New Mexico Mineral Symposium — Abstracts

The Hidden Treasure mine sits at the top of Dry Canyon in the Oquirrh Mountains with spectacular views of the Stansbury Mountains and Rush Valley to the west. Many world-class specimens of aurichalcite, suites of beautiful secondary copper-zinc minerals, and the rare and spectacular cadmium sulfate mineral niedermayrite were collected there. Ore was first discovered in the Ophir mining district in 1864. During the last 20 yrs, the mines in Dry Canyon were some of the more prolific mineral specimen-producing areas in Utah. Many enthusiasts avidly collected there, especially at the Hidden Treasure mine. Most of the specimens were gathered from oxide zones.

Mineralization occurred in pipes, fissures, and blanket replacement deposits in the Madison Limestone that lies beneath the Deseret Limestone. Values from lead, silver, zinc, copper, and gold were obtained in both oxide and sulfide ores. The oxide ores were mainly lead, copper, and zinc carbonates with chlorargyrite. In places the orebodies were 100 ft high and 50 ft wide. Galena and sphalerite were the main sulfide ores with pyrite and chalcopyrite. However, very few aesthetic sulfide specimens have been preserved or collected.

In 1989 a boy scout became lost in the Hidden Treasure mine. Due to the adverse publicity the mine entrance was sealed shut with cement, rebar, and rubble. The mine was repeatedly reopened, but in 2000 all of the mines in the area were reclaimed by the state of Utah. The Hidden Treasure mine is located about a 90-min drive from Salt Lake City, Utah. The mine is south and west of the town of Stockton.