kennecott's bingham canyon mine

PhillDanze

Even though the mine's visitors' centre is closed due to the collapse of part of the mine it forces you to go outside and see the mine from above. We did a tour that took us to the top of a mountain above the mine and we looked down. The drive up was an adventure in itself and the road was windy, narrow and slow. The views over the mountains and valleys was excellent. The mine is huge and the driver had binoculars we could use to really see what was happening in the mine and get a sense of scale. Well worth doing.

984katem

Despite the mine itself being closed to the public due to the landslide, the tour with City Sights took us to the overlook from the mountains around the mine and we were able to view the mine from the opposite side of where the visitor center used to be and the landslide is visible. It is truly spectacular. We were there on a clear day but you really should take some binoculars to really see how amazing this is. Definitely a great alternative to see the mine since the actual facility is not safe to visit.

ruup4adventure2

The visitor center was still closed due to the massive land slide last year. I hope they re-open this center because it was really cool to stand inside one of the old truck tires to get a better idea of the truck size. Kennecott/Rio Tinto also had a nice display about the many uses of copper that is mined in this pit and a couple of decent gift shops. It was a fun place to take kids.

TheRoc74

Due to the landslide it is closed until sometime in 2014. I called another number to see if you can see anything at all and they said no, due to safety precautions all is blocked off. Was bummed my 8 yr old son was unable to see it, but better be safe then sorry! My parents have been there before and said it is really cool!

dspurg

On April 13, 2013 an estimated 165 million tons of dirt moved, in a landslide. I believe it is contained to the mining area. It sounds like the visitor center and viewing area will be closed until 2014. Check the internet for some cool photos.

CubPilot

The mine is not open all the time and is seasonal .. we made the mistake of going when it was closed and it was ways out of town. Well worth it when we went back .

rohausser

Great views of a working open pit mine, with a well done associated museum. Has to be seen to be believed! Entrance fees donated back to local charities.

DanR803

OK, so it's a little prototypical, but if you want to impress your 6 year old son, go take him to see the biggest trucks in the state. Pretty cool overall. For his "remember the outing" present, my son filled a bag with magnetic rocks and still enjoys them. The visitors center is nice. Keep in mind thought that there isn't a lot to do.

FrankA280

When I was there, admittedly many years ago, they had a nice visitors center where you could look out over the pit, and get all kind of information about the mine specifically, and copper in general. And the size of the wheels on the ore trucks--amazing.

LaurieR893

Very interesting to learn about the mining and the BIG trucks they use!!!Had fun taking pictures and my son sat in one of the GIANT wheels for sizing..Just amazing!!!

60922m_S_W_01

I got my kids all hyped up about going to the visitors center. I had heard it had just recently been redone, so I was looking forward to it. What we got was not quite that. The museum is old, small and there is no real sense of the copper pit. With all the money Rio Tinto pumps out of that place, you'd think they could invest in a really cool visitors center. The kids still loved it

dspurg

It cost, about 5$ to get in. Drive to the top of the open pit mine, and look down. Pretty simple, and yet an amazing view. Very good visitor center also. Worth the trip. It may have minimal visiting hours, so check first.

mjhotel

We enjoyed seeing the copper mine it is so deep. We liked seeing the big dump trucks and diggers. The big tires are fun to see too. The visitor vented is neat too.

KB232013

Amazing! Great film explains the process. Nice exhibits. Great value.

TruckerOgden

We have been to three copper mines, this is the most impressive.