Washington Gold and Silver Mine
Current Tour Schedule: CLOSED FOR THE SEASON. The Washington Mine is open from mid-May to mid-September, weather permitting.
Cost: $5/person; $3/child twelve and under
Directions: Boreas Pass Rd. is currently undergoing construction. Please use this alternate route to visit the Washington Mine. Heading south from Breckenridge up Boreas Pass Rd, traffic will be detoured at French Street. The Detour will continue north on French St. to Wellington Road. Traffic will be detoured east on Wellington Rd. to Royal Tiger Road (east). From Royal Tiger, traffic will be directed up High Point Drive. The detour continues to Moonstone Rd, and traffic is then directed onto CR 503. CR 503 terminates at Boreas Pass Rd. At Boreas Pass Rd., go right down Boreas Pass Rd. to Illinois Gulch Road. Take a left on Illinois Gulch Rd. The Washington Mine will be on your left.
Bus route: From the Breckenridge Transit Station, take the Boreas Pass route and get off at the Illinois Gulch stop. Ride time is six minutes.
Once gold and silver were discovered in Summit County, hundreds of underground mines sprang up in Breckenridge and the surrounding region. In the mid-1880s, the Washington was one of the area’s largest gold and silver mines, with five main shafts and over 10,000 feet of underground workings. Today, the Washington Mine interpretive site shows visitors first-hand the methods, equipment, lifestyles and hardships of the underground mining era in Summit County. Guests can also try their hand at gold panning on site. Reservations are not required.