Sutter Gold Mine

Useful Information

Location:	From Sacramento take Hwy 16 east, then Hwy 49 south. 1 km south of Amador City, just north of Sutter Creek.
Open:	Permanently closed. [2015]
Fee:	Permanently closed. [2015]
Classification:	Gold Mine
Light:	Incandescent
Dimension:	T=12-16 °C
Guided tours:	Walk Tour: D=60 min. Deep Mine Experience: D=3.5h
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:
Address:	Sutter Gold Mine, 11500 String Bean Alley, Amador City, P.O.Box 78, Vallecito. CA 95251, Tel: +1-1-888-818-7462.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

23-MAY-1991	purchased by U.S. Energy Corporation, Riverton, WY.
DEC-1998	show mine opened to the public.
1999	mining terminated by Sutter Gold Mining Company.
12-MAY-2001	Sierra Nevada Recreation leased the property from U.S. Energy Corporation.
SEP-2011	show mine closed, gold mine reopened.

Description

Sutter Gold Mine is a family attraction, as gold panning and gemstone mining are primarly fun for children. However, the mine tour includes some geology too, and it shows the Comet Vein, which was mined here. There is also some mining equipment, including a 15-yard haul truck.

Unfortunately this mine tour has been closed permanently. The gold deposit at Sutter Mine is far from being exploited. But the mining was unprofitable because of the necessary investments. The rising gold price maked the mine again profitable. In 2002 the gold price was around USD 300, in 2005 around USD 700, and in 2010 around USD 1,370.

The owner of the mine, Sutter Gold Mining, Inc., reopened the mine with an USD 20 Million investment bringing 100 jobs to Amador County. They first filed an application for the construction of waste disposal units at the mine, which are necessary for mining. Regulators approved the plans, so larger scale gold mining was possible. Then they terminated the mine tour operator's 20-year lease in summer 2011. The show mine was closed and in this place mining operations resumed.