 |
|
HIGHBANKER DREDGE COMBO Have you been wondering where to go prospecting and gold panning and find gold in Colorado? There are many places with many different types of gold deposits. Colorado was mainly known as a silver state, (the gold that runs with it is significant, however, and we produced more dollars in gold than silver) but there are many places open to the public where gold can be found in Colorado. Much of it is small, due to the geothermal conditions under which it was put into the different matrixes, but this system of putting metals into rock makes for rare and beautiful formations. Hot water, and super heated steam over time can go a long way to putting gold into many different conditions. Watch this page while we build it and bring information to you. We want to give you the information as it is put up, and so are not hiding it until it is finished. There are so many places to discuss, that it could be months before it is finished. Starting it is daunting, but starting it is how we will get it done! We will begin with the Arkansas River, our second home. We know it best. As the numbe of places we discuss are covered, the pages will get lengthy, so we will redirect you to minipages so that you can find the part you are interested in faster. They will open in a new window so that you do not leave the site. Also, here are two links to campground and resort information. These are repeated at the bottom of the page, so remember to either return here to click the links, or scroll down to the bottom of the page if you are wanting more information about accommodations. These are not affiliate links for me, just good info for you. ANNOUNCEMENT! April 2007. The State of Colorado has anncounced that they will be draining Clear Creek Reservoir in the Arkansas River drainage. Expect higher than normal run off levels and a longer high water period with muddy water. In past years when this reservoir is drained, the water level in the river can rise several inches to close to a foot quickly usually after noon. Please be aware of this and watch those water levels! The Arkansas River runs through some of the richest ore bodies in the state. At the northern tip of the river sits the Climax Mine, owned and operated by Phelps Dodge and slated to reopen in 2011 or sooner. (They are now looking at a possible reopend date in 2008.) 10 miles below sits Leadville. Lead Silver Carbonate was the biggest money maker for Leadville until the silver crash in the 1880's. But, everyone knows the story of The Unsinkable Molly Brown and the Little Johnny, the saga of theTabors, and the tales of California Gultch, so gold was also an important part of its' history. Most of the area is claimed that would be on the river, but metal detecting goes on in the surrounding hills where you are not on private, marked property or active claims. From Mosquito Pass to Independence Pass, there is an extensive mining community, fun to prospect as well as explore. You can pick up a pamphlet from the Chamber of Commerce in Leadville that will show you a marked car/bicycle tour of the mining district to the east as well as many other interesting things in the area. Around Turquoise Lake you can still pick up a piece or two of turquoise. Oh, gem hunting in Colorado is also BIG. The same geothermal conditions that put the gold into matrix in many areas also put some of the best crystals into pegmatite as well. We won't get into the prehistorics just yet, but we have them too! Downstream from Leadville are the Hayden and Derry Ranches. The Hayden is still private property and is used for grazing, but the ranch part of the Derry is State land open for fishing, but no prospecting. The dredges found gold at the fifteen foot level so you would have trouble finding it with a #2 shovel anyway. There is some surface gold, but the old ruins of the ranch are far more interesting and the fishing is good. You might try your metal detector here, but it has been hunted to death.There is a lot of private property in this area and it is a dam site for the city of Aurora, so watch out for possible construction. There is, also, a large placer mining operation at the base of Mt. Elbert, the highest peak in the State, that operates on and off. To the south of the Derry Ranch sits Twin Lakes and a pay for use area on Dennis O'Neal's property that runs along highway 91 out of the Hayden Ranch, and highway 24, towards Independence Pass, about a half mile. It has been customary for years to leave the fee of $1.00 a day for panning in his designated panning areas and $5.00 a day for motorized equipment in other designated areas in the first mailbox on the first road into housing on the road to Independence Pass, and mining is allowed here ONLY in designated areas. His property also carries a sign with some information on it where Lake Creek empties into the Arkansas River. Be sure to adhere to all of Mr. O'Neal's requirements as he is VERY protective of his property, and has been known to be a bit sharp with people. On up the road to Independence Pass (highway 24) you will drive through some very interesting areas. Not much casual prospecting has been done up there to our knowledge, as most is private property or claimed. You can find a claim or two still open, but access and water are a problem. Metal Detecting might be fun. We have only started to investigate this part of the area with the metal detector as there were numerous productive hard rock mines in the area. A caution to stay out of any portals you might come across. Many hold bad air and ice. We have been investigating a few the last couple of years that have been owned by people we know and have aquired some very interesting specimens around the portals. Many of these mines trucked or trammed all of their ores to milling sites either on site or down valley. The slopes on some of these mines are astonishingly steep. On the Twin Lakes side of Independence Pass at the base of the mountain, there was a mill that served the mines in that area, and on the eastern side of the mountain, the Champion Mill still stands (Leans) on the Theodolite mine site it served. Back east, and then south on Highway 24, you will pass through the town of Granite. The