Went out with a friend exploring the past of Kiowa County, Oklahoma yesterday. Our first stop was at the Gold Belle Mine. That mine began operating around 1900 to produce gold ore from the nearby towns of Cold Springs and Wildman. Both of which are now ghost towns. Nothing remains of either.
The concrete foundations are all that remain of the old mine. You can also see the entrance to one of the old mine shafts. It is sealed up 20 feet into the shaft with concrete to keep people from exploring the old mine. Something I am sure would be extremely dangerous if it were possible. Also still in place is the old cooling tank at the top of the hill. You can climb to the top of it pretty easily, but you will find about a 20 foot deep tank with a lot of trash and broken glass in the bottom of it and no way out if you were to fall in. There is a nice view from the top though.
Finding the mine was actually pretty simple. We drove right to it without any problems. Headed down US183 past Roosevelt and turned right onto County Rd. N2250 and went about a quarter mile and turned right again. There it was right in front of us. If you are ever near the area, it might be a fun stop for a few pictures.
