Ore Car Mine - Lovell Wash, Nevada GPS Position: N36o13.26, W114o 42.14 (WGS 84) April 7, 2001 Home: Page 1 View maps, road map for this trip. North of Callville Bay near the Lake Mead National Recreation Area is a gem hunting area set up by the Las Vegas Gem Club and the BLM. Located in Lovell Wash is an old Borax mine named Ore Car Mine that has since been abandoned. All that remains are several open mines and concrete foundations. The sign reads: WELCOME TO THE ORE CAR MINE - LAS VEGAS GEM CLUB INVITES ALL GEM CLUB & GEM MATERIAL COLLECTORS TO THIS MINE. NO COMMERCIAL DIGGING ALLOWED REMOVED BY PICK AND SHOVEL ONLY. NO POWER TOOLS ALLOWED, VIOLATORS WILL BE PROSECUTED. PLEASE SIGN THE GUEST REGISTER, YOUR NAME, ALSO APPROPROXIMATE LBS REMOVED. PLEASE KEEP AREA CLEAN. WORK AREA AT OWN RISK... LOCATED 1/2 MI. N.E. 7 S.W. OF THIS MARKER ARE "LILAC AGATE" - "CHRISTMAS AGATE" - "PETRIFIED ALGAE" - "BACON AGATE" "TRAVERTINE' Throughout the area there are also many small digs used to find agate and travertine gemstones. This dig goes back about 200 feet. We shined a light back into this one, very scary. This picture overlooks the Lovell Wash where the Ore Car Mine is located. There is also a slot canyon towards the back of the wash which is too small for our ATVs to pass. Several abandoned mines are located along the wash. While traveling up Lovell Wash, we came across a real tricky outcropping of rock in wash. Large trucks usually have no trouble getting over this, but with our small tires we had to put it in 4x4 low to get through it. The rocks were wet which also made it tricky. Here Ed is negotiating the rocks for a photo opportunity. Lovell Wash continues to narrow into a slot canyon where erosion has exposed the various sandstone rock layers. The slot canyon goes on for about 500 feet then opens to another large open wash. Here we parked our ATVs on top of a large tailings pile to look out where we had just come from. The valley below stretches out toward the south and Lake Mead. Home: Page 1 Contact the author at speleo@intermind.net Photographs and information in this website may be copied or distributed for personal use only. For other uses, express permision by the author must be given. Use of appropriate photo credits requested.