Kennecott Utah Copper

Kennecott Utah Copper Mine

Living in Utah I realized we better take advantage and visit most of the historical or educational sites and enjoy the beauty that is in our backyard.  So the kids and I jumped into the car and headed to Kennecott copper mine.  I know they are pretty young to understand mining and copper, but it was a pretty cool experience for me to enjoy.  Some interesting facts about this mine. 

FACT:  Kennecott's Bingham Canyon Mine has produced more copper than any mine in history - more than 19 million tons. 

The mine is 2-3/4 miles across at the top and 3/4 of a mile deep. You

 could stack two Sears Towers (now known as the Willis Building) on top

 of each other and still not reach the top of the mine.

Each tire on these big trucks costs from $18,000 to $26,000 and lasts just 9 months.

If you stretched out all the roads in the open pit mine, you'd have 500 

miles of roadway - enough to reach from Salt Lake City to Denver.

The giant electric shovels in the mine can scoop up as much as 98 tons in a single bite -- about the weight of 50 cars. 

 The elevation of the Bingham Canyon Mine drops from 8,040 feet above sea level to 4,390 

feet above sea level. The Visitors Center is located at  6,440 feet above sea level.

 We had a pretty good visit learning and being amazed and how big those tires are on the equipment. Amazing stuff that we used everyday.