Cactus Mine Tour & Rock Hunt

Name: Cactus Mine Tour & Rock Hunt
Start: 2026-03-25T09:00:00-07:00
Location: Cactus Mine, Northwest of Casa Grande

Schedule

Wed, 25 Mar, 2026 at 09:00 am

UTC-07:00

Location

Cactus Mine, Northwest of Casa Grande | Casa Grande, AZ

LOCATION
• The Cactus Mine is located a short distance northwest of Casa Grande.
• This site is south of Queen Creek, south of the San Tan Mountains, south of the Indian Community of Sacaton, and it is south of Interstate 10.
• The original name of the mine was the Sacaton Mine. It was discovered in 1961 by the American Smelting and Refining Company (ASARCO), and was actively mined from 1972 to 1984. The most important rocks or minerals from the mine were copper, gold and silver. The mine is currently in the process of re-opening with a new pit.
MEETING LOCATION
• We will meet at the entrance of the mine at 9:00 a.m.
• Restrooms are available at the entrance.
• The mine is on Bianco Road north of the Maricopa - Casa Grande Highway.
• Travel directions to the mine are given at the end of this announcement.
ROCKS AND MINERALS WE EXPECT TO FIND
• As a club we have never been to the Cactus Mine, and we do not know for sure what we will find.
• The mine is a copper mine, and we be given the opportunity to dig through some of the old tailings.
LIMITED PARTICIPATION
• The mine management has limited the number of people who can go on this field trip to 30 people.
• We will have a contest to see who will be going.
• The details of the contest are shown below. Please read them carefully.
TRANSPORTATION AND VEHICLES
• Any vehicle will make it to the meeting location and to the entrance of the Cactus Mine.
• Inside the mine some of our personal vehicles will be allowed to transport our group.
• The vehicles that will be selected are those with a higher profile, and with more seats.
REQUIRED THINGS TO TAKE
• Each person must wear a club badge, clothing that covers the body (long pants, regular shirts or blouses), hard toe footwear (steel toe or composite toe), a standard hard hat, safety glasses, and a safety vest.
• As a club we have a few hard hats, safety glasses, and safety vests that we can loan, but we do not have enough for everyone. Please get your own safety equipment if you can.
OTHER RECOMMENDED THINGS TO TAKE
Basic rock hunting tools, buckets, water, shovel, sun protection, rake with 4-5 stiff tines, knee pads, trash grabber, gloves, and lunch.
FEES
• Even though this is our first time at the Cactus Mine we will be collecting our usual club field trip fees.
• $5 for adult club members, $10 for adult guests, and $0 for all youth under the age of 18.
CONTEST RULES
• This contest will only last for 1 day – Monday, March 9, from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
• This contest is open to ALL active members of the club.
• Contest winners will be given the “option” of inviting 1 guest to go with them. These guests can be spouses, other club members, people who are not members of the club, other family members, or friends.
• Guess the Magic Letter of the Alphabet between A and Z.
• All contest entries must be submitted to Dan Jarvis by email, text, telephone call, or face-to-face. (480) 221-3642 or [email protected]. Only on March 9.
• Anyone who has a Field Trip Golden Ticket may bypass this contest, and you can “cash in” your Golden Ticket and go to the Cactus Mine.
• If you will be using a Golden Ticket you must notify Dan Jarvis during the day and hours of the contest.
• Each individual club member may submit a guess.
• The sooner you submit your entry, or notice of intent to use a Golden Ticket, the better will be your chance of winning or going on the trip.
• All winners will be notified by phone within a few days after the contest ends.
• Winners, please be ready to say whether or not you will be taking a guest.
TRAVEL DIRECTIONS TO THE CACTUS MINE
• Members of our club live in several different cities, and there are several different routes that can be taken to the Cactus Mine.
• The start point for the travel directions will be just north of Casa Grande at the intersection of Interstate 10 and Pinal Ave.
• Travel south on Pinal Ave. for approximately 8 miles.
• Turn right (west) onto Cottonwood Lane, and travel approximately 1.7 miles.
• At this point Cottonwood Lane will turn northwest, and the name of the road will change to W. Maricopa – Casa Grande Highway.
• Travel northwest on W. Maricopa – Casa Grande Highway for approximately 3 miles to Bianco Rd.
• Turn right (north) onto Bianco Rd., and travel approximately 2 miles.
• You have arrived at the entrance to the Cactus Mine.