Picacho Mines!

Bill
Picacho Mines
Landmark #193 Imperial County Visited: Sept. 16, 2013 Plaque?  YES! 🙂
What is it? A plaque and tailings for the once-mighty gold mines at Picacho!
What makes it historical? THE GUIDE SAYS: Opened by placer miners after 1852, the gold mines expanded into hard rock quarrying by 1872. Picacho employed 700 miners at its peak from 1895 to 1900. Mill accidents, low ore quality, and the loss of cheap river transport with the building of Laguna Dam led to numerous periods of inactivity. With ores far from worked out, the Picacho Mines, using modern techniques, again resumed operations in 1984.

OTHER TIDBITS: Though mining continued into modern times, resources were fully exhausted here by 2000, and it has since been rinsed and re-vegetated!
How can I Help the Helpers? HERE’S HOW:

  • Become a member of the Imperial County Historical Society!
  • Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!
Where is this place? LISTED DIRECTIONS:
On Picacho Rd
18.2 mi N of Winterhaven, CA 92283

ANNOTATIONS:
That’s about 13.4 miles north of where Picacho Road switches from pavement to dirt and crosses Picacho Wash! Be warned! While the road is fairly well maintained, it has some sandy washes that are a little hair-raising! Pick your car wisely!

From Los Angeles: ~288mi (464km) — 4.8hrs
From Sacramento: ~671mi (1080km) — 11.2hrs
From San Diego: ~187mi (301km) — 3.2hrs
From San Francisco: ~668mi (1076km) — 11.2hrs
When should I go? I would suggest doing this during the daylight in the autumn or winter!

Click here to see more California historical landmarks!

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