Entry No. 65 — the Los Angeles file — filed under: ruins
Emma Mine
The Emma Mine is an abandoned late-19th-century copper and gold mine located on the south slope of Parker Mountain near Acton. Active primarily from 1889 through the 1940s, the site was once operated by the Emma Consolidated Mining Company. Today, visitors can find several adits, mine tailings, and the remains of old concrete leaching tanks used to process copper ore.
The story
Most people passing through Soledad Canyon assume Los Angeles County's mining era was just a minor footnote, but the Soledad Mining District actually yielded most of the gold ever recovered in LA County. Operating primarily from 1888 through the 1940s—run at various times by the Emma Consolidated Mining Company and also known as the Conover Mine—the Emma Mine dug into the south slope of Parker Mountain in search of both copper ore and gold.
Today, the site is a quiet cluster of high-desert ruins frozen in mid-decay. What remains are several open adits, extensive mine tailings, and the giant, crumbling concrete leaching tanks where workers once used chemical processes to draw copper out of rock rich in sky-blue chrysocolla and brilliant green malachite. In a strange bit of local piecemeal salvage, even the mine's old on-site schoolhouse was dismantled in 1926 and hauled away to become Callahan's Red School House at Ramona Village the following year.
What it's like
Scrambling up the south slope of Parker Mountain feels like stepping directly into an unmaintained field site. The ruins sit on public Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land, but getting to them requires careful navigation because several surrounding access roads and turnouts cross private property boundaries. Stick to public trail routes, keep your eyes on the ground to spot blue-green copper ore fragments, and admire the massive concrete leaching tanks from a steady footing. Under no circumstances should you step inside the adits or subterranean shafts; they are structurally compromised, untamed, and entirely unsafe.
The move: Hike along the public trails of Parker Mountain to photograph the historic mine tailings and view the old concrete leaching tanks from a safe distance.
📍 Before you go The mine is located on public BLM land, but the underground shafts and adits are structurally unsafe and highly dangerous to enter. Additionally, some surrounding access roads and parking areas are on private property, requiring careful navigation.
- 📍 Acton
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: 5305-6859 Soledad Canyon Rd, Acton, CA 93510, USA
Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current access before you go.
Pair it with
- Bear Canyon Mine — Double down on Soledad Canyon's forgotten mining relics by visiting another abandoned 1930s-era gold mine just eight miles away.
- Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park — Trade man-made industrial decay for dramatic natural geology less than seven miles away at these 45-degree tilted sandstone slabs.
- Concrete ruins of the St. Francis Dam — Pairs well if you want a full day of investigating heavy concrete ruins and early-20th-century history in the surrounding mountains.
Good to know
What was actually mined at the Emma Mine?
The mine primarily extracted copper ore and gold, leaving behind trace minerals like chrysocolla and malachite in the tailings.
Can you go inside the mine shafts?
No. The adits and underground shafts are structurally unsafe and extremely dangerous. You should strictly view the site and tailings from the surface.
Is the Emma Mine on public land?
The mine ruins themselves sit on public BLM land, but surrounding roads and adjacent acreage are private property, so mind local land markers and park responsibly.
What happened to the old mine schoolhouse?
It was taken down in 1926 and reassembled in 1927 to serve as Callahan's Red School House at Ramona Village.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: angelesadventures.com · scvhistory.com · mindat.org
last checked: 2026-07-20