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The main sites of interest in this area are:
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Chloride City can be reached via dirt roads that begin on either side of
Daylight Pass. One of these dirt roads passes right by the top of Monarch
Canyon. Another dirt road reaches up to the bottom of Monarch Canyon. At
this time the area around Keane Wonder Mine is closed. This closure may also
include the Big Bell Mine as well as other mine ruins in the immediate area.
Call the DVNP for details. (continued) |
Chloride Cliff
Chloride Cliff and Chloride City contain lots of interesting ruins. There
are five areas of interest located in Chloride Cliff area: Crowell's mercury
mine, Chloride City, the Dugouts, Franklin's Mill, and Chloride Cliff.
Big Bell Mine
The extensive ruins at the Big Bell Mine require a little hiking to get to.
There are three routes that can be taken. Hiking down the canyon directly
from the area near the Dugouts is the most enjoyable. Lots of debris is
scattered along the way and there are a few easy rock ledges to crawl down.
I took the canyon down to the mill and then I took
a steep trail on the way back.
The trail takes off from near the outhouse above the Big Bell Mill area
and leads north and then back
around east and south to Chloride City. The way to reach Big Bell Mine
is to take the
extremely steep Cable Road. (It is also possible to hike up from the Keane
Wonder Mine. At this time the area has been closed due to concerns about hazardous waste and other
safety issues.)