Ghost Towns Hwy 49

[Rowdydogg]

In Oct. we will be camping on the American River in Coloma, I am looking for any sites to metal detect that are off the main roads. I have a 4x4 and want to visit TRUE ghost towns. Any suggestions?

 

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[Tom_in_CA]

When you say "true ghost town", I assume you are envisioning a scene from straight out of spaghetti western movie? (ie.: like Bodie, etc...) eh? No, I'm afraid you're not going to find those towns at the end of 4x4 roads, sitting their virgin and ready to detect. And as far as all the ones along the Rte. 49 itself, they're pretty much all tourist traps now, or simply modern towns (where the board-&-batton era of the gold rush era is under asphalt, etc...). And any random ruins you'll see along the road (chimneys or foundation pads along the roadsides there) have no doubt been detected oodles of times (d/t their plain visibility from the well-traveled road). And they're pretty junky with iron!

So rather than looking for ghost towns per se, you want to look for the old tent-city towns, where a hundred or so miners would live in temporary tent cities, while going from strike to strike. A lot of those never turned into actual towns, but were more like the camp zone for whatever mine was being worked at the time (which could be just a few months or whatever, before moving to the next canyons, etc...). Those worker-camp zones would be somewhere fairly close to the industrial workings, tailings, etc.... ('cuz figure, they didn't want to walk far each morning and night). So check any flats, meadows, etc... that border such historic mining areas. The thing about these zones, is unlike towns, and industrial zones, there will be NOTHING left to indicate where they were. Because, of course, tents were just disassembled, and never permanent.

There's a fellow on the kinzli CA forum who has done well at finding some of these type sites. Seateds, cache coins, and even a few gold coins by doing this.

 

[Mackaydon]

I agree with Tom, and I'd add: Probably no one is going to tell you where they found 'goodies'. That said, the area where you are going has, historically, been quite productive. You might also do some research regarding Forest City and Hornitos. Wherever you go, be respectful of No Trespassing signs and on constant alert for open (vertical) mine shafts partially covered with vegetation.
Don....

 

[Dirtydigger76]

You might want to do some nugget shooting on the river. Even the campground is probably old enough to have some silver. Having lived in California my whole life I would NOT recommend going out 4wd trails u have never been on in oct. It's not only grape harvesting time all the illegal pot farms are harvesting too. There is a lot of Mexican moffia growers in blm and national forest lands nowadays. U will be fine if u stay in more populated areas. Not trying to discourage u just felt obligated to let u know... Good luck and keep digging!

 

[TerryC]

Dirtydigger makes a good point(s). Also, instead of "ghost towns", concentrate on "place names", such as Stony Gulch (anchient rivers) Yea Hoo Gulch (maybe a good strike) and others. Online bookstores may have publications of local areas you may wish to research. TTC

 

[TerryC]

Here are a few of my collection.... TTC

 

[Rowdydogg]

Thanks everyone for all your help! Being new to this site I am learning plenty. TOM, sorry, again being new to this site I'm not sure what kinzli Ca. fourm is. Your ideas is what I had in mine.

Earlier this year my family & I found a map to the Chemung Mine & Masonic that also had a 4X4 trail & we had a great time.....found a enamel granite bowl on the trail, made the purchase of our Garrett wroth it for us. We felt very lucky. Hoping to find a map of trails around the hills of were we will be staying.

DIRTYDIGGER, we do plan on doing nugget shooting at the campground & doing lots of reading on that now.

TERRY C, will look up those places right now.

THANKS EVERYONE