Take a walk into a gold mine
The Village at Castle Pines resident Greg Winiger has visited the mine several times. Standing here, he is in the gold vain of the tour, one of many tunnels throughout the active mine.
It is no secret that Colorado was once part of the mining sensation that drove many pioneers west in search of silver and gold. If you are intrigued with the history or interested in a hands-on experience, the Capital Prize Gold Mine (CPGM) is 90 minutes west in beautiful Georgetown.
In addition to public tours, CPGM is an active mine, a modern prospecting operation which includes classifiers, dredges, shaker tables and sluice boxes. CPGM was established in 1859 and workers continue today to crush ore to get concentrates.
For the 60-minute tour, visitors enter the mountain adit (or tunnel) and walk 1,000 feet with a tour guide who will talk about drilling, blasting, mucking and the importance of mining during the days of the Wild West. Instead of gold-panning, visitors have the option to break a rock specimen and observe the gold and silver veins.
The Village at Castle Pines resident Greg Winiger has been several times throughout his 35 years living in Colorado and said that the CPGM experience is stellar.
“The mine has the best examples of mining for gold and a lot of history about Georgetown,” shared Greg. “The best part of the tour is how much information the tour guide shares in a short amount of time.”
The ground inside the adit is level and the top reaches roughly six feet; it is well lit but averages a constant 50 degrees. The mine is inspected daily and monitored by the Colorado Division of Reclamation Mining and Safety.
CPGM is open year-round and reservations are recommended. Adult tickets cost $30, children ages 4-16 are $20 and children younger than 3 are free. For more information, visit www.capitalprizegoldmine.com or call 303-569-2468.
Visitors to the Capital Prize Gold Mine have the option to break a rock specimen, observe the gold and silver veins and keep a piece smaller than their fist.
By Hollen Wheeler; photos courtesy of Greg Winiger and Capital Prize Gold Mine
