The Red Mountain Mining District lies from the divide northward to Ironton Park, halfway down towards Ouray. It was the site of a historic silver boom from 1882 until 1893, including the Yankee Girl and National Belle.
Headframes of the old workings are still visible from the highway, as are the remains of the three largest communities:
Red Mountain Town,
Ironton, and
Guston. The sprawling
Idarado Mine (Treasury Tunnel) continued digging until the 1970s, and reclamation of
tailings is ongoing. ==Climate==