The story of the Grants Uranium District is widely traced to 1950, when uranium was identified near Haystack Mountain, west of the town of Grants. The find set off one of the largest mineral rushes in the American Southwest.
Through the following decades the district hosted numerous mines and mills and became a leading source of U.S. uranium production.
Falling uranium prices in the 1980s brought most activity to a halt. Today, a renewed focus on nuclear energy and domestic supply has brought fresh attention back to the district's known resources and historical data.
USA Uranium's Mesa Top Mine Project sits within this district in McKinley County.