Abandoned Mines in Kentucky
9,254Abandoned & Historical
Abandoned Mining in Kentucky
Federal databases record 9,254 abandoned, sealed, and historically closed mine locations in Kentucky. These include mines officially abandoned under MSHA oversight and past producers documented in the USGS Mineral Resources Data System. Abandoned mines are a legacy of centuries of mineral extraction and can pose ongoing environmental and safety concerns for nearby communities.
Safety Warning: Abandoned mines are extremely dangerous. Hazards include cave-ins, toxic gases, flooded shafts, unstable ground, and hidden vertical drops. Never enter an abandoned mine. Many are on private property. If you discover an unsecured abandoned mine, report it to your state mining agency.
Top Counties
| County | Abandoned/Historical |
|---|---|
| Pike County | 1,830 |
| Letcher County | 831 |
| Floyd County | 767 |
| Harlan County | 718 |
| Knox County | 519 |
| Knott County | 473 |
| Whitley County | 372 |
| Perry County | 366 |
| Bell County | 325 |
| Martin County | 317 |
| Leslie County | 244 |
| Clay County | 235 |
| Johnson County | 209 |
| Hopkins County | 164 |
| Magoffin County | 152 |
| Lawrence County | 139 |
| Breathitt County | 130 |
| Laurel County | 130 |
| Morgan County | 98 |
| Ohio County | 93 |
Abandoned Mine Sites
| Mine | County | Commodity | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darby Mine | Harlan | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned | MSHA |
| # 1 | Floyd | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned | MSHA |
| # 1 | Whitley | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned | MSHA |
| # 1 | Pike | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned | MSHA |
| # 1 Refuse | Letcher | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned | MSHA |
| # 2 | Martin | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| # 2 | Letcher | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned | MSHA |
| # 2 Seam Elkhorn | Pike | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned | MSHA |
| # 2 Surface | Lee | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned | MSHA |
| # 4 | Pike | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| # 5 | Pike | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| # 5 Surface | Martin | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned | MSHA |
| #1 | Perry | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | Floyd | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | Floyd | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | Floyd | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | Floyd | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | Floyd | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | Pike | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | Harlan | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned | MSHA |
| #1 | Harlan | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | Perry | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | Perry | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | Knott | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | Letcher | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | Knox | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | Floyd | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned | MSHA |
| #1 | Bell | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | Letcher | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | Floyd | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | Pike | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | Knott | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | Knott | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | Knott | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned | MSHA |
| #1 | Knott | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | Knott | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned | MSHA |
| #1 | Harlan | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | Whitley | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | Knott | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned | MSHA |
| #1 | Knox | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | Harlan | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned | MSHA |
| #1 | Jackson | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | Leslie | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned | MSHA |
| #1 | Breathitt | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned | MSHA |
| #1 | Whitley | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | Harlan | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | Bell | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | Clay | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned | MSHA |
| #1 | Leslie | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned | MSHA |
| #1 | Whitley | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | Knott | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | Knott | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned | MSHA |
| #1 | Knott | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned | MSHA |
| #1 | Knott | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | Breathitt | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned | MSHA |
| #1 | Harlan | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | Jackson | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned | MSHA |
| #1 | Wayne | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned | MSHA |
| #1 | Whitley | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | Knott | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned | MSHA |
| #1 | Whitley | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned | MSHA |
| #1 | Knott | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned | MSHA |
| #1 | McCreary | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned | MSHA |
| #1 | Knott | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned | MSHA |
| #1 | Whitley | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | Knox | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | Knox | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | Lee | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned | MSHA |
| #1 | Whitley | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned | MSHA |
| #1 | Lee | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned | MSHA |
| #1 | Clay | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | Knox | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | Whitley | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | McCreary | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned | MSHA |
| #1 | Perry | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned | MSHA |
| #1 | Knott | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned | MSHA |
| #1 | Whitley | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | Knox | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | Rockcastle | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | Knox | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | Bell | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned | MSHA |
| #1 | Pike | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | Knox | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | Johnson | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | Knox | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | Letcher | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned | MSHA |
| #1 | McCreary | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned | MSHA |
| #1 | Knott | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | Knott | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | Knox | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | Knott | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned | MSHA |
| #1 | Whitley | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned | MSHA |
| #1 | Knox | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | Whitley | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | Lawrence | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | Knox | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | Floyd | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned | MSHA |
| #1 | Knox | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
| #1 | Knott | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned | MSHA |
| #1 | Knott | Coal (Bituminous) | Abandoned and Sealed | MSHA |
Showing 100 of 9,254 abandoned mine sites. Browse by county above for complete listings.