0 0 0 ▁abandoned ▁mines ▁on ▁public ▁and ▁priv ately ▁owned ▁lands ." ▁Many ▁of ▁these ▁abandoned ▁mines ▁are ▁associated ▁with ▁abandoned ▁neighbor ing ▁towns ▁often ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁g host ▁towns . ▁ ▁Exper ts ▁strongly ▁warn ▁against ▁entering ▁or ▁expl oring ▁old ▁or ▁abandoned ▁mines . ▁In ▁California , ▁Nev ada , ▁Colorado , ▁New ▁Mexico ▁and ▁Ark ansas , ▁there ▁are ▁over ▁ 6 , 5 0 0 ▁abandoned ▁mines ▁according ▁to ▁inf ographic . ▁▁ ▁In ▁the ▁U . S ., ▁the ▁estimation ▁is ▁that ▁approximately ▁ 8 0 % ▁of ▁the ▁abandoned ▁mine ▁lands ▁( AML ) ▁sites ▁pose ▁physical ▁safety ▁ha z ards ▁and ▁require ▁more ▁work ▁in ▁determ ining ▁true ▁safety ▁of ▁these ▁lands . ▁ ▁Every ▁year , ▁do z ens ▁are ▁injured ▁or ▁killed ▁in ▁recre ational ▁acc idents ▁on ▁mine ▁property . ▁The ▁majority ▁of ▁the ▁death s ▁are ▁un related ▁to ▁mine ▁expl oration , ▁however . ▁D rown ings ▁in ▁open ▁quar ries ▁and ▁A TV ▁acc idents ▁on ▁abandoned ▁mine ▁properties ▁are ▁the ▁main ▁cause ▁of ▁accident al ▁death . ▁The ▁U . S . ▁Department ▁of ▁Labor ▁notes ▁that ▁since ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁" more ▁than ▁ 2 0 0 ▁people ▁have ▁died ▁in ▁recre ational ▁acc idents ▁at ▁surface ▁and ▁under ground ▁active ▁and ▁abandoned ▁operations ▁across ▁the ▁country ." ▁Due ▁to ▁these ▁circumstances , ▁the ▁Mine ▁Saf ety ▁and ▁Health ▁Administration ▁launched ▁the ▁" St ay ▁Out ▁– ▁St ay ▁A live " ▁campaign