Gold in Santa Catalinas and Canada del Oro

[gold_seeker]

aright I know there gold in this area, I know nobody will tell me where there gold hole is but maybe some of you seasoned prospectors can help me find some gold in the Santa Catalina's and Canada del oro. my educated guess is that the diggings would be great near the biosphere due to a large elbow in the water flow. any ideas? anybody found anything that could point me in the right direction ?

 

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[AzViper]

Welcome to T Net. Oro in Spanish means GOLD. Yes there is gold in the Canada Del Oro. Your going to have to look for some access to that wash. I have dug further south of the location you speak of and have found gold. If you can gain access to the old Golder Lake area where the Dam use to be your luck of finding gold may blossom, but the area is surrounded by private land.

 

[AzViper]

You may want to go to one of the local gold club meetings. There are plenty of people that will allow you to go out with them.

Derert Gold Diggers

 

[gold_seeker]

the old golder lake area I haven't heard of that yet. the problem I have been having is getting into the mountains I don't want to get shot crossing private land or claim jumping. so I have to take the long route from where the riverbed crosses at oracle road. how nice is the area around there you worked?

 

[gold_seeker]

it would be nice to chase the gold down to the source any idea where that might be ? I have lots of time for this hunt as I live about 4 miles from the biosphere

 

[AzViper]

the old golder lake area I haven't heard of that yet. the problem I have been having is getting into the mountains I don't want to get shot crossing private land or claim jumping. so I have to take the long route from where the riverbed crosses at oracle road. how nice is the area around there you worked?

The area I worked was private land. The old Golder Lake was east of Saddle Brook and the last time I was in that area its locked up.

 

[AzViper]

I suggest that you click on MY LAND MATTERS in my sig. and do some homework and learn about the area you speak of before your trespassing on someone else land or claim. Just behind the Biosphere looks to be a mine of some type. Look on Google Earth.

 

[gold_seeker]

Yes I have done some hw on the area , that mine is not yet active and plans on mining copper . The burnet mines are a little further in the mountain and were shut down ages ago . And the Coronado national forest is right near that. I don't want to trespass on anyone land/claim
Will check out your link now

 

[goldenIrishman]

Just because they're mainly a copper mine, don't think that they're not going to take any gold they happen to come across! Many of the "Copper mines" report some pretty good earnings from gold as well.

I've not worked that area but there are many members on here that have. Remember to do your research into land status with a fine tooth comb to cover yourself. AzVipers suggestion of getting hooked up with a local club is right on the money. It's always better to learn new areas from those that have been there before. Not only that, but ya might make some new friends in the process.

Good luck on your hunt!

 

[Clay Diggins]

Don't overlook "A" Mountain. There have been some nice nuggets found there.

There is also Gold Hill just west of Drexel Heights, there's some prospectable land in that area.

Heavy Pans

 

[arizau]

You may want to go to one of the local gold club meetings. There are plenty of people that will allow you to go out with them.

Derert Gold Diggers

The Desert Gold Diggers have several claims in the Old Hat mining district (Campo Bonito area) off of the control road that goes up Mt Lemmon from Oracle. The annual fee is pretty inexpensive and gives access to those claims as well as many others around Tucson. That area is probably pretty well claimed up but may warrant a visit just to check it out since it is near by. Some neat stuff to see.

The last time I was there the forest service had received permission for all to cross private land to access the Charlou Gap road which is a serious 4 wheel drive road that appears to me to give access to the upper reaches of Canada del Oro that some have prospected with some success. That road starts up the hill close to where Golder Lake was and you may be able to access some of the lower canada around the Saddlebrook area from there. I did many years ago when the lake was still there and the area was undeveloped. If you know someone in Saddlebrook they may enable you to access it too. Look here: https://www.google.com/search?q=cha...2.10232j0j7&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=93&ie=UTF-8

Old official reports say that some of the washes that drain south back into the canada from the alluvial plain north of the wash have gold too. Problems there revolve around access due to closures at Little Hill Mine, biosphere and, I think, some state land issues.

Alder Canyon is further east off of the dirt road that goes from San Manuel to Benson. I've explored that area all the way up to the control road, seen several old prospects and the proposed redeveloped copper mine but never prospected it. That road has recently been well graded since it will be used to shuttle crews to the mine and for concentrate haulage to rail head or smelter. It is noted as a gold placer area but I think some of that area is also State Trust Land and off limits to prospecting. Good luck and good hunting.

 

[gold_seeker]

Do you think It would be a waste of time to try my luck where the Canada del or meet oracle road ? my sister told me of as mine she visited as a teenager in those hills with a 2 inch gold vein that spread through out the mine. the mine also an old nitro box sitting in an old addit full of water so we never went back in there in fear of explosion. also I hear of gold nuggets at a mountain, any body have any proof on that one ? I would go up there with a medal detector but in the 1930s it was used as a trash dump and years before that too.

