Dolores County Colorado

Practically all of the 104,500 ounces of gold produced in Delores County came as a by product from lead, silver and zinc mines, so it is not an important county for the recreational prospector. Although one may be able to find some placer in the headwaters of the Dolores River, south of Rico.

Ophir

The Ophir District is in the San Juan Mountains, which encompasses a triangle between Ouray (in Ouray County) to Silverton (in San Juan County) to Ophir. There are very many mines in this district, but it is in steep, rugged access and roads are bad. Make local inquiries before travel.

Rico

The Rico (or Pioneer as it sometimes called) district, is near the southwest end of the Colorado Mineral Belt near the headwaters of the Dolores River. There are many mines along route 145, 36 miles northeast of Dolores and 27 miles south of Telluride. All of these mine produced a by product of gold. Northwest of Delores, by 16 miles, at Lone Cone (Dunton), on the West Dolores River, on Route 331, there were many area mines that produced a by product of gold.