Gold Rush Country
Willow Creek placer gold was first discovered in 1896. Robert Lee Hatcher staked the first hard rock claim in 1906. In the ensuing years, several mining operations began. In 1938 the Alaska Free Gold Mine merged with Independence Mine to form the Alaska Pacific Consolidation Mining Company (APC). In 1941, with 83 mining claims, APC was the largest producer in the mining district employing over 200 workers, opening nearly 12 miles of tunnels and producing 34,000 ounces of gold. After World War II, mining activity declined until the mine was closed in 1951. The abandoned buildings and the surrounding 271 acres became Independence Mine State Historical Park in 1984.
Independence Mine State Historical Park
The Alaska Division of Parks operates Independence Mine State Historical Park. With over 13 structures (built in the late 1930s and early 1940s), this abandoned mining camp was entered into the national Register of Historic Places in 1974. The visitor center (formerly the mine manager's home) is open 10 a.m
. to 7 p.m. from early June through early September. The Alaska Natural History Association offers guided tours. For a map of Independence Mine, click here.
Please click on the following link for more informatioN:
Hatcher Pass Recreational Opportunities
Hatcher Pass Road and Independence Gold Mine
Day Trips from Anchorage
Amazing Accommodations Alaska
- 1151 E. Dunedin St.
- Wasilla , AK 99654
- Phone: (907) 631-0470
- Region: Gold Rush Country
See Alaska by motorhome! Enjoy your vacation without the worries of accommodations. We offer motorhome rentals, cabin rentals or bed & breakfast. We have it all. Fishing, hunting, sightseeing - call
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EmailGold Cord Mine Historic Tours LLC
- Gold Cord Road
- Palmer, AK 99645
- Phone: (907) 322-3239
- Region: Gold Rush Country
Gold Cord Mine Historic Tours LLC
- Gold Cord Road
- Palmer, AK 99645
- Phone: (907) 322-3239
- Region: Gold Rush Country
Golden North Alaskan Tours
- PO Box 875716
- Wasilla, AK 99687
- Phone: (907) 357-2380
- Region: Gold Rush Country
Bring your camera and join us for a great tour in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley. Your guide has lived in Alaska since territorial days and has many stories to share. We also do custom tours. If you
OffersHatcher Pass Bed & Breakfast
- Mile 6.6 Palmer Fishhook Road
- Palmer, AK 99645
- Phone: (907) 745-6788
- Region: Gold Rush Country
Stay in your own authentic Alaskan log cabin with all the modern conveniences including breakfast and WiFi. Nestled at the base of beautiful Hatcher Pass only minutes from Wasilla & Palmer.
Hatcher Pass Bed & Breakfast
- Mile 6.6 Palmer Fishhook Road
- Palmer, AK 99645
- Phone: (907) 745-6788
- Region: Gold Rush Country
Stay in your own authentic Alaskan log cabin with all the modern conveniences including breakfast and WiFi. Nestled at the base of beautiful Hatcher Pass only minutes from Wasilla & Palmer.
Hatcher Pass Lodge
- Mile 17.5 Hatcher Pass Road
- Palmer , AK 99645-0763
- Phone: (907) 745-5897
- Region: Gold Rush Country
Meier Lake Conference Center
- Mile 6.8 Wasilla-Fishhook Road
- Wasilla, AK 99654
- Phone: (907) 376-0594
- Region: Gold Rush Country
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