Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve, Regional mining preserve in Contra Costa County, California.
Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve is a large protected area north of Mount Diablo featuring grasslands, oak woodlands, and mixed evergreen forests. The site contains old mining shafts, an accessible sand mine, and a visitor center with historical displays.
The Mount Diablo coalfield was a major coal producer from the 1800s into the early 1900s, supporting entire settlements across the region. Mining activity shaped the landscape and communities until the industry gradually declined.
The Rose Hill Cemetery holds graves of over 200 residents from different communities, including Welsh miners and their families who worked the coal mines. The headstones tell stories of the people who built these settlements and worked the land.
The preserve offers extensive trail networks and guided tours through historic mining sites, including an accessible sand mine visitors can enter. Wear sturdy shoes and be prepared for varying terrain conditions, especially if exploring caves or steeper sections.
The preserve includes underground chambers excavated in the 1920s that now function as exhibition spaces displaying mining artifacts and historical photographs. These spaces let visitors experience what it was like to work below the surface during the region's mining heyday.
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