Best place to move for gold abundance?

[Barry-Goodknight]

So, I just talked my girlfriend into moving anywhere out west that I want soon as our lease is up.

I want to choose the best state/county that I can for gold abundance.

Anyone know of some really good areas?




I was thinking of Arizona because the cost of living seems to be really low. I sort of want to stay away from Cali because of their stupid taxes and ridiculous housing costs.

Alaska would also be great, but that's a long way away. I haven't checked cost of living but I feel like Alaska would probably be very expensive too.

 

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[Barry-Goodknight]

Girlfriend is saying she would prefer Cali. I guess I could fiddle with my paperwork and stay a resident of Florida or Colorado to get around the Cali state taxes. I mean, Cali is a beautiful state, no doubt about that.

Prescott, Bisbee, Flagstaff, or Tahoe area all look pretty good IMO.

 

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[Barry-Goodknight]

I dunno, I've spent a lot of time slucing and it's almost not even worth it. I mean, form a money point of view it's DEFINITELY not worth it. I could work one day a week at Walmart and make better money.

Maybe I need to go try some new areas or something, but a good day is when I find a spec of gold that is big enough that I can make out some semblance of shape without using a loop. But usually, it's just powder.

If you want to leave a perfectly good gold state, then be my guest. The gold is fine here in Colorado, but not like your talking about. I know people in Metro Denver who get at least a gram per trip, and that's right in town by their house. If you use a classifying sluice like a Bazooka Gold Trap, you can maximize your time and shovel right into the sluice and run 3 or 4 times more material than a sluice with Hungarian riffles. Sluicing in Colorado is all about running a lot of material to make that fine gold add up.

 

[Vance in AK]

I guess I could fiddle with my paperwork and stay a resident of Florida or Colorado to get around the Cali state taxes. I mean, Cali is a beautiful state, no doubt about that.

Prescott, Bisbee, Flagstaff, or Tahoe area all look pretty good IMO.

Not sure about the taxes.
25ish yrs ago I lived in Oregon but spent about a third time working in CA. Had to pay CA state income tax on wages earned there. Maybe I had a bad accountant.

I love northern CA. Spent a lot of time driving log truck & logging up around Greenville, Quincy, etc. I loved the country(people were GREAT), & was just getting interesred in prospecting. Unfortunately never had time to do anything but wander through some abondened hard rock mines.
If it wasn't for CA state taxes (including sales tax), anti gun laws, & anti mining laws I would move to that area with joy.

 

[MadMarshall]

Chances are if you can't find gold where you are, you aint goin do much better somewhere else.

 

[Barry-Goodknight]

Chances are if you can't find gold where you are, you aint goin do much better somewhere else.

I do find gold here. I find gold everytime I go out. It's just BS gold. A little pile of powder for a whole days work.

It's not just me, I know a guy with a hard rock mine. He does a lot of dredging on his property and he doesn't do much better than I do with my shovel and sluice. Until he hits bedrock, then he will have a pretty nice day. But then after a day of cleaning off the bedrock it's back to a new spot and cleaning off however many feet of crap to get back down to bedrock.

 

[jjfish1]

So, I just talked my girlfriend into moving anywhere out west that I want soon as our lease is up.

I want to choose the best state/county that I can for gold abundance.

Anyone know of some really good areas?




I was thinking of Arizona because the cost of living seems to be really low. I sort of want to stay away from Cali because of their stupid taxes and ridiculous housing costs.

Alaska would also be great, but that's a long way away. I haven't checked cost of living but I feel like Alaska would probably be very expensive too.

Alaska really not as bad as you think depending on what type of work you'll be looking for. but places in AR,NE,CO,MT,WA ect......

 

[Barry-Goodknight]

Alaska really not as bad as you think depending on what type of work you'll be looking for. but places in AR,NE,CO,MT,WA ect......

Nebraska?

 

[AzViper]

BS to the Valley Fever or all these so called viruses. I have lived in Tucson, Az. for 55 years. Sure it gets hot so what it’s a dry heat not like back in the mid-west where it’s in the 90’s with 100 percent humidity. When others are dealing with tornados, hurricanes, sub-zero temps, etc. we just smile and have the last laugh. Bisbee is just a stone throw from Tucson. The average temperature last year was like 73.4 degrees. Personally I can’t stand going into the Phoenix area. It’s like LA was 20 years ago. Just to make a local call is long distance in Phoenix, but I drove there 3 days a week to take my boys BMX racing.

Yea you would not like Tucson, Az. LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL







Party Cove, Lake Havasu... But Arizona does not have water. Where do you think most of Cali come to party on the water?

 

[KevinInColorado]

I think you should move over and over until moving wears you down and you just give up on the dream. Ok, sarcasm aside, I have decent nuggets from north Clear Creek but that area can be tough to work...some of the very finest/smallest gold in the wild! Have you tried other parts of CO beyond the Blackhawk area? On an average day, I get to bedrock and larger flakes faster in metro Denver than up in Russell Gulch or North Clear Creek even though those areas by your home are more famous. IJS maybe you just need to get around more ( don't tell your GF that LOL!)

Mine it and recycle it!

 

[Barry-Goodknight]

This is what I got today from a 1/4 bucket of dirt.

I ran it thru this little homemade sluice in the kitchen.

It's actually not bad for a 1/4 bucket of dirt. It came from a new hole I dug on clear creek, as a matter of fact. Seems the closer to Black Hawk I move along Clear Creek, the better the gold gets.

