Two communities and a large part of the one time populous East Side were consumed to create the pit. The homes, businesses and schools of the working-class towns of Meaderville and McQueen east of the pit site were purchased by the Anaconda Mining Company. Several deep shaft mines were also obliterated. The headframe of the Leonard was part of Meaderville’s main street.

The pit is 7,000 feet long, 5,600 feet wide, and 1,600 feet deep. Groundwater seeping from the several thousand miles of interconnected tunnels that honeycomb the hills surrounding the pit has created a small lake in the pit. In April of 1996, pumping operations began to pump and treat 2.5 million gallons daily to prevent surface flows from entering the Pit. Today, copper is being recovered from the water in the pit for use in industry.

The Pit water is acidic from water contact with mineralized zones. Since it is a hazard to waterfowl, a number of devices are being used to keep the birds from landing on the water. Flares, shell crackers and electronic noise makers are some examples.

The Pit is just off of Continental Drive. An observation stand is open at the site from dawn to dusk late spring through early fall. There is no admission fee.