Hard Tack Mine — Attraction in Colorado

My kids love history and learning about the places we stay so I knew they’d enjoy this tour and I was right. We had 5-15 year old kids and we all enjoyed learning the history on the mines and mining industry in Lake City. Our tour guide, John, was knowledgeable and so interactive with the kids and adults and really made our experience so great. It does get cold in the mine so we were thankful we had sweatshirts but if you forget, the friendly gift shop has extras.

We tried calling for reservations but didn’t get through and just showed up hoping we’d get in. We went on a Monday afternoon and walked in with no wait for the tour. There were other tours going and we were able to join another family so it seems they just run all day as people arrive. Don’t let not being able to schedule a tour stop you from showing up.

From Lake City it’s a short drive along the Alpine Loop with gorgeous views as you go. We had a UTV but you could make it to the mine...

We had such a great time at Hard Tack Mine! It’s one of those spots you don’t want to miss if you're in Lake City. The tour was really interesting, and our guide shared some cool stories, including one about a ghost that’s said to live in the mine – our kids got a kick out of that!

The temperature inside the mine was such a nice surprise. It was in the upper 70s outside, but the mine was like stepping into a walk-in refrigerator. Definitely a nice break from the heat!

The drive to get there is a little off-road, and you’ll be driving cliffside over a mountain pass. The views were nice and definitely adds to the adventure. If you end up getting there early, like we did, you can take a quick drive to check out a cool overlook and an old mining town before heading back for your tour.

Overall, it’s a fun, unique experience for the whole family, and we’d definitely...

Excellent experience for both adults and kids. Quality mine tour; entertaining & informative. Photo opportunities provided, loaner jackets available, educational and humorous tour guide, reasonably priced gift shop with variety of options. Only drawback is that the restroom available is a pit toilet with no running water - but that seems reasonable for the...