I haven't tried any other areas besides clear creek. I've been going to this guy Jess' property the last couple months, it's the "Vics Gold Panning" place.

So yea, this is what I pulled from a 1/4 bucket of dirt...I really can't complain at all. Hell, I may be able to do a gram or more per day out of this new hole I dug if this is what a 1/4 bucket gives me.

I think you should move over and over until moving wears you down and you just give up on the dream. Ok, sarcasm aside, I have decent nuggets from north Clear Creek but that area can be tough to work...some of the very finest/smallest gold in the wild! Have you tried other parts of CO beyond the Blackhawk area? On an average day, I get to bedrock and larger flakes faster in metro Denver than up in Russell Gulch or North Clear Creek even though those areas by your home are more famous. IJS maybe you just need to get around more ( don't tell your GF that LOL!)

Mine it and recycle it!

 

[KevinInColorado]

Jessie's place is a great spot to learn to pan or try out new gear...he is a really good guy and a great teacher. Even so, you need to get out beyond that area unless you are running a dredge...the bedrock is just too deep and Clear Creek is hit too hard compared to the rest of the state. Join a club or get out on a friends claim or go down to Denver or go to the open areas the BLM maintains at Point Bar (Arkansas river) or at Cache Creek or 'the beach' in Fairplay or...you get the idea!!

Mine it and recycle it!

 

[Barry-Goodknight]

Jessie's place is a great spot to learn to pan or try out new gear...he is a really good guy and a great teacher. Even so, you need to get out beyond that area unless you are running a dredge...the bedrock is just too deep and Clear Creek is hit too hard compared to the rest of the state. Join a club or get out on a friends claim or go down to Denver or go to the open areas the BLM maintains at Point Bar (Arkansas river) or at Cache Creek or 'the beach' in Fairplay or...you get the idea!!

Mine it and recycle it!

You should take me out and show me some sick spots!

 

[Terry Soloman]

BS to the Valley Fever or all these so called viruses. I have lived in Tucson, Az. for 55 years. Sure it gets hot so what it’s a dry heat not like back in the mid-west where it’s in the 90’s with 100 percent humidity. When others are dealing with tornados, hurricanes, sub-zero temps, etc. we just smile and have the last laugh. Bisbee is just a stone throw from Tucson. The average temperature last year was like 73.4 degrees. Personally I can’t stand going into the Phoenix area. It’s like LA was 20 years ago. Just to make a local call is long distance in Phoenix, but I drove there 3 days a week to take my boys BMX racing.

Yea you would not like Tucson, Az. LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL

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Party Cove, Lake Havasu... But Arizona does not have water. Where do you think most of Cali come to party on the water?

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Of course, none of these photos are of Tucson. I have been to Havasupi Falls in the Grand Canyon, and Sedona. Beautiful, spiritual places - but no gold..

 

[Astrobouncer]

Barry you got to take the time to find the hot spots first with just a pan, then once you have found them you bring in better equipment. It might take days (but it usually just takes me several hours) of panning to get a hot spot, but when you do it will be worth it. Every river that carries gold has places in that river where the gold is more concentrated. And if after a couple days of searching the river and you cant find a spot like that, it may be time to find a new body of water to work.

 

[dave wiseman]

As I wrote earlier on this thread,access is main thing.You can be where all the big or little gold was found,but if you cannot access the properties what good is it?Every year more and more people are searching for less and less gold.In the southwest your competing with the locals and the snow birds.In northern California,above Sacramento the counties are less populated and less competition for the dwindling gold supply.

 

[AzViper]

Of course, none of these photos are of Tucson. I have been to Havasupi Falls in the Grand Canyon, and Sedona. Beautiful, spiritual places - but no gold..

Correct they are not of Tucson nor did I say they were. Just showing the great areas what Arizona has to offer. Seems his girlfriend is on the back burner. Many people have an idea that Arizona is a dust bowl and out of touch.

 

[KevinInColorado]

As I wrote earlier on this thread,access is main thing.You can be where all the big or little gold was found,but if you cannot access the properties what good is it?Every year more and more people are searching for less and less gold.In the southwest your competing with the locals and the snow birds.In northern California,above Sacramento the counties are less populated and less competition for the dwindling gold supply.

...you are so right, time to drop out of the hobby unless ou are in mother lode country or Alaska ( and leave the last scraps of gold for the rest of us of course!) Once again, sarcasm aside, there are still lots of good places to access if you do your research, join a local club and/or reach out to other prospectors via this forum or others. I am amazed at the number of decent UNCLAIMABLE locations to prospect here in CO, in SOCAL, AZ and so on...then add in federal mining claims, friendly private land owners, etc and life as a casual prospector is really good!

Be a pessimist and stay home or an optimist and go seek adventure and gold - your choice!!

Mine it and recycle it!

 

[KevinInColorado]

You should take me out and show me some sick spots!

That can definitely be arranged...and I bet I'll learn something from you too! Send me a private message with contact info and we can sort something out.

Mine it and recycle it!

 

[nuggetshooter323]

Barry,
Denver is built on a layer of pay gravel, the Arkansas River running the whole length of 285 from Salida to Leadville is loaded with gold. You just have to go high production and run lots of gravel.

 

[Reed Lukens]

Yea, well Valley Fever has a lot of complications for people who are not from there or used to it like you are. Great pictures... A little out of focus though being that I don't see any place in them where I might find natural gold Maybe a wedding ring, but jumping in the lake with the dredge is like the pictures. Living on Fantasy Island, still no gold. I have found plenty of gold in the Rich Hill area, more gold than water... lol