshore Mine
Remains of old truck (view S)
Lakeshore Mine
Adit entrance (view E near sunset)
Lakeshore Mine
Adit entrance (view E)
Lakeshore Mine
Foundation on hillside east of mine site (view SE)
Lakeshore Mine
Timbers on the ground (view SE)
Lakeshore Mine
Mining claim marker (view SE)
Lakeshore Mine
Tag on mining claim marker; text lost to time (view NE)

Table 1. Highway Coordinates Based on GPS Data (NAD27; UTM Zone 11S). Download Highway GPS Waypoints (*.gpx) file.

Site Location UTM Easting UTM Northing Latitude (N) Longitude (W) Elevation (ft)
1741 Scanlon Rd at Lakeshore Mine 752424 4002722 36.13820 114.19477 2,646

Happy Hiking! All distances, elevations, and other facts are approximate.
copyright; Last updated 240325

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