general store there is well known and its' restaurant boasts some of the best food in the region. Gold panning has been allowed off and on depending on the mood of the year, but only "pans and hands". You are not even allowed a shovel to put material into your pan with. Strickly for the casual panner when allowed. To the west of Granite you will find Cache Creek and Lost Canyon. Cache Creek is beng developed by the BLM into a recreational Prospecting site open to the public with the correct "bonding" permits. To access the part that is open, take the dirt road that goes behind the Garnite Store back to the road that takes off to the south where the power lines are. That's the "power line" road. Follow that south until you reach the gate. Park there and you can prospect anywhere within the marked boundaries of the are. NOTES: The power line road is very rough in spots and the area has very limited water. The hike to the highbanking area is STRENUOUS! If you want to take equipment in there there are several beaver ponds that you can pump water out of. GPOC is cooperating with the BLM to move the parking lot to a spot closer to the highbanking area and will be knocking down the dangerous rocks on the hill. Stay tuned this summer for how that progresses. On up the road past the power line road, up the switchbacks, and at the back of the canyon sits Lost Canyon, a privately owned placer minning operation that the operator lets others use for a fee. Panning, highbanking, and dredging are allowed within designated areas. Prices run from $5.00 to $15.00 a day. You will pass other marked mining areas that are still active or there is at least interest in. Stay off those roads and respect the owners rights by not walking in, either. There are other roads in the area that you can explore. Back to Highway 24, and on south towards Buena Vista you will come to Clear Lake reservoir, great for fishing. You could probably put a pan in while you are fishing below the water outlet, but don't try the bar at the confluance. Yesterday, we found out that this stretch has been newly claimed as well, but these guys have many claims and are probably not going to bother you if you are only using a pan. They'll give you a lesson to boot. Leonard Leper and his group have been in prospecting for many years (decades) and they know more about dredging than most, and have a claim down river at Elephant Rock. The rest of the bend is private property or claimed. Drive into the camping area and take a look at the stone house there. The area has been a camping spot for over a hundred years. If you take the road west past the reservoir, you will come to the old townships of Vicksburg and Winfield. There are several old cabins that have been preserved and there is a walking tour of them. There was an extinsive mining community in the mountains surround these towns, and a good book will tell you more of its history. While we know this part of the State best, there are areas that we know better. So much to investigate, so little time! We have traveled up that way once or twice, but the valley always calls us back. A pan on the streams in the area might be fun, but watch for marked claims and private property. (There is more and more of that all the time. What IS the Forest Service doing?) On down highway 24 around the bend you will come to Gold Camp which has been in exsistence since the mines started. It has gone into the hands of private industry now, and is a parking place for the rafting companies. The last owners made their living off the gold they gleaned from this placer. Hooked on Gold looked into buying this property twice, but it wasn't in our stars to own it. It could have been a nice place for prospectors to come and have some fun. Past the falls you come to a stretch in the river known as "The Numbers". There is a bit of State land, a tiny bit of BLM land and 4 claims that run together down to the raft launch. If you try to access the State or BLM land for panning, be aware that you are not supposed to cross the railroad tracks to get there. Also, the water in that stretch runs fast in spots and it is a bit of a walk in and down the bank. (Back up, too.) The 4 claims below that are in the hands of Phil Martinez, who works them regularly when the Forest Service is agreeable. Phil probably wouldn't mind if you were there with a pan, but keep your motorized equipment out of there. Anyone using the area will need to pay for a day pass at the Forest Service box provided and park in the parking area. Below that is private property, marked, and fenced. These people monitor actvities, so don't be in there or you may have the sheriff on you. Past the bridge is a combination of private property and claims until you get to the GPAA claims. Be careful on the GPAA claims as they run in beween some private land. All activities are allowed on the GPAA claims as long as you are a member of that club. I should point out here that a "bond" is required for ALL who are running motorized equipment on the Arkansas or its tributaries. Below the GPAA claims are a group of claims intermixed with the Elephant Rock public prospecting area. Some very nice flour gold comes out of this stretch of the river, so try your luck here. Most of the open area is on the east side, but some of the claims run on the east side as well. Most of these claim owners aren't as fussy as they are upstream and don't mind if you go over the boundaries a bit. They'll even lend you a hand if they are on their claim that day. There is private property on the west side, so watch for that. Just below Elephant Rock there are a group of claims that the GPOC has looked into and now have the only one left open for claiming posted. There are several more below it, but they have been withdrawn from mineral entry and are in an area reserved for a power plant or dam since the late 1890's. Even though they are not claimable, the BLM says they are open for public prospecting. Below Elephant Rock is the town of Buena Vista. Needless to say, there is a lot of private property and little river access all the way through Brown's Canyon, which is off limits to prospecting, and on past Salida. You may find a spot in this area, but do