Gold Belle Mine

[Ilovegold]

Hello, I checked out a post that Gypsy Witch posted awhile ago regarding Wildman ghost town. Just wanted to share what I found. I couldn't find where Wildman use to be, but we (me and my husband) found Gold Belle Mine. It's a little over 4 miles south of Rosevelt, on hwy 183, take the first right pass the Glen Creek, then another first right and you will run right into it. Didn't find anything there but it was real nice to explore.

We had a picnic lunch at Great Plains Park, that's where we saw the snake, the pic is below. Yeah, the picnic bench behind the snake was where we were eating totally oblivious to our friend lol. Until I started MD around the area, my husband was taking pics of all these monarch butterflies, then he joined me on my walk and he noticed the snake. Cool that was our first snake we've seen and we go hiking all the time in the wichita mtns. I'm surprised we haven't seen more!

Then we hit a school on the way home and I found 51 cents and a house key, not too productive but we had fun even though it was so windy, my lips are still chapped.

[okietreasurehunter]

The next time you're in the Wichitas stop at Camp Doris for a visit.

[Ilovegold]

Hi 2late2dig, When you say "visit" I assume you mean to visit you. Do you work there or something?

[RGINN]

ILoveGold: Glad you got to visit that area. In the 70's I lived about 2 miles west of Wildman. It's all under water now. Wildman is north of the Gold Belle (or Gold Bells) mine at the base of Nest Egg Mountain on private land. The actual mine has been filled in now. That cellar like structure is not a mine, but back in the seventies before the park and lake were built there was an ore bucket lying in it. Somebody stole it, apparently. You can find the remains of old Cold Springs along the north shore of the lake in the Wildlife Area. When I lived down there along Otter Creek I found two cannon balls, a military button, and a bullet. This was in an area about 2 miles north of the final Camp Radziminski. Twin Mountains on the west side of the lake has a lot of stories. A friend of mine's mother grew up there and they used to find a lot of old shell casings around as if there had been a big fight at one time. Cool snake picture. Lucky you, as you could have ran into a diamondback or prairie rattler. Also Copperheads have moved in since the lake came in and gave them a water source. There's been a few folks bitten in the park. It's great country and the real treasure lies in reading or listening to all the legends about it while sitting around a campfire at night in the mountains. Best of Luck!

[Ilovegold]

Rginn, thanks for the interesting history on that area. I love that area it is so beautiful. Yeah, about the snake come to find out it is a black rat snake. My husband had to see it move so he touched it with a stick on it's tail. It turned right around and got into striking position. Then I was really yellin at him, " if you make this snake chase me I'm going to be so pissed off" lol. Luckliy it didn't (for my husband I mean)

[sharpshooter]

Ilovegold = thanks for posting the story and pics of your recent outing. Interesting.

[RGINN]

ILG--Cool, you ID'd the snake! Black Rat Snakes can actually be tamed down very quick. My son studies reptiles and has done published research on snakes, so I have a passing knowledge of them. I am from Oklahoma but have been deported to Summit County, Colorado. My family has more roots in SE Okla., but I always felt more comfortable in SW OK since that was where I was born and raised, mostly. Here's another adventure in that area for you and your husband. You kids go down towards old Greer County and check out the old town of Navajoe, west of Navajoe Mt., along the North Fork of the Red River, which is purported to be the route of the old Spanish Trail. Y'all do some research and let us know what you guys find out! Later!