Literally!

The Big Horn Mine, a 277-acre plot of privately owned land near Mount Baden-Powell , will soon be transferred to the stewardship of the Angeles National Forest for preservation.

According to the L.A. Times, the mine still contains an estimated 262,000 ounces of gold , but the Forest Service has no plans to reactivate the area to make up for their constant short-changing in the federal budget – instead, the area will be folded into the surrounding wilderness.

Although there is no mention of it in the article, I hope the area’s mining structures can be preserved for their historical and educational significance.

The Big Horn Mine is accessible via a short 2-mile trail from Vincent Gap, the same trailhead as Mount Baden-Powell. For some pretty stunning images of the mine from the Times, head to their photo page for this story.