Bingham Canyon Mine

The Bingham Canyon Mine is an opencast copper mine in Salt Lake County, Utah, where concentric terraces spiral downward into the Oquirrh Mountains. Heavy machinery moves rock around the clock along roads that wind through the circular tiers, creating a bowl-shaped excavation visible from many miles away.

Prospectors searching for gold and silver began digging in the canyon in 1863, but copper soon became the main resource extracted from the rock. By the early 20th century, engineers introduced new methods for processing low-grade ore, turning the site into a model for large-scale mining worldwide.

The name Bingham comes from brothers Sanford and Thomas Bingham, who settled in the canyon in the 1840s before prospectors arrived decades later. Today visitors watch trucks smaller than toys from the rim, a perspective that shows how deeply the terraced walls descend into the earth.

Viewing areas sit on elevated ground above the mine floor, accessible from spring through autumn when weather permits safe travel on mountain roads. Bring layers and sun protection, as wind and altitude make conditions cooler and more exposed than in nearby valleys.

Astronauts can see this excavation from space without instruments, making it one of the few human-made structures visible from orbit with the naked eye. A landslide in 2013 triggered a seismic event felt across much of Utah, moving enough rock to keep seismographs recording for several minutes.