Trinity vs American River

socalocmatt

socalocmatt

Jr. Member
Mar 19, 2013
87
48
Corona CA
I have a friend driving down from WA in Sep. and I will be driving up. We figure that either the Trinity or American is about halfwayish. For those of you who have been to both. Which one would you recommend for a 4 to 5 days prospecting trip. We'll be using pans and sluices. Just looking for some places that we can camp at and have a good time and of course find a bit of the AU.

So, Trinity or American River?
 

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Be American go to the American......
 

Hello socalmatt. Ive been to both and I suggest the Yuba river by independence bridge for the best gold you can get without having a claim. True the american river is nice if you know some hot spots already. The trinity river too. Hotspots are key for those overly picked areas. Independence bridge is a small hike on the rivers edge for panning mostly. Hike it till you get to the BLM signs and then use the rivers pools to get some great nuggets and course gold. I found some weather holes in the granite bed rock there that really gave me some nice yuba river gold. Oh yeah, theres fish there too and they aren't shy. If you're in the pool they come to see what your feet are doing.
 

Try Browns creek B bar K road you wont be sorry If you need Info sent me a PM 8-)
 

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American has much better opportunities.
 

Another vote for the Yuba, if your going to be there 4-5 days. Good gold, lots of places to camp and surrounded by history- Malakoff Diggins s.p., and Downieville for example, plus you can get a steak dinner or pizza while in town.
 

The Trinity or even better, the north fork of the trinity. ice gold and little use.
 

SF Yuba BLM rec area. Outta Nevada City,out brunswick to Purdone crossing road to the river. Taken many pounds outta there as the old Yuba channel(aka river of gold) crosses the river there. Work between hi/low water mark. Drivers Flats might be open on NF American,call Auburn Rec area for details. NF trinity altitude will have ya scraping the ice of your nutz man this time a year. Have claims off the trinity and NO sun in winter is freezing. Tough time a year as everything frozen solid at night everywhere,god we need the rain as dryer than a popcorn fart-John
 

golden sluice said:
Hello socalmatt. Ive been to both and I suggest the Yuba river by independence bridge for the best gold you can get without having a claim. True the american river is nice if you know some hot spots already. The trinity river too. Hotspots are key for those overly picked areas. Independence bridge is a small hike on the rivers edge for panning mostly. Hike it till you get to the BLM signs and then use the rivers pools to get some great nuggets and course gold. I found some weather holes in the granite bed rock there that really gave me some nice yuba river gold. Oh yeah, theres fish there too and they aren't shy. If you're in the pool they come to see what your feet are doing.
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Is that the same as "the hwy 49 bridge" ?
 

I think so... it has a parking area before driving over the bridge. That part of the river has huge granite boulders strewn down and around the river. Also the current is fast at the bridge, however up river it slows down up at the BLM point on the narrow forest trail. I love that place. This year the drought has probably left it open for gold nugget hunting. The area is not reall setup for river sluicing, but it perfect for panning.:headbang:
 

CALIFORNIA'S Yuba River is where it's at!

I want to head back to the Yuba river when it finally warms up again.
 

:sunny::sunny:Wow nice shots of the south yuba. And ive never seen it that low before. I think its time for a road trip.
 

South fork yuba at Edwards crossing is my favorite place to prospect. That's where I caught the fever. I can't believe it is so low! How I would love to take a trip there right now. Lots of gold to be had in all that exposed bedrock
 

panningjack said:
South fork yuba at Edwards crossing is my favorite place to prospect. That's where I caught the fever. I can't believe it is so low! How I would love to take a trip there right now. Lots of gold to be had in all that exposed bedrock
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Panning jack, I'm trying to familiarize myself with some of these areas, this area appears to BLM land correct? So is it claimed or open to public? I'm trying to avoid the state park areas where it's hands and pans only.
 

Bnugget said:
Panning jack, I'm trying to familiarize myself with some of these areas, this area appears to BLM land correct? So is it claimed or open to public? I'm trying to avoid the state park areas where it's hands and pans only.
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Not sure. I haven't been there in about 4 years. Last time I was there it was public and hands and pans only. I did contact the blm office before the last trip and they said hands and pans includes sluice boxes. Again that was 4 years ago, the definition may have changed
 

I'm looking in to it more and it seems like crevice tools and shovels are ok per website on recreational panning. The only reason I ask was a coworker of mine supposedly says he was almost cited for using a stick to clean out cracks at the 49 bridge a while ago, This seems a bit reaching to me. Has anyone had any issues in theses areas before?
 

I avoided the area of the 49 bridge when I was up there couple weeks ago. Stopped to walk around, easy access but loaded w/ non-prospecting folk and just very public in general. Saw couple people panning & they were literally only using their hands and a pan. Not sort of place I'd feel comfortable digging or swinging a hammer. I'm not a local though so just my personal vibe on the place. I had very good luck up river and didn't see a single person which allowed for a nice relaxed experience.
 

We went to the s. Yuba last week. Went up the trial past the blm sign and the just opposite the tunnel. Found very little gold there but to a path 1/2 way back down in a granite crack I found a little picker. There are some claim signs along the way, maybe real or not. I will go back. Some nude sunbathers on the rocks opposite the tunnel, to bad they were males !

Pics below of the tunnel and a stove and fireplace in the rocks.


image-3782207099.jpg



image-3659459478.jpg
 

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