Chaffee County is near the central part of Colorado. It borders the Continental Divide on the west and extends eastward across the valley of the upper Arkansas River. Chaffee County is well known for it's topaz, smoky quartz, and other crystals. The Chalk Creek district is in wetern Chaffe County near the headwaters of Chalk Creek, 16 miles west of Nathrop along the Arkansas River. The ores of the district contain gold, silver, lead, zinc and a little copper. The Chalk Creek district probably is the only one in the county that has produced more than 100,000 ounces of gold.