Copper Globe Horses 2.5

This is a great trip that will take you through the heart of the BLM Muddy Creek HMA to view wild horses (if you are lucky).  You will also explore the hundred year old Copper Dome Mine and view overlooks of Sulphur and Reds Canyons.  Great scenery the entire trip.  

It took us 5.5 hours from Exit 116 to Exit 111.

There is a GPS - gpx track file at the bottom of the page.

Cabin at back side of Copper Globe Mine

This is the most difficult spot on the trail.  It is located between Exit 116 and the Copper Globe Mine.  The section between Exit 116 and Reds Canyon overlook alternates between bumpy ledge areas and sandy areas.  The last half of the trip is wide graded road.

The Copper Globe Mine area was in full swing between the years 1900 and 1905.  No actual copper ore was produced due to the low quality of the ore, and when they tried to smelter the ore onsite the wrong bricks were used for the smelter and they bricks melted before the ore.  The smelter collapsed.  There are many mine camp remains in the area.  You will find a 75 foot long pile of logs that was gathered to fire the smelter, old mine cabins, mine tunnels, a water cistern, and just before you enter the mine area you will find a grave marker of a sheep herder who was found murdered around the time that the robbers roost gang roamed the area.  San Rafael County

Most difficult spot on the trail

Cabin above information sign

It is hard to believe this pile of wood was cut over a hundred years ago.

​A small hand crank and headframe by this shaft.

Wood cut for smelter in 1905

Shaft with small headframe

Wander around the front part of the mine to see the foundation of the old smelter, a cabin with a fireplace and a mine shaft partially filled in by erosion.

Smelter foundation and remains of a cabin

Mine shaft filled by erosion

Make sure to visit the back part of the mine.  You can walk a trail around the left side of the hill, or you can follow the gpx track for a 3.0 rated road to the back.

The back cabin is in better shape than the front one.  Chrysocolla  is indicative of copper ore.

Inside of cabin at back of mine

Vein of chrysocolla

There is no assurance you will see wild horses on the day you visit but we were lucky.  We saw between 2 and 3 dozen horses in several different bands, located from Copper Globe Mine to Red Canyon Overlook.  There was evidence of horses for most of the remaining trip but we did not see any more.

There are great overlooks of Sulphur and Reds Canyons.  There is a second overlook of Reds Canyon a bit west of the one featured here, but we did not think it was as good so did not include it in the trip.

Sulphur Canyon overlook

Reds Canyon overlook

After the Reds Canyon overlook you will drop down into Cat Canyon, a mellow drive.  After you come out of Cat Canyon the road is wide and graded all the way to Exit 111.  Nice scenery along the way.

Wide graded road

South Salt Wash

Page updated 2017.

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