GOLD: Seven overlooked spots with good gold but most other prospectors ignore

[@seanb3516]

Here's a few I can add: 1. RailRoad Tracks are good if you know there are Ore Carts moving through. I found a 42g Rocklet that had 0.2g of gold in it. Like a scratch and win. :D 2. If you live in a Mining Area there will be a lot of OverBurden being used as Local Fill. Check Newly Created Waterways as the Shores are sometimes Gold Vein OverBurden. OverBurden often has Veinlets which are Rich, or they cut into the Vein as they follow it. 3. Highway Overpass Bridges across Creeks and Streams built before 1970'ish (Canada). I find that these bridges were built with a sand fill underneath them that was provided by dredging the River/Creek at that area and spraying it onto the banks to support the bridge. They really tore up the creek under a local bridge, false river bottom chunks and everything. It is the only chance to see the river/creek flipped upside down and spread out. I have been pulling some great Gold Bearing River Stones from under a bridge about 150 meters away from where I live.

[@ChrisRalph]

Those definitely would work in some areas.

[@jedpeeler4199]

I found my first gold after moving out West, in a parking lot! In Illinois glacier country, I used to find lumps of silver ore in driveways and along a creek in our local municipal golf course.

[@jean-sebastienlaliberte4016]

wow very intresting! thnks for sharing

[@PatriceTaylor-u4i]

Thanks for another great presentation! Wonderful ideas for finding gold that others ignore! Love to hear your stories.

[@WillieWhale]

I found an old war metal. It says the old guard.. it's really worn but such a great find right in the middle of Virginia Beach city.

[@rsaldivar4218]

Great advice! I’m a believer in watching where you step, and watching the environment for signs. I was mountain biking next to a mine opening around Fresno, Ca. Years back, when my tire kicked a rock out with a shiny quartz crystal showing. My cousin was anxious to get moving, told me to drop the rock, let’s get going. I rode back with one hand holding that rock… it had small crystals all over one side, with a few tiny spots of gold on it. That turned out to be a high grade pile that was covered with grass and weeds. I got a lot of Gold off that pile, but the property got sold before I could get back out there with a detector. Thanks Chris!

[@shanelocke237]

Yes-he DEFINITELY PUTS OUT GREAT ADVICE.HIS BOOK IS AN AWSOME READ...

[@shanelocke237]

"ONYA CHRIS" NOW THAT WAS A EXELLENT CHUNK OF ADVICE.I LOVE YOUR UPLOADS & WATCH EACH UPLOAD ATLEAST TWICE AS THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING IVE OVERLOOKED.I personally look forward to your uploads as your my prospecting HERO.THANKYOU CHAMP

[@johnramirez5032]

Another lost treasure story! Lol. I can see how miners had a good spot and never made it back. Others cant find there spot when they went back. Claims closed down when it wasn't profitable . Those people get old or die. Their spot is lost.

[@ChrisRalph]

@rsaldivar4218 - That was an exciting find.

[@ChrisRalph]

shanelocke - thanks for the kind words.

[@ThirteenPercentHxC]

Dude Chris Ralph, THANK U. I live in an old mining town in south Riverside county California and I never cease to be amazed by the amount of visible gold in our roads and sidewalks. Let alone abandoned properties , other large plots of land around town that ive sampled, my favorite places are the half developed fields that they ran out of money to build houses on so they just leveled the land cut down the over burden and many rich epithermal minerized rock deposits become explicitly exposed. So I'm like... hmm don't mind I'd I do and end up hauling bags of rich ore back to the garage on my skateboard and in my arms. "Just for the takin." *spoken in an Irish accent

[@ChrisRalph]

You should pick some up and make some money.

[@ThirteenPercentHxC]

@@ChrisRalph oh trust me I do. That's what I'm saying. I go out with just a shovel and a head lamp and I load up grocery bags and a back pack full of the best stuff I can find after poking around reading the dirt. I always end up with way more than I can carry so it's handy to have a skate board to use in place of a mining cart since I don't have a car. Even if I do look silly skating with one foot on a board that has bags of rock piled up on it. Since we been getting all this rain lately the main flood basin has become a large river with big fish and the bench gravels are full of gems and epithermal alluvial gold specimens' exposed deposits and often diamond bearing conglomerates and native platinum rich mafic rocks. My little town looks so unassuming. If people only knew what treasures these soils hold. I've been collecting specimens and crushing the rocks, classifying, wet panning,dry panning, black sand magneting and roasting the concentrates and then smelting them in my propane kiln and so far I'm up to nearly a 3 ounce piece of gold that I manufactured over time thru various smelting sessions with many different batches of ore. I've only been at this a couple years barely now and had a lot of discouraging trial and error but I refuse to give up because I'm getting way too good at finding these deposits and recognizing all the different minerals and rock types and the metallurgy and the more I learn the more I see, and the stuff I find just keeps getting better than the prior. It's all cuz of YOU. You turned me into a geology nut crazy Gold Hound and it has enriched my being. People always Ask me how much money I've made so Far and I told them I havent made any yet but I've gotten paid in a priceless skill that I'll be able to use for the rest of my life and I will be making money soon once I sell this piece of gold or one of my diamonds. I'm gonna start a mining company eventually and call it AUDia Mining CO because one of my specialties is finding these big diamonds with gold deposited onto them. Most are less than gem quality but do make marvelous specimens.

