Adventure Copper Mine


Useful Information

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Location: Greenland, MI.
19 km east of Ontonagon, off M-38, west of M-26 on Adventure Road.
(46°46'26.18"N, 89°4'55.67"W)
Open: Memorial Day to mid-OCT Mon-Sat 9-18, Sun 11-18. [2006]
Fee: Historic Surface Tour, Adults USD 10, Children (6-12) USD 6.
Trammer's Underground Tour: Adults USD 10, Children (6-12) USD 6.
Combined Surface & Trammer's Tour: Adults USD 15, Children (6-12) USD 9.
Prospector's Underground Tour: Adults USD 21, Children (6-12) USD 12.
Combined Surface & Prospector's Tour: Adults USD 26, Children (6-12) USD 17.
Miner's Underground Tour: Adults USD 50, Children (6-12) USD 4.
Groups (12+): 15% discount. [2006]
Classification: MineCopper Mine
Light: LightIncandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:
Guided tours: Trammers Underground Tour: D=60 min, L=400 m.
Prospectors Underground Tour: D=80 min.
Miners Underground Tour: D=3 h.
Historic Surface Tour: D=45 min.
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:
Address: Adventure Copper Mine, P.O. Box 6, 200 Adventure Road, Greenland, Ml 49929, Tel: +1-906-883-3371. E-mail: contact
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then.
Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

5000 BC first mining of elemental copper in the area.
1200 BC first miners disappear.
1950s modern miniung started.
1920s mining ended.
12-JUL-2009 Miner's Revenge mountain bike race on the surface and inside the mine.

Geology

The area belongs to the Laurentian shield, a region of extremely old rocks, which are primarly metamorphic or crystalline. The mine is located in precrambrian basaltic lava flows, which were tilted to a 45 degree angle by tectonic movements. Copper occurs in the top portions of the lava flows, where many gas bubbles existed. The holes in the rock were filled with minerals and copper during post volcanic activity by hydrothermal processes. Characteristic is the total lack of copper oxides such as azurite or malachite.

Description

Adventure Copper Mine is really exceptional because of its history. Here elemental copper was found, which is very easy to recognise and to process. As a result, the oldest mining activity took place 3000 BC, which means 5000 years ago! This is the oldest known copper mining in the western hemisphere. But the first miners disappeared 1200 BC and so far we do not know much about them, neither where they came from, nor where they were going. Modern mining history started in the 19th century, and since then thousands of tons of copper and thousands of pounds of silver were produced in the mine.

The tour starts on the surface, where natural copper outcrops are shown and ancient mining methods are demonstrated. But this story is told from the viewpoint of the modern mining, as the prehistoric remains were found by 1850s miners. Also the technical debvelopment of mining until the beginning of the 20th century is demonstrated.

On Sunday 12-JUL-2009 the mine will be the location of the five mile Miner's Revenge mountain bike race. The course will go along the surface of the mine, as well as underground. While most of the underground course is about 10 m high, there are passages which will be too low for a person on a bike, so the will have to get off and push. Actually a certain challenge, and we hope they will wear a helmet.