By editor
Pioneer Mountains, Beaverhead County
Six miles west of Wise River, the Calvert Hill Mine sits as a quiet testament to the industrial appetite for tungsten. It was an open-pit mine, pulling scheelite from a skarn deposit where hot, mineral-rich fluids from an igneous intrusion reacted with the Cambrian-era Meagher Limestone. The mine produced over one hundred thousand tons of ore.
Visitor Access
While the surrounding land is public and open for hiking and viewing the old workings, the tailings themselves are covered by active, private mining claims. Collecting epidote, garnets, or aquamarine from the discarded rock is strictly prohibited without explicit written permission from the claim owners. It remains a fascinating site for geological viewing, but the rock hammers must stay in the truck.