Bringing the Kids?

1. Is it safe?
YES! See the "Our Guides & Safety" page for a more in depth answer.

2. Are my kids too young?
We have had tour participants in all age ranges from a few months old and older! The age is basically dependant on the tour selected and the individual child.

Trammers Tour: Kids of any age love this tour. Relatively easy walking and easy for the parents to assist if needed. Very few kids find it too scary or uncomfortable. We have special kids hats and lights which most kids seem to love. Parents may not carry children in backpack carriers because of low headroom issues. Children must be under parents control at all times!

Prospectors Tour: This tour involves walking underground for about an hour and a half. If your kids can stand walking on rough terrain for this long, they would probably enjoy this tour. We have no firm age limit. Children as young as 4 years have participated and enjoyed it. Parents know their children best and can determine if they are able to handle the underground environment. Most kids find being underground less scary than the parents do! Ask us if you have any specific concerns. Children must be under parents control at all times!

Miners Tour: With this tour our primary limitation is physical size of the child. Our safety gear will not properly fit small children. Normally, children that are 12 years old will fit our gear. We have had some children younger, but that will be addressed with an actual fit test of our gear. This tour is also very demanding. Young kids usually take longer on the rope-work sections than adults, so a tour for a family with some young children can easily extend beyond three hours. That's over three hours of walking, standing, following safety directions, etc. all in a dark and damp 48 degree environment. Parents must be confident their children are up to this! This tour also has zero tolerance for horseplay...this can be very dangerous on this tour. Children must be under parents control at all times! Adventure Mining Company will make all final decisions on the ability of a child (or adult!) to participate in any tour.

3. Do kids find it interesting?
YES! Generally, kids love our tours. It is extremely rare for kids to become uninterested or bored. Some children don't want to go when they first arrive, but once they get to the mine entrance all that changes! Kids love adventure, rocks, bats, flashlights, hard hats...basically everything you find in a mine. Bring the kids! They will enjoy it!

4. Can I carry young children?
Yes, but NO BACKPACK CARRIERS! PERIOD! Most parents don't realize that when they bend over in a low spot underground with a backpack carrier, their child's head is now the first thing to hit. Any other type of carrier is permitted except strollers since they will not roll on the mine trails.

5. Must the parents accompany the kids?
YES! We love teaching kids about the underground environment, but adults must accompany children on tours. Our maximum tour size is about 12 participants. Larger groups may get divided into smaller tour groups and an adult must be on every tour in addition to our guide. Adults visiting with children are responsible for the behavior of the children at all times. Tours will be terminated immediately if there are safety concerns because of behavior. Thanks for your understanding.

6. What about lunch and restrooms?
We have many picnic tables for use of visitors, as well as restroom facilities. Our company store carries a good selection of refreshments including soft drinks, water, juices, etc. We also feature a limited selection of snacks including assorted chips, candy bars, granola bars, jerky sticks and other items. There are no restroom facilities underground during the tours.