Grand Gulch Mine, Arizona Strip, AZ

As a part of our one week Arizona Strip trip, where we also visited Kelly Point, we went down to Grand Gulch Mine. We started from our Poverty Mountain camp. On CR103 we drove to the south, before we made first a right turn at 12S 26453X 402510X (UTM/NAD27) to visit the Wayne Gardner memorial (BLM1071). This memorial is for a rancher who lost his life trying to get feed to his sheep during the terrible winter of 1949.

The trail itself is easy to drive…

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

…and after a short time we reached the memorial:

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

From here one can have very nice and scenic views to the vicinity:

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

Back to CR103 we used the same trail:

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

We continued in southward direction on CR103 and reached the turn off to Pidgeon Canyon at 12S 26557X 402151X (BLM1002):

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

The approach to the canyon is a little unique as one is not just entering the canyon, it is a slight decend into the canyon itself:

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

Stu, my copilot, informed than the other colleagues, that we should have a short stop to find a geocache nearby.

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

We left the vehicles and were looking for the geocache…

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

… and it was found. After this we continued on the easy trail through Pidgeon Canyon:

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

After some time we reached the turn off to Grand Gulch Mine (12S 25401X 402075X). At this turn off is also a water tank. We had a short stop to check everything there:

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

Here is the water tank…

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

…and here is a ‘weather rock’, which is supposed to show, what the weather will be like:

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

We were continuing towards Grand Gulch Bench…

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

..and soon arrived at Grand Gulch Mine:

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

Grand Gulch Mine was a very profitable copper mine in the Arizona Strip and the buildungs there are still pretty good in shape. We stopped here for a lunch break and discovered the vicinity:

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

On the way out, we saw this sign post. If one is interested, he might buy this mine 😉

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

At the turn off where we came from Pidgeon Canyon, we continued now straight towards Snap Canyon on BLM1012:

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

To the right is Snap Point:

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

And to the left one can see things like Mustang Point:

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

We drove on an easy trail towards Snap Canyon:

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

After some time we arrived at the 1887 line shack, where also a log book is offered to register:

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

(Thanks to Mal Roode for this picture)

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

Then we went up Snap Canyon:

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

The track width got smaller and smaller and we had to use again our saw to cut a tree:

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

After we came out of the canyon, we went back to our base camp via Snap und Salt House Draw and CR103.

Grand Gulch Mine - Arizona Strip

For a better orientation, one can download a gpx file of this trip:

Tracklog: Grand Gulch Mine, Arizona Strip, AZ (907 downloads )

And here is an overview of the area, we visited:

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