Independence Mine State Historical Park sits at the top of Hatcher Pass like someone abandoned a mining town mid-shift and just never came back – which, more or less, is exactly what happened.
We rolled in on our way north from Seward with clouds and sketchy weather before dropping down the far side of Hatcher Pass toward Talkeetna.

And yes – I know this post is delayed, but we’ve been busy watching the massive Aspen Acres wildfire that is threatening our place and our neighbors in Colorado for the last few days so I’ve been slacking on writing…

The history here goes back further than the buildings suggest. Gold turned up in Willow Creek in 1896, and by 1904 Robert Lee Hatcher had staked the first hard-rock claim in the mountains that would eventually carry his name.
Two separate operations, the Alaska Free Gold Mine on Skyscraper Mountain and the Independence Mine on Granite Mountain, spent decades chipping away at the same vein system before merging in 1938 into the Alaska-Pacific Consolidated Mining Company. That merger turned this into the second most productive hard-rock gold mine in the state.
At its peak in 1941, over 200 workers blasted nearly 12 miles of tunnels and pulled out more than 34,000 ounces of gold – worth something like $18 million today.
Twenty-two families lived up here in a company town, kids and all, at 3,500 feet above sea level, in brutal Alaska weather.

Then the war showed up. The federal government decided gold mining wasn’t essential to the war effort and shut the whole operation down. It limped back to life briefly after 1945, but rising costs and fixed gold prices killed it for good in 1951.
The state finally stepped in and protected the site in the early 1980s as the Independence Mine State Historical Park. Now you can wander the 271 acres of weathered bunkhouses, an old stamp mill that’s done stamping for good, and machinery that’s been quietly rusting at 3,500 feet for seventy-plus years. There are additional conservation efforts underway to protect the structures that are in the worst shape, but several are definitely beyond repair.

Twinsies

These twin boarding houses were painted with this aluminum paint to help insulate the buildings and protect the wood from the harsh alpine weather.

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All Stamped Out

This stamp mill has seen the end of its usable life.

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Natural Timbers

The exposed carpentry has held up surprisingly well given the extreme weather up here.

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Down The Creek

Looking down the valley towards Hatcher Pass.

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Chipmunk Crusher

What the hell?

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Weathered and Worn

This building and old diesel engine have weathered a lot of winters.

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From the park, the trail up to Gold Cord Lake is short, steep, and absolutely worth the legwork. The trail was like owl snot with all of the recent weather, we were glad we started early and had hiking poles and boots. The drizzle started up as we descended back down, and by this time people were starting up the trail and most of them looked very unprepared for what was to come – white tennis shoes and all…
Worth the climb regardless – the view back down toward Hatcher Pass alone earns it.

Gold Cord Lake Ussie

Mandatory ussie at Gold Cord Lake

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Sketchy Stuff

The ice on Gold Cord Lake is still thick, but falling apart everywhere. Skating season is long since past.

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Red Dots

One above the water, one below

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Over The Edge

Looking out over the edge of Gold Cord Lake to the mountains in the distance.

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Gold Cord Lake

Looking around Gold Cord Lake near Hatcher Pass and the Independence Mine

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We’ve been chasing glaciers and wildlife since we arrived here. Independence Mine was a nice change of pace: less wildlife, more ghosts, same relentless Alaska scenery. Next stop, Talkeetna.