mariscal mine

One of the most complete set of ruins remaining in Big Bend National Park, you can get a real feel for the history of the mercury mining industry in the Big Bend region. There are no facilities, so be sure to carry a picnic and plenty of water with you and wear sturdy walking shoes.

Mariscal Mine is accessed via "The River Road" inside Big Bend Nat'l Park. You will need 4x4 vehicle to get to it. It is an old mercury mine. You want to be careful with what you touch. It is neat to see a mine that hasn't been turned into a tourist attraction and there aren't rangers out there giving tours. You are on your own and what you see it what you get. If that sounds like your kind of mine, then 5 stars! If you want the Disney Experience, then lets say 1 star.There are some signs up to tell you what you are seeing and what took place, but they may or may not still be intact when you go, so best to read up on the mine before going out to see it. Then you will know the history and have a better 'feel' and appreciation for the place.Go to the Big Bend Nat'l Park website and you can find a PDF file talking about the mine and it will tell you more about visiting safely. Happy mine exploring! (Bring lots of water...it gets HOT out here.)

We visited these quicksilver mining ruins with our excellent tour guide Charlie Angell. We would not have had the nerve to take the lengthy, bumpy trip down Glenn Springs Road without being in his trusty Wrangler. It wasn't as high clearance and uneven as some of the 4WD roads in Death Valley, but we had to take it slow. There's enough of the mine intact to understand -- with Charlie's explanation, at least -- the process of producing liquid mercury from mining and then crushing, heating cinnabar ore. It's also an evocative site on a hill and perfect for views to the valley and a picnic lunch. There were grates over the mine shafts and blockages to the rock wall entrances, but it's not a place for small kids. Also, the bricks from the giant furnace are strewn around and are contaminated with mercury, so don't handle anything. My husband's an engineer and he really loved it!