Virtual Hard Rock Mining Tour

Mining is a vital part of Boulder County’s history. It is a fascinating topic with endless information ranging from the basic to the scientific.

The web-based tour explores the history of the county’s hard rock mining through historical and present-day photos, videos, oral histories and an interactive map that includes mining and milling sites, and the Switzerland Trail Railroad line.

This virtual tour is meant to be an introduction to hard rock mining in the county. It is especially aimed toward beginners like researchers, students, teachers, tourists, and the like. Enjoy.

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Hard Rock Mining Tours

Tap into the towns, tools and characters of local hard rock mining heritage by visiting mining sites of years gone by. Tours are listed on Discover Boulder County.

History Programs

Assay Office Museum

Visit the Assay Office Museum in Wall Street and see where people learned if they had “struck it rich” with their mining. Miners would take the ore they got out of the mines to the assayer. He used heat and chemicals to test the ore to find out what percentage of precious minerals were in the miner’s finds.

Assay Office Museum

Nederland Mining Museum

Visit the Nederland Mining Museum and get a glimpse into the world of hard rock mining days in Boulder County during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Learn about the lives of the miners of yesteryear.

Nederland Mining Museum