Caledonia Copper Mine
How Is Copper Mined At The New Caledonia Mine
Native Copper from the Caledonia Copper Mine
The first is done in the morning and involves having your own private pile of ore from the mine waiting for you to go through.
You can use any tools or methods you would like to find the copper in your pile. This costs $50 and consists of about 2 cubic yards of material, but for $100 you can get a double load. If you decide to go with the double load be sure to have a couple of friends with you to make your way through it all.
Many people just dig their way through the mound and see what they can find. But some bring out a metal detector to make their search a bit easier. Although some may call it cheating to use a metal detector, most would call it a good use of your tools, and we here at Treasure-Hunting-Vacations.com recommend it.
Water hoses are provided for your use to help wash off your finds. When you pull the native copper pieces out it will probably be a dirty green color. This is due to oxidation on the outside of the copper.
See the Treasure Hunting for Copper page for tips on removing this oxidation and displaying your specimen in all its wonderful red glory.
The second way you can go after some wonderful specimens at the Caledonia Copper Mine by going on a Mine Rock Exploration tour.
These tours are conducted in the afternoon. For only $20 for one person, $30 per couple, or $50 for the whole family (additional $5 for each person over 4 total) you are taken on a guided tour of the mine site. On this tour you are allowed to collect all the native copper or other minerals you can carry.
Regardless of which kind of dig you go with, you will have 3 hours of collection time. But not to worry, you should be able to find plenty of great examples of native copper to make the trip well worth it.
Equipment You May Need To Help Mine For Copper
You can either bring your own tools or the mine will rent you some of the basic stuff. So here’s a list of what you may want to bring with you:
-Heavy-duty gloves (This is Required by the mine to dig)
-Safety glasses (This is Required by the mine to dig)
-5 Gallon bucket (to help you move material)
-Hand shovel or large hoe (to help move material)
-Sledge-hammer (because sometimes the copper can be stuck in large pieces of rock)
-Chisels (to help with getting the copper out of the rock)
-Gardening claw (to help dig through the tailings)
-Food and Water (There is a nice picnic area close to the mine)
-Metal detector (Helps make the search much more productive)
The Caledonia Copper Mine is open May through September, and only on specific dates, reservations are required for digging. The times for digging may change through out the year so be sure to confirm your show time when you make your digging reservation.
How to get to the Caledonia Copper Mine
To visit the mine you’ll fly into Hancock Houghton, MI, you’ll need to get a rental car from here due to the fact that the town of Ontonagon, where the mine is located is over 44 miles away. You can set up a hotel in the town of Ontonagon.
To get to the Caledonia Copper Mine from the town of Ontonagon, MI first get onto state route 38, also known as Ontonagon-Greenland Rd heading south, more like south-east. You’ll follow Ontonagon-Greenland Rd for about 10.5 miles till you get to 1st Street. Turn right (directly south) onto 1st St, this will become Ridge Rd keep following it for about a total of 1 mile to Caledonia Rd. Turn right onto Caledonia Rd and follow it for about 1.5 miles to the Caledonia Copper Mine.
Contacting the Caledonia Copper Mine
To set up your reservations to dig or for additional information about the Caledonia Copper Mine contact:
Richard Whiteman
202 Ontonagon Street
Ontonagon, MI 49953
Phone 906-884-6618
Email: caledoniamine@charter.net
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