History
The mine was first worked for gold and silver by Chas Noble in 1915 and later developed into a multi-level mine and worked for tungsten to at least 1956. The few thousand feet of workings are developed along an impressive scheelite vein (the dyke) that stretches across the mountainside for four miles.
We first visited the Silver Dyke mine in 2001. Since then, I have returned a few times but I should go back to get better pictures and do some more exploring. The old photos are all from scans. We recently returned to the mine in late 2014 to re-photograph the mine and hike up to the upper camp.
Road Directions
| mile | (km) | Road Directions |
| 0 | 0 (km) | From Socorro's Burger Hut in downtown Mina (at the corner of 8th Street and highway US 95) head south for 6.5 miles and turn right on to a graded dirt road. Cross over a cattle guard. |
| 1.2 | 1.9 (km) | Keep right at junction. |
| 3.4 | 5.5 (km) | Continue straight at junction. |
| 4.3 | 6.9 (km) | Turn right into Silver Dyke Canyon. High clearance and 4WD is usually required. Ignore side roads and stay in main canyon. |
| 6.2 | 10 (km) | Road ends at a rock pile. |
Hike Description
| Hike Distance | 1.2 miles (1.9km) Out & Back | |
| Trail Type | Use | |
| Hike Difficulty | Easy | |
| Elevation Gain, Loss | 490 ft (149m) gain round trip. | |
| Hike Time | 45 minutes |
From the rock pile at the end of the road, follow the old road up the canyon to the mine portal. At 0.2 miles, you will pass the old camp and mill site.
After exploring the remains of the old camp, continue up the old road. You will pass an ore bin at 0.48 miles. The mine adit is just a little bit farther.
Most people who visit don’t bother to hike to the Upper Camp which have a workshop and shaft. Nearby, are the remains of a stamp mill. It appears as if the mill was never completed. Huge timbers lay next to an empty stamp mortar box. It is a very unusual find.
The trail to reach the Upper Camp is gone. The easiest way to get up there is by hiking up the gulch directly behind the adit and then climbing up the steep slopes around the bottom of the mine dump at the Upper Camp shaft.
GPS
Last Updated on January 21, 2021 by Guy Starbuck
