Thanksgiving at Tumco Ghost Town

12/16/13
 Turkey at Thanksgiving is soo overrated, we prefer abandoned mines!

 

Our Thanksgiving holiday led us out to ghost town and old mining area in the Imperial Valley. We’ve driven by this area multiple times and have always wanted to stop and explore. We did some research and realized there was so much to explore, see and find. We loaded up our trailer with a metal detector, black lights and flashlights and headed out with gold fever! We had two magnificent camp spots that were walking distance to the historic Tumco Site, abandoned treasures and hiking trails galore.

We explored the historic Tumco site, ruins from the old town, roped off mine shafts and remnants of a town abandoned almost one hundred years ago. Multiple mines surround this area including the recently purchased American Girl and American Boy mine and many more in these Cargo Muchachos Mountains.

 

Want more info on this historic town, there is actually a song written about it on YouTube… John Malcome Penn wrote the song “Tumco Mine” (if you google it, beware, the song can get stuck in your head)!

 

             Welcome to Tumco Historic Mining Site !

 

       
       Take a look at the waterfall effect of this mine shaft

 

We fell in love with the beautiful teal colors in the abundant “kyanite”
View of our spectacular camp spot right next to Tumco!

 

Our little one looks even smaller in the basement of the old Miner’s Club Saloon

 

Not only did we love the sign, but we also loved the remnants of the old Golden Queen mine

 

Look what we found! Small tunnel on the outskirts of Tumco

 

Foundation to old building from Tumco Ghost Town

 

Cans, bottles, pottery pieces and thick glass remnants are a reminder of life back in the mining days

 

Small cave and prospectors mine in Tumco

 

The mountain ranges surrounding the area are indented with caverns, holes, nooks and crannies!

 

Plenty of “rusted history” was left behind in the old ghost town

 

 View looking down onto what is left of the eastern neighborhood -check out the tailings in right corner

Considering this structure was built in the 1800’s, we were amazed how much was still standing

 

A photo of what the town of Hedges looked like in it’s heyday

 

       The sun sets on the last two walls remaining from the town hospital

 

My miners staking their claim
Looking through the iron bars down the mouth of a very large mine in Tumco
4 cyanide vats bake in the desert sun

 

Welded iron guard the mystery of this gold mine and keep visitors safe

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