All of these mining photos may have inspired you to explore an abandoned mine but BEWARE! Just on federal land alone, there are 510 abandoned mine sites in north Idaho and there could be many more on private land. However, most of these abandoned mines are dangerous and deadly because they are unmarked and largely unnoticeable - with large holes dropping hundreds of feet or tunnels that give off toxic levels of carbon monoxide. Between 2010 and 2013, forty people died in abandoned mines in the United States due to lack of markings, signs, or warnings. Underground metal mines may seem like a relic of the past, but they continue to affect people through the present. Please be aware of danger before hiking, hunting, or exploring near abandoned mines!¹

Sources

Photos courtesy of the George W. Tabor Photographs and Barnard-Stockbridge Photograph Collection, University of Idaho Library, Special Collections & and Archives