KOFA Mountains Arizona

OreElse · Jan 31, 2019

The beautiful KOFA (King of Arizona) mountains north of Yuma, AZ. Named after the gold producing King of Arizona mine. It's a wildlife refuge so no prospecting anymore, except a few patented claims. My father had claims there in the early to late 70s. Great mule deer hunting too!

tamrock · Jan 31, 2019

Yikes! Jumping cactus. Cool country though. Many moons ago I was making regular trips to Yuma to see a gold mine just across the Cail. border at place called Winter Haven. The first ever car I ever saw that could jump completely off the ground, was a lowrider that pulled up next to at a red light there in Yuma. It sure made a lot of racket.

OreElse · Feb 2, 2019

I'm very familiar with Winterhaven and the surrounding Quechan Indian Reservation. Lots of history there. And yes we do have a few low riders here, lol.

Bigdob · Feb 2, 2019

OreElse
Is there public ground or clubs one can join in that area on can nugget hunt .
We hope to get there sometime in the near future and spend a winter away from IL
I know there’s clubs in the Tucson area with claims available after you join.
BT

tamrock · Feb 2, 2019

OreElse said:
I'm very familiar with Winterhaven and the surrounding Quechan Indian Reservation. Lots of history there. And yes we do have a few low riders here, lol.

I wished that mine was still going, because I would have loved to explore more of the area. That mine was called the American Girl and the mine manager was a fella I knew who was a forman at a mine I worked at before they shut it down. Another episode I recall down there was when I was heading back to Yuma in that terrain with nothing, but creosote bushes growing, a sand storm blew in. It sand blasted the windshield of the company car bad enough to where it needed to be replaced. It also peppered the paint on that car pretty good also. I was glad I wasn't stuck outside in that storm, as that would have caused some serious pain.

OreElse · Feb 2, 2019

Bigdob, there is a lot of area near Yuma you can detect: Laguna placers, Gila/Dome placers, Pot Holes, Cargo Muchacos and others. Google prospecting near Yuma, AZ for more details. As for clubs, yes, there have been a few over the years but I never belonged and now I'm not sure any are active. There is also a lot of opportunity/options in Quartzsite, 83 miles north of Yuma via US 95 North, and areas adjacent to 95 on the way. It's a nice drive and takes you right along the Gila, Castle Dome and Kofa Mountain ranges. A lot of great mining history in those areas. If you make the trip check out the Castle Dome Mine Museum (Google it for details), it's worth the trip! Good luck.

OreElse · Feb 2, 2019

Tamrock, I have been to the American Girl, well the outskirts, several times. I know what you're talking about regarding the sand storms. When they occur in the Algodones Dunes they can be formidable, as the Interstate cuts right through them. Can you imagine how it was crossing tha area via covered wagon? And later on via the old plank road westward out of Yuma? Or even more difficult a miner on foot with his mule!