Camp Type: Staff Region: Central Elevation: 9360 ft. Water: Unpurified Campsites: 13 Part of the Cimarroncito Mining District, Cyphers Mine was originally mined by Thomas Knott and Charles Wells around the year 1880. After selling out to the Colorado Consolidated Verde Mining Company in 1894, Charlie Cyphers, one of the mangers for this company began mining the area. Cyphers, who had operated a mine in the area from 1900 to the early 1920's, had high hopes. His profits dwindled after several semi-productive years and Cyphers eventually lost interest in the area. His cabin, however, still remains and it is now filled with paraphernalia from the old mining days. A new floor was placed in the cabin in 1993, but it generally remains the same as Cyphers left it. Tours of the Contention mine and the cabin are conducted daily. The tours explain mine construction, dangers of mining, geology, and the different grades of ore. Other mines in the area included Garst, Glorietta, and Thunder. There are wood stocked shower facilities at Cyphers and an abundace of side hikes to explore. The scenic Middle Fork trail crisscrosses North Fork Creek several times and ends at the Hunting Lodge. The 46 foot bridge over the creek was rebuilt in 1995.

A mine tour at Cypher's Mine Camp. ©1988 Warren Williams. The Contention Mine at Cypher's Mine Camp. © Phillip Romans. Cypher's Mine Forge. © Phillip Romans. The entrance to Contention, the mine at Cypher's. ©1996 Marsh Howard. Philmont Itineraries Itinerary 5  (Typical) Itinerary 6  (Typical) Itinerary 9  (Rugged) Itinerary 20  (Strenuous) Itinerary 26  (Super Strenuous) Itinerary 27  (Super Strenuous) Fieldguide Links Engelmann Spruce,  White Fir,  Corkbark Fir,  Limber Pine,  Quaking Aspen,  Douglas Fir,  Yarrow Program Features Blacksmithing, Gold Mining and Panning