Lomax Placer Mine
Current Tour Schedule: THE LOMAX PLACER MINE IS CLOSED FOR THE SEASON.
The Lomax Place Mine is open late-May through mid-September, weather permitting. It is currently closed and is scheduled to reopen in May 2009.
Cost: $5/person, $3 for children 12 and under.
Directions: The Lomax Mine is located at 301 Ski Hill Road on the way to the Peak 8 Base 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 on Ski Hill Road. Proceed past the stoplight at Park Ave. and drive about 1/4 mile uphill. The Lomax Placer Mine and parking lot will be on your left, directly after you pass under the Skyway Skiway Bridge.
The first mining operations in Breckenridge were placer, or surface mines. Using water under high-pressure, miners scoured mountain hillsides, collecting the released dirt and sediments from above and recovering gold deposits in long sluice boxes. The Lomax Mine was an active hydraulic placer mining operation in the 1860s located near Breckenridge’s downtown. At the current interpretive site, visitors can peer inside a miner’s cabin, walk through an assay office, see and feel the original hydraulic mining equipment and even learn to pan for gold. Reservations are not required. Parking is available on site.