Any places I can prospect nearby?

[trsynsh]

I'm in Yucaipa, east of Redlands and Southwest of Big Bear. I'm relatively new to all of this, so I really want to make sure I don't end up on someone's land or anything like that. My issue is this; I've heard promising things about both the Virginia Dale Mining District, and the Holcomb Valley area up near Big Bear, but when I look up maps of claims/patents (via mylandmatters.org/BLM) it looks like the majority of these areas are already spoken for... is that true, or am I missing something? I guess I could find a specific area or two in between claims, as long as they're marked clearly enough for me to know where I am when I'm there. The Virginia Dale area looks particularly tricky because the area is surrounded by Joshua Tree Natl Park, and I really don't want to find myself mistakenly panning there.
Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated.

 

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[SoCalDesertFox]

I'm in Yucaipa, east of Redlands and Southwest of Big Bear. I'm relatively new to all of this, so I really want to make sure I don't end up on someone's land or anything like that. My issue is this; I've heard promising things about both the Virginia Dale Mining District, and the Holcomb Valley area up near Big Bear, but when I look up maps of claims/patents (via mylandmatters.org/BLM) it looks like the majority of these areas are already spoken for... is that true, or am I missing something? I guess I could find a specific area or two in between claims, as long as they're marked clearly enough for me to know where I am when I'm there. The Virginia Dale area looks particularly tricky because the area is surrounded by Joshua Tree Natl Park, and I really don't want to find myself mistakenly panning there.
Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated.

rockhounding

"Rockhounding and recreational mining are permitted activities on public land administered by the Bureau of Land Management. The usual rockhound materials, including agates and stones, may be collected in reasonable quantities for hobby use. Petrified wood collection on BLM lands is limited to 25 pounds plus one piece per day to a maximum of 250 pounds per year. Panning and sluicing for gold may be arranged through permit at certain areas."

Simply get permission to dry pan. They likely won't allow you to wet pan given the drought.

If you go into Imperial Valley there are plenty of BLM lands where open no-claim prospecting is allowed.

I'm out here in Riverside and have been looking for metal detecting and prospecting buddies, so I'm not too far from you! Perhaps we should get together, and do a good bit of research to find other suitable areas!

 

[trsynsh]

Your help is greatly appreciated. And absolutely, I'm always down to get dirty and check out some new places.

 

[SoCalDesertFox]

Your help is greatly appreciated. And absolutely, I'm always down to get dirty and check out some new places.

As I look around your area from GEP, There's a mountain northwest of Yucaipa, between there and Mentone, called Zanja Peak. Access is through the Yucaipa Regional Park.

Directly East is WildWood Canyon, part of that mountainous area is not part of the parklands and you could prospect/detect freely around there.

Southeast of Yucaipa, heading towards Riverside County, is a whole other chunk of mountain to go checking. Only a small section, way way east, is SB National Forest land, and even then, that's still allowable land to prospect on via 'hands and pans.'

I would still suggest checking BLM maps for claims that might be active in the areas you're looking through.

 

[plpminer]

Yucca Valley resident replying to your post


Hello. I no you wrote this back in December but thought I would contact you to ser if your still looking to either metal detect some locations that local to you and I or go up to the Holcomb valley area of BB a do some slucing in the NOW running creek. I have group claim rights to many locations up there to choose from as well many other locations . You mentioned the NEW DALE area outside of JT. Have a promising claim there and have been researching some other prospects near by that are becoming available.
Unforyuatly the I do not own a quality dry washer yet. But don't matter anyway. Soil is still a bit to moist and should wait till spring......will have a dry washer by then. I do have Tom Tom sluce box along with a multitude of additional equipment that will be perfect for to DO some nice mountain area gold sliver copper and gem prospecting. Name is Christian. Yaller back so soon before the season ends up there and the creek dries out.....Was up there last week and the dam thing looked like a river