Cerro Gordo

Cerro Gordo outside Death Valley Junction in Death Valley National Park, California is a mining area that was first discovered in 1865. Today Cerro Gordo is nothing but remnants of the old mining town. As a ghost town it is possible to reach it via 2 wheel drive vehicle. The elevation is 9,000, so it is open in summer when the deep snow has melted. Cerro Gordo is located in Inyo County.

It was discovered by Mexican prospectors, who named it. The prospectors showed silver to people in Virginia City, then suddenly the area was brought to the attention of Mortimer Belshaw who took the mining area over. They did some smelting in the silver mine. He did have to cover the costs of getting the silver to Los Angeles for smelting. Operations continued at the mine until 1959, when the machinery was removed and taken to Candelaria, Nevada. Today all that remains onsite is a hotel, livery stable and a few other original buildings. From the site visitors can see Owens Valley east of the Sierra Mountains.

During mining about $13,000,000 was found of silver from Cerro Gordo.