Live near SF Bay Area

[rjbassgold]

I've been searching high and low to find somewhere in the greater San Francisco Bay Area to hone my gold panning skills with real gold (even if it is a minute amount or dust).

Is anyone familiar with the area or have any suggestions?

I am a newbie but am SO interested in gold prospecting and learning the art of panning.

All help is greatly appreciated.

Thank you, rjbassgold

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Treasure of Victoria Peak - Grab it through Amazon!

[kuger]

GOOD LUCK!Head east!!

 

[Hoser John]

Get out of the bay--cruise east on I-80 up to Auburn. Go to the Auburn Recreation area and enjoy !! Drivers flats off forresthill divide has a so-so road but decent gold to learn with. Tons a au 2 u 2-John

 

[rjbassgold]

Thanks kuger.

I was expecting this answer but was hoping someone had a secret

I don't mind traveling within the greater Bay Area though don't get out to Gold Country much.

 

[rjbassgold]

Get out of the bay--cruise east on I-80 up to Auburn. Go to the Auburn Recreation area and enjoy !! Drivers flats off forresthill divide has a so-so road but decent gold to learn with. Tons a au 2 u 2-John

<P>
Thanks, Auburn isn't too far a drive and will try it out next time I go up there.

Maybe I'll take some BBs to a local stream to practice my skills

 

[dave wiseman]

Believe there's some gold in the Santa Cruz mountains.Any BLM ground,who knows.A big chunk of quartz gold was found there many years ago......Also gold bearing veins have been found in San francisco itself,but most of the creeks are filled or built over.Some of the counties north of the city have small gold deposits.........Dave

 

[rjbassgold]

Believe there's some gold in the Santa Cruz mountains.Any BLM ground,who knows.A big chunk of quartz gold was found there many years ago......Also gold bearing veins have been found in San francisco itself,but most of the creeks are filled or built over.Some of the counties north of the city have small gold deposits.........Dave

<P>This is exactly what I'm trying to research but am having a hard time finding anything on the topic.

Thank you for the post and for bringing some validity to my hours of searching the web

 

[dave wiseman]

rj,Gold districts ofCalifornia..Bulletin 193........San Francisco Beach...gold occurs as fine grains in the black sands on the beach at San francisco.from 1938-50,gold was produced at the beach by people using small washing plants.From 1938-41 the recorded production was $13,000.The most productive part of the beach was south of the old Fleishacker zoo,and the gold most plentiful after heavy winter storms.several narrow gold bearing quartz veins have been found in metamorphic rock in the general area.......gold was $35 an ounce then,so that's over $300,000 that was reported at todays price,butthey probably would'nt let you work it.Every county has a mining and mineral report....Lot's of books,bulletins,reports available at the libraries,especially the Bancroft at Berkeley.Even Sonoma has gold.Do the research ...Most likely the motherlode area's are your best bet for what limited access there is.Perthaps join a club ..........Dave

 

[rjbassgold]

Hi Dave,

Thanks for this post. I found the article and did some research based on it and found a little stretch of beach that I'm going to check out later next week. I'll let you know how it goes and even if it is just a small bit of gold dust, I will be happy

-rjbassgold

 

[dave wiseman]

rj,there's lot's of fellows on the various gold forums that live within an hour of Sacramento in gold country,perhaps if you post on some of those forums someone would be kind enough to take you under their wing.....lot's of how to books in any large library.Sme of the counties that have only small deposits of gold could be a good deasl if you canget on the property seeing as they haven't been worked in who knows when.If you want info on other forums and or a few good easy reading books,post me at [email protected]

 

[cheeple]

I'm in Concord, Ca so from what I can gather from here is Auburn is the best spot, if anyone knows about any trips or group meets ups, I'd be interested, I have NO experience so I'm counting on beginners luck. cheeple@yahoo

 

[nuggetshooter323]

I was raised in Walnut Creek from age four, and eight years ago, my wife and I escaped from the tax state of California. At this point I can only pray that you guys still left behind the iron curtain will one day escape like I did and be able to live in a state that can pay it's bills. Seriously though, welcome to Treasure Net.

I'm in Concord, Ca so from what I can gather from here is Auburn is the best spot, if anyone knows about any trips or group meets ups, I'd be interested, I have NO experience so I'm counting on beginners luck. cheeple@yahoo

 

[Fullpan]

A strong prospecting club is East Bay Prospectors. they have a website and are meeting in Concord.

