One needs to be a bit careful in the Rye Patch area. A checkerboard of private and public land means a bit of research to find what is available for detecting. Questions regarding ownership and active mining claims should be addressed to the county assessor and county recorder. The major safety consideration in my opinion is rattlesnakes. I have friends who have several claims in the area who regularly find snakes in both their camp and their diggings.
As far as the nature of the gold, anything from under 1/10 gram to several grams is possible, with most I have found well into the lesser of the range. On some specific plots drywashing can produce up to a half ounce of fines daily.
in short: Be sure. Be safe. Have fun.