your research and make doubly sure you know where you are. Point Bar south of Salida is open to the public, but watch for rattle snakes. As with all of the Arkansas and its tributaries, the BLM requires a "bond" for use of motorized equipment other than a dry washer. Panning and sluicing are also allowed without the bond. We do not usually wander below Point Bar far due to the distance from our Buena Vista camp, so we are not familiar with this part of the river. However, I will compile information I have about the river below Point Bar and post what I can find about it. More another day. Clubs in the State that have claims you can work on are the Gold Prospectors of Colorado out of Colorado Springs, and Gold Prospectors of America Association. GPOC has claims south of Salida at Point Bar, outside of Fairplay on Bever Creek and north of Buena Vista on the Arkansas River. You can find information about them right here on HookedonGold. We provide a temporary informaqtion page for them. GPAA has claims on the Arkansas River, north of Buena Vista, a claim north of Granite and a claim southeast of Leadville. |
|
 |
|
 |
|
CLEAR CREEK Panning and sluicing are being allowed off of North Washington Street. No motorized equipment is allowed in this area, but it is good for an afternoon of fun. Pan or sluice the black sand bands in the top 12 to 15 inches in the large sand bars for some very fine, yellow gold. Jefferson County is allowing panning and motorized equipment on highway 6 from tunnel 1 to the traffic light. Restrictions are to the river BED. NO HIGHBANKING IN THE BANKS. There are active claims within the stretch, so be SURE you know where you are. PAY ATTENTION to the parking signs. The Police patrol the area constantly and will vigorously ticket you for violations. North Clear Creek is an open area in Gilpin County. Watch the for private property and active or nonactive claims. Obey the signs in the area, and don't go into an area you are unsure of. Make sure you STAY OUT of Boulder County unless you are on open public FEDERAL LAND, as even carrying a pan can get your pan confiscated. Their new ordinance does not allow for any type of prospecting. ALL PROSPECTING OR MINING OPERATIONS THAT ARE NOT ON FEDERAL LAND ARE FORBIDDEN IN BOULDER COUNTY. NOT EVEN PANNING IS ALLOWED. YOU RISK LOSING YOUR EQUIPMENT, ARREST, AND FINES IF YOU TRY IT. IF YOU PROSPECT IN BOULDER COUNTY MAKE SURE YOU ARE ON FEDERAL LAND THAT IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND NOT SOMEONE'S ACTIVE CLAIM Idaho Springs does still allow panning in the river as long as you are not on private property or areas already claimed. Motorized equipment may be allowed if you talk to the locals to see what the City and County are doing right now. Hooked on Gold has not heard what is being allowed in Idaho Springs for this season. We will post that here when we do. Visit the Argo Mill and the Phoenix Mine while you are in town for a good look at what mining was like in the Old Days. The Argo Is a great tour and the Phoenix, just west of town, is what hard rock mining is about, both with panning available. The Poenix was charging $10.00 a person for their tour the last time we were there. Not sure about the Argo, though. Above Idaho Springs the same rules and regulations apply as to private property and actice claims. You begin to get into the claims of the Henderson Mine between Idaho Springs and Georgetown, so do your research if you are wanting to prospect this area. Up Fall River Road you will find the area under construction with housing. We have not been up there in the last few years, so we aren't sure how much of that is going on, but we do know people with property in the area. Creek access is limited. More later |
|
|
|
BAYOU SALADO by Virginia McConnell Simmons A must read for anyone interested in the Fairplay, Alma mininng districts. PARK COUNTY is across the mountain ridge from the Arkansas River, and so we have also spent a fair amount of time there and know the many placers, but not quite as well as the Arkansas side. From the top of Hossier Pass south you will drop from Lincoln Mountain (Gee, I wonder who that was named after?) into the valley to the east of Mt. Bross and the Mongomery reservoir. This area was extensively mined and some gold is still found in the steams, but much is claimed and private property with many open mine tunnels and adits. Up above the reservoir you will find the remains of the mill that processed the ores in this area. Would you believer that the town that is submerged under the reservoir supported 5,000 souls? Most of Mt. Bross is private property and the roads on it are not forest servie roads, but private. The land owners work tirelessly to keep people out with gates and other means, but people simply do not respect a land owners rights. The roads in this area are very BAD! They are not maintained and we are aquainted with some of the people who own this property. Often people will get stuck up above and churn mud and silt into their drinking water down below. PLEASE be respectful of private property and do not drive around gates! You are trespassing! The first valley, Buckskin Gultch, that goes westardly on the down stream side of Mt. Bross, winds its way out of Alma and into an area well prospected. Many active claims still exsist up this valley, including the famous Sweethome Rhodochrosite mine. The biggest surface mine in the area was the Phillips Lode, which produced gold from a vein lying and exposed on the surface which was some 600 feet wide and a mile or more on the surface until it disappeared into the mountain. This mine is claimed as well and the property just below it. Above you will find an arrastra in the creek and many detectorists have found ore pieces containing gold on the ground around the arrastra. Above the Sweethome, the road goes up to Kite Lake. Panning opportunities could be available to you if you see no claim posts. Remeber, you are on the backside of Mt Bross, and there are mining claims all over. Make sure you know where you are is you are planning to prospect this area. Next, Alma Queen, Mosquito Gultch and the London Mine. Stay tuned! LINKS TO CAMPGROUND AND RESORT INFORMATION: |
||
|
||