[@keesrasyid8090]

From Indonesia, you give me your knowledge and experience for free, thank you so much. God Bless you.

[@ChrisRalph]

You are very welcome

[@IliotheAnatoliangoldhound]

I've never watched one of your videos and not come away with new things or places to try that I never thought about before. Thank you for sharing a bit of your knowledge with all of us!!

[@ChrisRalph]

Glad you like them!

[@SilvasSmallMining]

Thanks for the tips Chris! I’m glad I discovered your channel! I love learning about “old timer” tips and techniques. Good gold hunting to ya! Take care.

[@ChrisRalph]

Thanks for the kind words. I'm glad the video was helpful.

[@glentomkins3426]

Thanks again for the information Chris. The 'nugget in the road' story is not unusual - most of the big nuggets that were found in the Australian gold rushes of the 1800s were found because someone ran over them or stubbed his toe on them! The irony is that most prospectors never bother to detect on the roads - they look everywhere else! Great advice!

[@ChrisRalph]

Interesting!

[@markmayer2029]

@@ChrisRalph I always seem to find an inordinate amount of Iron either falling out of truck beds, or falling off the chassis, on roads. For this reason, I only will detect on new roads. Even these have a lot of Iron junk, due to small bits eroding off the cutting edge. Fortunately, they are usually on the surface, and can be found quickly with a magnet.

[@mattc6226]

I remember roads being covered with rock chips when I was a kid. it was called chip seal or something. we found tiny specks of gold in the gutters after cars had driven on it for a while. years later, I was reminded of this when Utah avalanche did a youtube video about it. I don't think there was enough where I was. Otherwise, I would go back and check culverts in the area.

[@ericwiese7479]

I’m in Minnesota. Glacial gold is out there but it’s quite difficult to find, plus our state is heavy on prospecting, no sluice, dredge, etc. pretty much pans and shovels. I find approximately one gram per season. I’ll never sell what little I have obtained, the finding is the fun part. Glad I found your channel!

[@ChrisRalph]

Well, I am sure its fun to be out there in the wilds getting some gold.

[@WaveformV1.0]

Wow one gram per season is not much. I’m impressed with your staying power. Hope you find a solid nugget soon. Cheers from Australia

[@ericwiese7479]

@@WaveformV1.0 I definitely don’t do it for the money! 😂 I’m a forager at heart and the exploring and discovering are what does it for me. I hope to make it to an ounce before I die…. I don’t know if it’s gonna happen but I’m gonna try 😀

[@markthomas4083]

Thank you Mr. Chris. Please continue producing these helpful videos. You have a talent to inform with easy to follow, detailed skillful information. Thank you sir!

[@ChrisRalph]

Thanks much. I'm glad the videos are helpful!

[@johnramirez5032]

Hey Chris . I live in California. In Livermore a farmer on his property found a boulder in small creek. It was different so he took it home a decorative item. He got a big surprise when was checked out it had 70 thousands dollors worth of gold in it. This started a gold rush. In the area. No other gold was found. . Point is you just never know. This is in farm land there is just mud stone and rolling hills with line stone. Absolutely no geology in the mother load. There isnt anything like intrusive outcroppings of anything . No old volcanos for miles . Very odd find.

[@ChrisRalph]

Interesting. I've not heard that story.

[@johnramirez5032]

@@ChrisRalph it came a old newspaper clipping. I had saved it but lost in in a house fire in Paradise Ca. It was close to the 580 Altamont hills pass. Some call them mountains but they are really old hills that sepperate the valley thats. In the middle of california.

[@dananorth895]

Ancient river systems and floods over the eons have deposited/dispersed minerals/metals in some surprising places. One never knows, however if you don't look you don't find and if your not knowledgeable you don't recognize it!

[@beergold]

Probably carried by the indigenous and dropped because it was too darn heavy LOL!!!!

