One of the best things about the trails around St. George is that they always promise adventure. While some have remnants of Native American settlements, others tell the story of this corner of southern Utah. We encourage avid off-roaders who’d like to find out the history of this area to join us on one of our trail rides.
We especially love going to explore some of the ghost towns in the area and none is quite as notorious as Frisco. While the trip there doesn’t entail any technical driving, the destination more than provides all the excitement, making it well worthwhile.
Frisco Mine
Located 15 miles west of Milford, in Beaver County, Frisco is a town that rose to prominence in the late 1800s. The town was settled in 1875 and quickly grew into a significant mining town, thanks to the Horn Silver Mine. At its heyday, an estimated 6000 people called this place home, with at least 500 men working directly in the mine.
There were other mines in the area but Horn Silver was by far the largest and most profitable at the time. It’s mind-boggling to consider that at its peak, the mine produced more than $60 million worth of mineral ore. This ranged from silver and gold to zinc, lead, and copper. While the town got a boost from mining, it developed a reputation for being one of the most lawless towns at the time.
Once you get to Frisco, you can see remnants of some of the old buildings although none give a glimpse as to how big this town must have been. There are plenty of mine entrances, retaining walls, building foundations, and artifacts strewn about the site. By far the most famous structures are the remains of 5 beehive charcoal kilns standing precariously at one location. Exploring the area is dangerous because some mine shafts are still open and go quite deep, with some leaking gas from below. There are also plenty of pits and trenches around so be careful where you walk.
The main Horn Silver mining shaft tunnel collapsed in 1885, causing a halt in production. This heralded the start of the end for Frisco with many people abandoning the town in subsequent years. Although the mine was later reopened, the profitable areas had been sealed off in the collapse and mining never reached previous profitability levels.
Prepare for The Trip
Frisco is a well-known ghost town in the area and downloading a map from our online store will help you get there and back without getting lost.
We also recommend that you bring your vehicle to our auto shop in St. George for maintenance and service either before or after your trip. You can choose one vehicle build package to pamper your vehicle with to ensure it remains in good running condition to help you go on your adventure.
