How to stay safe around Utah’s thousands of abandoned mines

How to stay safe around Utah’s thousands of abandoned mines

(Courtesy of Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining)


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SALT LAKE CITY — Several national parks are expecting huge crowds for Memorial Day weekend, and as more people head outdoors, Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining officials are giving reminders to watch out for abandoned mines.

Utah has a rich history of mining coal, copper, silver and uranium. But, when many of the mines stopped producing, they were abandoned and equipment, open shafts and tunnels were left behind, often still exposed, officials said. In 1975, the Utah Mines Reclamation Act was passed which made it illegal for companies to abandon mines.

However, many old mines are still open and exposed throughout Utah and can often be covered up by sagebrush, old boards or dirt and are difficult to see. On May 6, a man went missing overnight after accidentally driving his OHV into an abandoned mine shaft and falling 90 feet.

There are approximately 20,000 abandoned mines statewide from Silver Mines in Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons to the west deserts in Juab and Millard Counties, state officials said.

According to a 2011 KSL article, 10 people have been killed in abandoned Utah mines since 1983. The Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program works to protect the public from dangers of old mines by sealing off access to openings and cleaning up waste. Staff members are currently working on several mine closure projects including the closure of 71 mine openings in the Gold Hill area in western Tooele County. Since the program began in 1983, over 6,000 mine openings have been closed, but a KSL report said state officials admit that because of budgetary restraints, it may take several decades to finish the remaining closures.

Photo credit: Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining
Photo credit: Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining

Because more people will be outdoors during the summer recreating in various areas, state officials gave several tips to help Utahns stay safe from falling into abandoned mine shafts:

  • Stay on designated trails and routes
  • Check maps for mines before heading out, but remember that many mines aren’t mapped.
  • Never enter an abandoned mine
  • Familiarize yourself with the landscape and know the signs of mining areas (mine dumps, headframes, old equipment)
  • Respect private property and No Trespassing signs

In the Utah Code, entering an abandoned mine is outlawed as "criminal trespass." However, the definition applies only to those mines that have been "clearly marked as closed or protected from entry." The law would seem to not apply when a mine opening is simply abandoned without special markings or protections.

If anyone discovers an abandoned mine, they should report it to the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program at 801-538-5340 or amrinfo@utah.gov.

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Faith Heaton Jolley

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