Ironwood Forest National Monument and Sasco smelter

Just a weekend driving around out on the edge of town. This is a large region bordering Marana and Avra Valley, Picacho (and Picacho Peak), Red Rock, and the Tohono O'Odham Nation.

The Silverbell mine is nearby. According to the limited information I found online, the smelter was closed in 1910. This is part of what is now a ghost town called Sasco.

It is nice that I can just drive out here after work and get some space. Rather than add a soundtrack, I thought it would be more interesting to let you hear what the camera hears.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• ironwood
• forest
• national
• monument
• sonoran
• desert
• pima
• county
• marana
• red
• rock
• picacho
• peak
• tohono
• o'odham
• nation
• reservation
• sasco
• smelter
• mine
• ghost
• town
• tucson
• modern
• ruins
• arizona

[radionut63]

Wild area,seems it was well preserved,the mine looks as though they sealed it with a underground blast! Good job,how about getting a video of that goast town you mentioned,that would be awsome. Thanks fo posting.. radionut63

[Quag7]

Yeah, pretty sure they used explosives. I need some better maps, but will definitely grab some ghost town footage in the future, of here and other areas.

[Engineer245]

I forgot to mention that going south on this road will take you to the Siverbell mine. There is a town of silverbell but it was covered by the mine tailings and then the people were moved down the hill. I expect that at least some of the ore from the Silverbell were processed at the SASSCO since the original train tracts ran that way. Also the mine hole you see behind the SASSCO was am later mine and not origin. They used to run mine tours from Tucson in the 1900's. You road in a auto on tracks!

[Engineer245]

I have been all over this area. When you head out toward the Iron Wood Forest there is a T in the road. Just turn right toward Red Rock. This was huge operation. The railroad spur was removed. The road going to it was the railroad bed. The original road runs alongside it but is in bad shape. The trail was an ore train bring ore from other mines in the area. The rock structure is called the old hotel but it was also a store for hundreds of miners. Goggle it to see the town roads. Thanks !

[RaulHHO]

do you have the adrees??? please I want to vicite. my enghis no good :(

[thenitro15]

hahaha i know were that is ii live about 1 hour away in picture rocks west Tucson monument

[DonQuixotedeKaw]

This reminded me of my wondering around ruins in the Alpine foothills in Treviso. I wish I'd had a vid camera for my walks, but they weren't invented yet.