function ml_webform_success_2150690(){var r=ml_jQuery||jQuery;r(".ml-subscribe-form-2150690 .row-success").show(),r(".ml-subscribe-form-2150690 .row-form").hide()}. The ownership changed hands four times during this period. Adults: $10 donation All visitors must check in with our caretaker, sign a liability waiver and pay for admission before exploring the town. At its peak over 1,000 people lived here working in mines as the San Felipe and Union. The Cerro Gordo Mines are a collection of abandoned mines located in the Inyo Mountains, in Inyo County, near Lone Pine, California. Cerro Gordo Road is just short of 8 miles long and fairly steep in places. Bring your own food and water. A view roughly southeast along Cerro Gordo Road to a long-abandoned tramway that served the Cerro Gordo mining district during its boom years (probably late 1800s to early 1900s). Tours are available by reservation and can be guided or self-guided. Sat, Oct 20, 2018, 9:00 AM: For those that missed the June trip, we're headed back to Cerro Gordo in October (and the crowd goes wild)! Cerro Gordo Mines is situated 2 miles northeast of Tramway. The Cerro Gordo Historical Foundation was founded to preserve and improve the townsite of Cerro Gordo. Successful merchant Victor Beaudry was the first person to recognize the potential of the Cerro Gordo mines. Tramway Ramp Remains No.1 - Infrared Exposure - Cerro Gordo, CA - 2012 Above: The old Yellow Grade Road (dust storm on Owens Lake below) - Cerro Gordo, CA - 2014 . The Summit Control Station and Power House can be seen at the top of Daisy Canyon northwest of Cerro Gordo ghost town. It was hoped the arrival of the railroad would signal a return to prosperity in the Cerro Gordo district, but those hopes were never realized. Details about c.1914 Owens Lake Cerro Gordo Mines Inyo Mountains SP Railroad Tramway Road Map. Some ore was smelted on site, but larger capacity smelters were eventually constructed along the shore of nearby Owens Lake. We recommend a 4WD as the safest way, but non 4WD vehicles can make the trip as well. Your access to Cerro Gordo Mines, Cerro Gordo Ghost Town site and surrounding areas, whether participating in an organized or unorganized event or just exploring, whether authorized or unauthorized, constitutes your agreement to all of the terms and conditions of our Waiver of Liability and Hold Harmless Agreement. By the end of 1869, over 340 tons of silver bullion had been shipped from the Cerro Gordo mines to Los Angeles. Our interest in the Cerro Gordo had been aroused during a previous trip into that region when we saw at Keeler the lower terminus of' the old tramway which once brought the rich ore from the mine down the side of the mountain. The road in is about eight miles, steep and 4 wheel drive is recommended. Cerro Gordo is an abandoned mining town in central Inyo County. In 1866 Beaudry opened Cerro Gordoâs first store. Shipping 1,000 tons of ore daily, Cerro Gordo became the largest producer of zinc carbonates in the entire United States. He worked as a woodcutter at a nearby lumber camp during the late 1800s. The Cerro Gordo Mine isnât a single mine, rather it is a collection of abandoned mines near Lone Pine. Its new owners plan to spend about $1 million to make it boom again. var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; It features original buildings and artifacts relevant to the town and is open for guided tours, photography groups, mineral and rock groups, schools and historical groups. Cerro Gordo finally had the basic infrastructure it needed, and a bonanza was about to begin in the district. Keep up to date with Cerro Gordo news and information. by Cecile Page Vargo . Cerro Gordo is situated north of Montalviche. For further information about rates, group discounts or private events, please call us at 760.689.2443. The town that once had hundreds of buildings now has less than twenty. While modern materials will help us minimize this in the future, we are here now, and we still have a lot to be thankful for. There may be insects, wild animals or snakes, so please do not allow your pet near wild animals or their dens or burrows. var cx = 'partner-pub-9736755019159052:xpuzw9d2li5'; c.1914 Owens Lake Cerro Gordo Mines Inyo Mountains SP Railroad Tramway Road Map. It may be better to approach from the Cerro Gordo Mine. One of Cerro Gordo's most famous ghosts is that of Alphonse Benoit. Photo: LCGS Russ, CC BY 3.0. The surface ores were very rich and less complex than silver ores of other districts, and the miners were able to extract significant quantities of silver with nothing but hand labor and crude roasting ovens made of adobe. Item Information. It was the arrival of Mortimer Belshaw in April of 1868 that would transform Cerro Gordo into the booming mining town it was destined to be. Hundreds of miners, prospectors, and businessmen were making their way to the town. In 1912, the Cerro Gordo group, whose property now consisted of tunnels and shafts and an aerial tramway connecting the mine with the narrow-gauge Southern Pacific Railroad at Keeler, was acquired by Utah mining men. A more lethal blow was dealt by falling lead and silver prices, effectively ending this era of activity at Cerro Gordo. The Molly Stevens, which had been out of use for several years, was refurbished at great expense, only to burn and be completely destroyed before it could be put back in use. The damage was repaired but the mine was left in debt. The American Hotel was built in 1871 and it still stands today. Cerro Gordo Road is a county maintained gravel/dirt road, just short of 8 miles long and fairly steep in places. 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