Techatticup Gold Mine•Eldorado Canyon

Eldorado Canyon is an inspirational desert landscape and plenty of old wild west history happened in this place. This picturesque canyon is the home of the largest and oldest gold strike in southern Nevada. Fortunes were made during the American Civil War and the Eldorado Canyon gold actually fueled the confederate war effort. A Union Army conquest was nearly impossible because this canyon was in a very inhospitable location along the Colorado River. For this reason, Eldorado Canyon was a lawless rebel mining camp where a long lifespan could be dramatically shortened. 

This canyon was bypassed by the Spaniards, simply because they could not thoroughly explore every canyon that branched off the Colorado River. After the 1849 California gold rush began to decline, the Nevada territory started attracting prospectors. Eventually a prospector followed the colors in the pan all the way up Eldorado Canyon to the mother lode. The mine was established in 1861 and it was called Techatticup, which translates to “I am hungry” in the native Paiute language. The mother lode gold strike at Eldorado Canyon was huge by modern standards. 

During the peak mining years, Eldorado Canyon was a haven for outlaws and everybody was taking potshots at each other. Eldorado Canyon was one of the most dangerous places in the old west and many prospectors met their untimely end. The outlaw days of this canyon are what legends are made of and this might even be a good spot for paranormal tourism. 

For those who have gold fever, nearly all of Eldorado Canyon has active claims. Panning will reveal round lumps of silver. which is mercury coated gold. In the old days, mercury was used to extract gold from crushed ore and the entire canyon is loaded with this deadly contaminant. For this reason, casually panning for gold in Eldorado Canyon is not worth the risk. 

The Techatticup Mining Camp is occupied and it is listed as a living ghost town. This mining site is privately owned and it is not a public lands property. The owners of the Techatticup Mine are hospitable friendly people and visitors certainly are welcome. Canoe rentals and horseback rides are available, so this is a nice choice for a day trip excursion. Techatticup is most famous for guided tours of the old gold mine. One interesting fact is the temperature inside the mine is cool and comfortable even on days when it is 120ºF outside. It is easy to see why the miners slept in this mine back in the old days! 

Anything and everything that a prospector could possibly leave behind when abandoning a spent claim can be found in this old ghost town. There is a lot of old rusty memorabilia to marvel over. There are even a few old junk training aircraft amongst the ruins. The very small community of Nelson is also located in Eldorado Canyon, but do not expect to find goods or services. The closest towns are Searchlight and Boulder City, which are both nice basecamps.

The mine owners mentioned plans to turn the old historic site into a tourism destination and they were working on a bed & breakfast facility at that time. For those who are interested in tours and all that this place has to offer, visiting the Eldorado Canyon Mine Tours website will provide a wealth of information. 

Several towering hoodoos can be seen in Eldorado Canyon near the Colorado River. The entire landscape is captivating and the colorful outcrops are mineral rich. Those who have gold fever certainly will drool over the geology. Eldorado Canyon definitely belongs high on the list!