Lomax Placer Gulch

Location/Directions

The Lomax Mine was a hydraulic placer mining operation active in the 1860s near downtown Breckenridge. The current site includes about five acres. Placer mining methods were used to recover gold nuggets and flakes that had been eroded from the rocks of the surrounding mountains and had been deposited in streams and rivers. Since gold is a very heavy mineral, it tended to sink to the lower layers of gravels and other stream sediments.

 Placer miners used equipment that took advantage of this "heaviness" to separate and recover the gold from the stream deposits. Hydraulic mining techniques used very large, high capacity water hoses and nozzles to wash loose, unconsolidated gravels through placer mining recovery equipment. All mining was done at ground surface; no underground operations were performed in a typical placer mine.

The Lomax Mine has a complete collection of the equipment used in a typical hydraulic mining operation. SHS guides explain each of the techniques and pieces of equipment used. Additionally, the mine has a fully equipped assay office from a former mining operation in which SHS guides will explain how "fire assays" were done in the 1860 - 1900 mining era to determine the gold and silver content of samples brought in by miners and prospectors.

 The mine also hosts an actual miners log cabin that contains many artifacts to demonstrate how miners and their families lived and faced the hardships of the early mining era. A restored stable and wagon repair shop from the period serves as a museum for the tools, clothing, and equipment used in a typical hydraulic mining operation. A slide show is also provided by SHS guides to show many early mining scenes from this long-gone era.

Directions: The Lomax Mine is located at 301 Ski Hill Road on the way to the Peak 9 ski lift area. From the Blue River Plaza in the center of Breckenridge, proceed north (toward Frisco) on Main Street one block to the stop light at Ski Hill Road/Lincoln Ave. Turn west (toward the mountains) onto Ski Hill Road. . Proceed past the stoplight at Park Ave. and drive about 1/4 mile uphill to a Lomax Mine sign on the left and a driveway into the mine parking lot. Turn left into the parking lot.

Please allow about 10 minute's driving time from downtown Breckenridge to arrive on time for the mine tour.