 

[Clay Diggins]

Do you think It would be a waste of time to try my luck where the Canada del or meet oracle road ? my sister told me of as mine she visited as a teenager in those hills with a 2 inch gold vein that spread through out the mine. the mine also an old nitro box sitting in an old addit full of water so we never went back in there in fear of explosion. also I hear of gold nuggets at a mountain, any body have any proof on that one ? I would go up there with a medal detector but in the 1930s it was used as a trash dump and years before that too.

That's private land gold_seeker. You can't just go prospecting willy nilly wherever you please, you need to stick to unclaimed public lands.

That being said the owner of the mobile park there used to let folks drywash on their portion of the Canada. I haven't seen anyone out there in years but it might be worth asking.

Heavy Pans

 

[goldenIrishman]

Spend some time on the My Land Matters site that AzViper gives the link for in his signature. There is a mountains worth of information there and it's all in an easy to understand format. Once you understand how the map layers there work, you can see where public lands are, where claims are located both currently as well as in the past as well as a lot of other good info. If you need help understanding either the site or the information on it, just ask here and someone will be glad to give you a hand.

DO NOT start prospecting on private land without the owners permission! Not only will you most likely get yourself into trouble but you could make people think poorly of you and your fellow miners! As miners we've got enough battles on our hands already thanks to "The Greenies" and we sure don't need any more.

Good luck and remember to ask questions if needed.

 

[goldenIrishman]

Spend some time on the My Land Matters site that AzViper gives the link for in his signature. There is a mountains worth of information there and it's all in an easy to understand format. Once you understand how the map layers there work, you can see where public lands are, where claims are located both currently as well as in the past as well as a lot of other good info. If you need help understanding either the site or the information on it, just ask here and someone will be glad to give you a hand.

DO NOT start prospecting on private land without the owners permission! Not only will you most likely get yourself into trouble but you could make people think poorly of you and your fellow miners! As miners we've got enough battles on our hands already thanks to "The Greenies" and we sure don't need any more.

Good luck and remember to ask questions if needed.

 

[Ed144]

I know this is an old thread but I can add a little info. I accessed the Canada del Oro on the east side of Saddlebrooke and ran five test pans. The material came from behind/under a 5' boulder half buried in the gravel, from cracks in conglomerate hardpan on the east side of the gulch and some bowls/traps in horizontal areas of the hardpan. I found only 4-5 tiny specs of very fine. The wash had water flowing but I could walk across it with tall rubber boots. The gravels are so deep that if one stands still in the flowing water you gradually sink as the water washes the gravel away from under your boots. I think one would need to dig down to bedrock in the bottom of the gulch to find more gold. This could only be done during the dry season. I'd guess bedrock is many feet down at this location. Has anyone accessed the northern end of Canada del Oro where it bends west then south? Historic records suggest this is the placer area.

 

[arizau]

I know this is an old thread but I can add a little info. I accessed the Canada del Oro on the east side of Saddlebrooke and ran five test pans. The material came from behind/under a 5' boulder half buried in the gravel, from cracks in conglomerate hardpan on the east side of the gulch and some bowls/traps in horizontal areas of the hardpan. I found only 4-5 tiny specs of very fine. The wash had water flowing but I could walk across it with tall rubber boots. The gravels are so deep that if one stands still in the flowing water you gradually sink as the water washes the gravel away from under your boots. I think one would need to dig down to bedrock in the bottom of the gulch to find more gold. This could only be done during the dry season. I'd guess bedrock is many feet down at this location. Has anyone accessed the northern end of Canada del Oro where it bends west then south? Historic records suggest this is the placer area.

I believe the placer is in the vicinity of the Little Hill mine which, if memory serves, is behind where the Biosphere is now. There seemed to be some mine activity at the time when I drove to and through the area probably near 50 years ago but did not prospect. I'm pretty sure it was and is private property. I think they sold their product to Magma smelter at San Manuel. They were paid for copper, gold and maybe silver values if my memory is correct. I tried to find a way in again a few years ago but could not.

Good luck.

 

[Ed144]

I will soon be searching for a way into the area. I have some connections with locals in Oracle. I'm hoping to get access somehow.

 

[arizau]

I will soon be searching for a way into the area. I have some connections with locals in Oracle. I'm hoping to get access somehow.

There is reference to a sand and gravel operation at Little Hill. Some of those ops are noted for setting up sluices for gold recovery. Who knows if they do too or may be missing an opportunity(?).

 

[Ed144]

Hiked about 3.5 miles east out of Saddlebrooke up the slope, over the first ridge and into a canyon arm of the Canada del Oro. Ran 3 small test pans from various places under boulders and saw only a trace of super fine Au. Detected the gulch with both an XP Deus (74 kHz) and a GoldBug-2 with no results other than .22 casings and bits of wire. It looks like that area of the Catalinas is incorrect for Au. Will attempt to access further east in the NF. If anyone is interested in accessing some remote locations in the Santa Catalinas PM me. You must be able to hike in/out at least 4 miles one way with elevation gains and losses.