Windmill Canyon/Stubb Mine

The Stubb Mine proved elusive, heavy brush made pinpointing its location difficult.  It took me two trips into Windmill Canyon to locate the site  and this only after trudging up and down the washes and slopes of the Canyon.  The mine sits at the head of a wash that branches up from the main draw leading from the canyon floor. The only signs that any mining activity took place  are some timber poles and a scattering of debris near the mouth of the draw.  Numerous tree stumps dot the landscape, cut down by miners or harvested by woodcutters.  There is very little to see at the mine, it was blasted shut many years ago. The mine was described as a shaft but it appeared to have been an adit bored into the hillside,  nothing of interest remains at the site.  The topographical map shows another mine opening in the same area, but that one proved even harder to find.  The only other  mining activity in Windmill Canyon was near the site of the old Windmill that gave the canyon its name, there I found a shaft that had been back filled.  It you like to search for and explore old mines, Windmill Canyon is disappointing, but the hike into the canyon and the natural beauty of the place  makes it worthwhile. I was unable to find information on when this mine was in production, but given that it was a manganese mine, it was probably active  during the period between World II and the late 1950’s when the U.S. Government  ended its manganese purchasing program.  The debris at the camp site included galvanized stovepipes and tar roofing paper, these rather modern materials would place the camp in that same time period.  The ore production didn’t amount to much, it was a small scale operation with few results.

How to get there: Take NM Highway 11 south to Rock Hound Rd., go east to County Rd. 23, continue past Spring Canyon Rd. go through the Tres Lomitas Ranch gate, follow the road up and around the switchback, on the right hand side about a half mile from the gate, you’ll see a trail heading into the canyon, there is a place to park nearby, (or if you have a sturdy four wheel drive vehicle you could drive in) the road gets bad, especially as you approach the pass just before reaching the site of the old windmill. Otherwise it’s a hike of about one mile from the parking spot to the pass.

Worth The Trip?:  Yes (it’s a nice day hike)
Accessibility: Easy (very rough as you go further in)
Public or Private: Public
Mine Danger: None
Snake Danger: show caution