In Eldorado Canyon, south-west Nevada, tours of the Techatticup Mine involve stories of gruesome explosions and unfortunate donkeys.
What is the Techatticup Mine?
The Techatticup Mine is a former gold mine in south-western Nevada’s Eldorado Canyon. It dates back to the mid019th century gold rush, and there are still gold deposits within the mine.
However, it is too expensive to extract these gold deposits, so these days the mine is open as a tourist attraction.
Where is the Techatticup Mine?
The Techatticup Mine is in Eldorado Canyon. To get there from Las Vegas, take the I 11-S towards Boulder City, then peel off down the US 95-S. The turn-off for NV-165 comes about 9.2 miles afterwards. Take it, and you’ll soon come to Eldorado Canyon.
The drive from Las Vegas to Eldorado Canyon is approximately 45 miles long, with a driving time of around 42 minutes.
If driving from Las Vegas to Lake Havasu City in Arizona, Eldorado Canyon is just off the route if you opt to cut through California.
What to expect in Eldorado Canyon
The wild west look of Eldorado Canyon makes it popular for movie filming and album cover shoots.
There’s an agreeable weirdness to it, too. The original company store is full of stuffed animal heads and lifesize alien models, while the tours through the 5km of cramped tunnels inside the Techatticup Mine are packed with grim and gruesome stories.
These include those of the donkeys who were hog-tied, put into leather bags then lowered down into the mine for three years, and the man who died after an explosion sent an iron peg through his head. It may not come entirely as a surprise to learn that the mine is supposedly haunted.
Techatticup Mine tour prices
The Eldorado Canyon Mine Tours cost $20 when booked direct. Reservations are essential if you want to get on one of the scheduled tours. This option does not include transport from Las Vegas.
There are, however, tours available from Las Vegas. These tours cost $159 and also include time in the ghost town of Nelson, plus views of the Colorado River.
More Nevada travel
Other Nevada travel stories on Planet Whitley include:
- Is Seven Magic Mountains worth visiting from Las Vegas?
- How to see Hoover Dam from the water.
- Why an ebike tour is the best way to explore Red Rock Canyon.
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