The Robinson Mine is the working successor to the historic Kennecott copper operations that built Ely. Four miles west of town on US-50, the Liberty Pit and adjoining workings are still in active production — a series of vast open-pit terraces stepped into the Egan Range. There is a public overlook on US-50 about 0.5 miles east of the town of Ruth, with interpretive signage explaining the geology and the history.
The little settlement of Ruth — once a 5,000-strong company town — is now a few dozen houses around a defunct schoolhouse and a small grocery. The drive between Ely and Ruth is a 10-minute trip that takes you through 130 years of Nevada mining history. Free; the working pit is fenced and not open to public entry.