Clear Creek - Colorado Trip?

[chapow1]

Before the school year starts I'm planning on taking my 7yr old daughter to Clear Creek, Colorado to pan for some gold (hopefully in the next 2-3 weeks). I'm fairly new to this but have done a ton on research online & spent many hours trying to improve my panning technique with paydirt from Ebay, etc. Biggest question is "where to go & where to set up our tent?" It appears there are several different RV sites on Hwy 6 between Golden & Idaho Springs, CO but not much info on primitive campsites. Anybody have suggestions of a decent place to set up a tent which will be fairly close to a place to pan at? In addition, should we be worried about any wildlife, i.e: bears, rattlesnakes, etc?

I'm even considering purchasing a Bazooka Gold Trap which hopefully will allow us to fill up a couple buckets of paydirt that we can take back to Nebraska with us. Would this be an unwise investment? Any suggestions or advise would be much appreciated.

 

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[tamrock]

Hopefully Kevin of Colorado will chime in on this. I picked up this "Gold Panning & Placering in Colorado book here in Colorado, but I'm sure you'll find it also online. It does have some useful information. As for camping, check on line the places close to where you plan to stay and see about reservations also, as it can be very populated up to the time schools return here in the state and don't forget about any cabin resorts if the camp grounds are full up. I've found most wildlife stays away from man around here, unless your careless with food and that will bring a bear around, so just be aware of your surroundings like the running rivers and stay close to the shore right next to your son at all times and don't let him wonder off on his own "EVER" always keep an eye on him. Do yourself a refresher on first aid and pack a medium first aid kit. Keep your cell phone handy, but have your son sit down and update mom with a post card, he can tell her all about the trip when he returns ... Sounds like a great trip with your son. I wish at times I was a boy again.

 

[3xflyfisher]

chapow1,

From Golden to Idaho Springs there is no camping along Clear Creek. West of Golden up to the junction of SH119 is Jefferson County Open Space which prohibits camping. On Hwy 6 west from the junction of 119 t to Idaho Springs the creek falls under Clear County's jurisdiction mixed in with a fair amount of private property. Lots of places to prospect but no camping. Probably the closest camping would be up hwy119 above Central City and Blackhawk - finally in USFS public lands there. Wildlife encounters can happen most anywhere here, snakes are found at lower elevations. I heard a report of a mountain lion in Golden earlier this summer and just last week heard of a bear sighting in Golden also. Not trying to scare you - I have played in Clear Creek Canyon most of my life and have never seen a bear or mountain lion but sightings can happen.

I love my Bazooka. If you plan on getting into prospecting it is a very wise decision!

Good luck!

 

[tamrock]

chapow1,

From Golden to Idaho Springs there is no camping along Clear Creek. West of Golden up to the junction of SH119 is Jefferson County Open Space which prohibits camping. On Hwy 6 west from the junction of 119 t to Idaho Springs the creek falls under Clear County's jurisdiction mixed in with a fair amount of private property. Lots of places to prospect but no camping. Probably the closest camping would be up hwy119 above Central City and Blackhawk - finally in USFS public lands there. Wildlife encounters can happen most anywhere here, snakes are found at lower elevations. I heard a report of a mountain lion in Golden earlier this summer and just last week heard of a bear sighting in Golden also. Not trying to scare you - I have played in Clear Creek Canyon most of my life and have never seen a bear or mountain lion but sightings can happen.

I love my Bazooka. If you plan on getting into prospecting it is a very wise decision!

Good luck!

Indeed, can't say I ever remember any camp spots along Clear Creek Canyon or even close by. I think another good place would be between Salida and Buena Vista. You could camp in Browns canyon or many other places in the area. The Arkansas river in that area is a great place to get your feet wet and practice technique, plus your guaranteed to find gold. Not allot but some color in ever pan is what I know, as I lived within walking distance to that river a mile north of Buena Vista. I'd find a piece the size of a grain of rice from time to time, just panning.

 

[KevinInColorado]

Hi and welcome to TNet! The. Bazooka is a great idea, I'd suggest a 30 or 36 inch prospector for one person shoveling. Clear Creek should be good fun and the water levels are finally dropping so access is getting easier as summer continues. I will PM you a good spot as long as you promise not to share publicly! For places to stay as others said you will have to go a little way. One nice option is the Chief Hosa Lodge and Campground...check it out online. The RV places are not great, a couple are really mobile home parks essentially. The Jefferson County Fairgrounds is ok although not as pretty as Chief Hosa.

The Arkansas River would be another good option as suggested. The Canon City BLM office website has info on a public area at Point Bar which is productive and fun. One guy I met even panned parking lot dirt there and found gold! The best gold there is generally in bank deposits where you see larger cobbles or directly in the riverbed.

Finally, Ben Parker's book is good, he does omit some areas of good gold here and there. He also says some places are "hard to pan" which aren't really hard. With modern gear there's really no such thing as gold that's hard to pan ;-)