 

[squiggy]

I'm in Concord, Ca so from what I can gather from here is Auburn is the best spot, if anyone knows about any trips or group meets ups, I'd be interested, I have NO experience so I'm counting on beginners luck. cheeple@yahoo

I was raised in Lafayette when only 700 people lived there...was a farm/ranch area then..bet some old maps would help in that area..I now live in Santa Cruz mountains ..found some old artifacts ,no real gold yet!

 

[Joel1316]

I'm in Concord, Ca so from what I can gather from here is Auburn is the best spot, if anyone knows about any trips or group meets ups, I'd be interested, I have NO experience so I'm counting on beginners luck. cheeple@yahoo

Check out the East Bay chapter of the GPAA and the Delta Gold Diggers, both groups are very helpful.

 

[VitaAmare]

Has there ever been anything in Sonoma County? I have some rocks I was curious about, but I don't know how much anyone can tell me just by posting pictures. I live in the area near Pine Flat where I knew there were mines, but I believe they were quicksilver. However, they could of mined other things as well.

 

[sidvail]

I'm in Fairfield and have the same problem. I'm close enough that I can visit Auburn occasionally, so that helps. I've panned all the creeks around this area and found nada. Some locals talk about Calistoga having gold at one time, but not much elsewhere along those valleys. I'd definitely get in touch with Eastbay Gold Prospectors. Alot of resources there and some very helpful people. They meet at 7PM on the first Thursday of each month @ 1965 Colfax st. Concord.

Good luck

 

[stephe]

I don't want to start a mini gold rush in the S.F. area, but there is definitely color in the tributary creeks to San Francisquito Creek. I would just go prospecting in the streams this side of the coast range (possibly the other as well). Spanish found gold in all the local mountainside counties, they weren't loud about it like american prospectors were. A Geologist told me the Santa Cruz mountains were very interesting to him in terms of favorable geology. Most thick black sand layers on the coast have fines in them. Beware of panning or taking anything from the Golden Gate Recreation area, (which includes San Francisco beach). You aren't supposed to take anything from there and can get your stuff confiscated if they feel mean. Across the bay, there are creeks that produce. Check out Mines road on the East side of Mt. Hamilton.
Hope that helps

 

[squiggy]

I don't want to start a mini gold rush in the S.F. area, but there is definitely color in the tributary creeks to San Francisquito Creek. I would just go prospecting in the streams this side of the coast range (possibly the other as well). Spanish found gold in all the local mountainside counties, they weren't loud about it like american prospectors were. A Geologist told me the Santa Cruz mountains were very interesting to him in terms of favorable geology. Most thick black sand layers on the coast have fines in them. Beware of panning or taking anything from the Golden Gate Recreation area, (which includes San Francisco beach). You aren't supposed to take anything from there and can get your stuff confiscated if they feel mean. Across the bay, there are creeks that produce. Check out Mines road on the East side of Mt. Hamilton.
Hope that helps

I live in the Santa Cruz mountains out in the wilderness area, maybe will check the streams out...

 

[Alex Burke]

In 4th post of link a while back I posted links to a spot on the San Lorenzo 2 miles south of Felton, I never made it there to check it out last trip, I wouldn't expect to find much gold if any, but the guy had a whole operation set up there so there may be some "relic" type stuff around. I still have a bucket of black sand I took from the mouth of the SL river by boardwalk, It was embarrassing grabbing the sand but I couldn't resist lol, I also wanted to check if my goldcube would work with sand and superfines ok. I plan on running it next time I set it up, it's been on my list of things to do mostly because my landlord hates all my random buckets of dirt, lol. Here's the thread: http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/tnet-member-hunts/350552-santa-cruz-ca-hunt-tomorrow.html

I don't want to start a mini gold rush in the S.F. area, but there is definitely color in the tributary creeks to San Francisquito Creek. I would just go prospecting in the streams this side of the coast range (possibly the other as well). Spanish found gold in all the local mountainside counties, they weren't loud about it like american prospectors were. A Geologist told me the Santa Cruz mountains were very interesting to him in terms of favorable geology. Most thick black sand layers on the coast have fines in them. Beware of panning or taking anything from the Golden Gate Recreation area, (which includes San Francisco beach). You aren't supposed to take anything from there and can get your stuff confiscated if they feel mean. Across the bay, there are creeks that produce. Check out Mines road on the East side of Mt. Hamilton.
Hope that helps

That's true there is a layer of tertiary gravels that get eroded right offshore of GG Rec. area at Ocean Beach that only exists for couple of miles, they washed the sands there during the great depression. As well as beaches in Santa Cruz. I personally think there are at least 2 valuable shipwrecks that conveniently fall under their green lines on google earth on north side of bay.