Big Thunder Gold Mine - Keystone

Don’t expect a huge crazy mine like you would see in the movies, however, the history and story behind Big Thunder was very interesting. The maintenance guy (forgot his name) led the tour and shared some of the knowledge he’s gained through his own research plus working in and around the mine everyday. He made it worth every penny. They also had gold panning available which I did not partake in, but I’m sure kids would really enjoy it.

We had a wonderful time. We did not do the gold panning, but did the tour of the mine. Everyone enjoyed it. We’d definitely come back when we’re visiting the state again.

Tour would have been better but maintenance guy filled in for regular guide and it was LONG!!! Too much talking, and about stuff that didn't pertain to the mine! We were in the mine itself for almost an hour and we had to miss the other part of the tour due to my husband's knees no longer able to take the standing. We also were not shown a demonstration by the Guide at the beginning of the tour how to pan but the tour right after ours did.

We had an great tour of the mine. It was a perfect day for it as it was extremely hot and the mines are refreshingly cool. Brian, who is the maintenance man, did the tour and he was informative and funny. We chose this particular tour as it is dog friendly. Our dogs were welcomed warmly and enjoyed trotting through the cool mine. Would definitely recommend.

We bought a group deal via Groupon. Great deal. Really nice they do that. We did the tour and on-site panning. It was great. WE also had one more in our party than the Groupon. The clerk made that one of the kids’ tickets (as opposed to adult) so that saved us more money. A very nice touch. I would not have thought twice if she had charged us adult rate for the extra ticket. The tour guide was kind of in memorized auto mode with his presentation. But happily answered questions and kept the tour on time. And we learned a LOT.The gold panning was awesome too. The first pan came seeded with 5-6 flakes. But we were able to find a bunch more in the gravel on the bottom.They also had people working the area and giving everyone individual attention. It was really good. We even got a couple of vial clasps that turned our vial of gold into pendants. We were going to pay for these but she just gave them to us as well. We also bought 5 gallons of paydirt to take home for our scout troop. At $55 I thought this was really reasonable too. They seed that too so it’s guaranteed to produce gold. They also have a fair selection of pans, sluices, and other mining equipment.Everyone was very very nice and accommodating. We stayed for lunch and ate at their restaurant next door and it was excellent too.Overall I was really impressed with the quantity of the experience and the hospitality of the employees.