FindingRocks.com - Old Ponca Lead Mine Tailing Piles

Old Ponca Lead Mine Tailing Piles

Ponca, AR US
Uploaded By Scott (webmaster)
Uploaded on Thursday, April 16, 2009 at 10:38:54 AM
Viewed 6767 times

20 upload(s), 39 comment(s)

Photos of the location (View All)

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Location Type: Public Access
Details: From rockhoundinginar.com: "Good hand specimens of galena with minor sphalerite are found in the dumps". Some information on the history is found at this link: http://www.buffaloriverrealestate.com/Rockhounding.htm
Directions:

I still haven't found the good places by myself. I found a stray dog, old mining roads and dead deer carcasses. Here is what findingrocksinar.com says: "Several abandoned lead mines may be reached by Arkansas Highway 43 north out of Ponca. Approximately 2.5 mines from Ponca and near the crest of the hill a dirt trail to the west is passable for a short distance downhill to near the mines."

Update 3/20/2011: Found the place this time with some other people. There may be other tailing piles, but we visited a couple that included one with banded calcite and another near the mine entrance with galena in the dumps. One old mine road can be found just after a guardrail going north out of Ponca on 43. This mine road goes sort of downhill slightly and then uphill slighly after a few hundred yards. One tailing pile with banded calcite is before the road zags back the other direction down the hill. From the guardrail go straight down the hill and to the right and you'll find the mine entrance. Use a metal detector to find galena.

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GPS Coordinates (lat,long): ( 36° 3'2.11"N, 93°21'27.21"W)
or (36.050586, -93.357558)
Google Map: (The GPS marker is intended to be approximate or best guess.)

Follow this Link to Get Google's Directions Reference Info: http://www.buffaloriverrealestate.com/Rockhounding.htm and http://rockhoundingar.com/locations/newton.html
Mindat Link: http://www.mindat.org/rloc.php?loc=Ponca%2C+Ponca-Boxley+District%2C+Newton+Co.%2C+Arkansas%2C+USA
Tags: galena, sphalerite, calcite, banded calcite, calcium, calcite cleaves, buffalo river wilderness area, ponca, arkansas, calcite cubes, dogtooth, tailing piles, dumps, newton county, highway 43, 43, metal detecting

Sample of Photos of specimens found at location (View All)

Comments (Most recent are first)

Scott (webmaster) - Aug 20, 2011 10:06:40 AM EST
I think it is very likely you'd have some interest there, but I don't know anyone since I'm an hour and a half away.

Rock Head - Aug 19, 2011 01:03:08 PM EST

Thanks for writing back, do you think there is enough interest in this area to start a club around here, I am looking for someone to hunt with and don't know of anyone around this area.

Scott (webmaster) - Aug 19, 2011 09:18:32 AM EST
You're very close to the place, you may want to take someone with you and see if you can find it. It's probably 100-200 yards down the hill from the guardrail and to the right. When you find the big cave and cliff on the right that is it. I don't know if I'll go back again, but maybe the NWA rock and gem club will. The club is far from you, but I can let you know about their field trips if you want.

Rock Head - Aug 18, 2011 09:11:44 AM EST

I live in harrison arkansas and I am interested in looking at this lead mine and mabe some others, I would also be interested in finding a rock club or something of that sort

Scott (webmaster) - Mar 29, 2011 10:08:21 PM EST
I added an update above in the directions page. I finally found this place with the help of others! Overall though, I wouldn't recommend because of the steep hills and low-quality specimens.

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