Fool in East Texas

[bungyboy]

I should be old enough to know better but I just need to use my old pan and gear. I used to live in Colorado but I'm stuck in the flatish lands of Central East Texas. Right between where the hills start heading to the hill country, the outer gulf coast plains and western edge of East Texas. Basically, I am just south of the Couchatta Trace also known as the Smuggler's road that runs from the southwest up across Texas. It is the area where the Eastern Indians met to start their hunts heading to the plains. Lots of arrowheads in the 10 thousand year era with some dinosaur bones and tracks. What I'm wondering is if there is ANY chance of finding gold here in this area. There are some ancient creeks with lots of boulders and gravel bottoms. I'm not looking for anything serious, just color that would excite my kids and make them think they were real gold hunters/pirates/treasure hunters or whatever mood they wake up in. I guess I won't know unless I do a little traveling, I just don't want to get the kids excited for absolutely nothing. Thanks for your wisdom, advice, knowledge, legends, and secret handshakes.

 

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[gold hound]

Only place I've heard of in Texas is in central Texas. Llano Texas... If memory serves me correctly, I've heard there's gold in walnut creek and sandy creek. (May be rivers not creeks) problem is, is the creeks or rivers are all on private property and you must get permission first. I'd imagine that most of the ranchers wouldn't mind. Last time I had to ask permission, went up,to,door and a cute Hispanic chick answered. I stated my intent and asked permission. Funny part is, is the only english she spoke was," no English!" Long story short she made a phone call and we kept handing her phone back and forth as I spoke to her bilingual friend. Only thing they asked was to make sure all gates were closed, not to let out any animals.

 

[TheHarleyMan2]

Llano River in Kingsland and Llano has gold in it, not big pickers, but flour gold and a few specs, lots of garnet, but if you are going to just pan, it will be hard to find some color and you will go through buckets and buckets of material and still not find anything. If you have a high banker or dredge you would be better off finding something of a little color. Longs Fish and Dig on FM 1431 usually charges about $30 per person to pan, fish all day. People even go out there to find arrow heads. You can even camp there, but they have no support facilities like bathrooms or showers. Just a couple of old rotten port a cans!

DO NOT go into Sandy Creek unless you have permission, which unless you KNOW someone that has property on Sandy Creek. Sandy Creek is the only water way in Texas that you can not traverse in. Any water way you are allowed to go into up to the flood level plain of the property even if it has no water there and it may be part of someone's property, but still it is a flood plain and legal to traverse.

You can check with Round Rock GPAA, (you can search them on Facebook), and they have outings 2 times a year. There should be one coming up pretty soon at the Haliburton property on the Llano River in Llano. A lot of good people there and you can find some gold there as well. They usually will have a cookout on Saturday evening for everyone.

 

[bungyboy]

Roger that. LuhLano as my grandfather called it is about four hours from here but I do love that part of the country. I'm going to check this one creek that looks like a t-rex will step out at any moment. It has a rock bottom and lots of gravel. I'm 99% sure I'll find nothing but a good time and some pretty rocks. Unfortunately, I also keep a rifle strapped to my back while rock hunting there. Very isolated, and the landowners come out to the bridge on their 4x4's and watch you with binoculars, even though it isn't very far. I guess because their heads are a little pointy and all their teeth are on one side of their heads they concern me a little. I've been rock hunting there for 38 years so you'd think they would recognise me and know I'm not going to go shooting up their fencelines or stump break their favorite cows.

 

[bungyboy]

TheHarleyman2, I missed you but it is a 4hr drive over there. I have a plain white plumber's van that has my bed, portacan, and cooler in it. I keep my fishing and camping gear in it and use it on my expeditions. Much less these days because it only has two seats. Even if I had a seat for my kids, my wife wouldn't be caught dead in it. Mothers run out and grab their kids when I drive down the street. So, the adventures are limited to day trips these days in the truck. My old evo doesn't even go too far these days. The last couple of times I even made it to Llano I was hauling my scouts so I had no time for my own adventures. Thank you for the contacts though.