[@seancunningham7589]

That’s interesting I’m in Fairfield and I own a goldmine.. u lost ur house in paradise fire.. I lost my cabins in the Dixie fire lol.. man PG&e really screwed the pooch on that one… anyway that’s crazy that he found that it must’ve been from an old glacial deposit or something

[@Fishfinder-sl4pm]

Your tutorials are fantastic Chris. I always take your advice because it’s good old fashioned honest advice. You remind us that gold is rare, really really rare and that theres no shame in failing to find it. This actually gives more confidence than videos where they find gold in every episode. I prospect an area in Scotland and I’ve been told by so many people “ oh there’s only a few flakes left “. Well thanks to your tutorials I just won’t be having that sort of talk, and it worked out for me when I found a gram nugget sitting on a ledge on the face of bedrock where a stream had cut through it. The nugget didn’t have a speck of dirt on it, it was if I was meant to find it, and therefore I couldn’t agree more when you say to keep one’s eyes open. One just never knows, that retirement nugget might just be laying on the ground in full view. I wonder if you could answer a question about metal detecting as I’m a bit unsure of a particular aspect. Does the gain or threshold affect the depth a metal detector detects, or is it a case that once its ground balanced it will detect to the maximum depth regardless of how much I play around with gain and threshold. If you or someone else could answer me that then it would be much appreciated, as it’s something that I’m not sure of. I did watch your tutorial on the gold bug pro and it was a great video and explained in simple terms, so much so that I went and bought one even though I could barely afford it. That’s what your videos do haha. Greetings from not so sunny, but still Bonnie Scotland.

[@ChrisRalph]

Gain and threshold are two totally different things and both affect the depth of detection. Gain refers to the detector’s sensitivity. The higher the setting, the deeper objects can be found, and the more sensitive the detector is to very small metal objects - but also the more sensitive to hot rocks and soil mineralization. The constant background ‘hum’ produced by the detector is called the Threshold. Variations in the Threshold help you to hear very small and deep targets. Setting the Threshold to an audible hum will highlight variations in signal response which may indicate the presence of a target. If the Threshold Level is too high, faint targets will be harder to hear above the Threshold ‘hum’. If the Threshold Level is too low, the slight variation caused by a small or deep target may not be sufficient to hear. Adjusting the level to below audible will ensure silent operation but could mask the audio response from small or deep targets. I explain this all in my book.

[@boondockingprospectors1490]

Retired now and we are selling our house and buying a RV to spend our winter in the southwest. I just bought your book Fist full of gold. We already have all the equipment and will search for gold for a fun pass time. Maybe we will get lucky and find something.

[@ChrisRalph]

Best of luck, if you stick with it, I am sure you will find some.

[@antonvrb1510]

Hi there. I'm in a different country, but you are living my dream. Best of luck!

[@johnnysilverado3234]

Good job Chris keep these videos coming out and help me work my mind to help me find more. Thanks bro

[@ChrisRalph]

Glad it was helpful!

[@markedwards5282]

I.l8ve 9n ky

[@markedwards5282]

8ve 8n ky

[@markedwards5282]

8m kentucky 😢

[@markedwards5282]

Very far west Kentucky

[@blakeharder6337]

Thank you Chris. A really informative video! I really enjoyed your style of presentation. Will definitely put your tips to use the next time I’m out in the Australian Goldfields. Thanks cobber! 👍👍

[@ChrisRalph]

Glad it was helpful! Best of luck to you, mate.

[@donloughrey1615]

Thanks Chris, your advice is gold. I do have your book and recommend it.

[@ChrisRalph]

Awesome, thank you!

[@waltertodd4479]

Thank you for sharing your experience in places rarely detected, good advice...

[@ChrisRalph]

Glad it was helpful!

[@garyhanley2240]

You are a nice , good man , that book will be priceless, Always like listening to you and your knowledge, Thanks my friend 👌✨✨✨

[@ChrisRalph]

I appreciate that!

[@MetallyCorrupted]

Great info, thank you so much for sharing! Ordered you book as well.

[@ChrisRalph]

Glad it was helpful! I'm sure you enjoy it!

[@aliabdihaj001]

hello sir what is best idea while having 7000 .is good to buy extra coli or buy dry washer instead ,which one is the best while you can't afford extra coli and dry washer at the same time.

[@ChrisRalph]

This all depends on where you are mining - it is not a simple question.

[@aliabdihaj001]

@@ChrisRalph am mining in Africa and our areas has small nugget

[@jbowerman50]

Ive been studying geological reports and maps of my area of choice, and this info is so valuable and worth studying. Im hoping to stumble on a semi forgotten zone, this season could become my big find. Thanks

[@ChrisRalph]

Best of luck! Glad it was helpful!

[@DavidKcPrice]

Looking at the USGS maps it's like gold melted from Canada and rivered it's way down Pacific Northwest to Southern Nevada hills just looked up in sections layers and lines

[@JohnMillar5312]

Hi Chris, many years ago I always walked back to my car and never detected the cattle pad I walked on. Long story short, three brothers detected the track and picked up 46 ounces first day, they continued and ended up with around 700 ounces in a couple of months. Deepest ground was only 2-3 feet deep and loose gravels. Best nugget was 14 ounces.

[@ChrisRalph]

You never know where those gold nugget patches might be hiding.

[@goldcat1844]

Places with manzanita groves often have gold veins. Manzanita loves mineralized zones along faults.

[@ChrisRalph]

True, but there is a whole lot more manzanita than there are gold veins.

[@Mike_Greentea]

I plan on spending most of my retirement getting out there in nature with my gold bug 2. Also the longer video format is awesome I’d rather watch this than T.V

[@ChrisRalph]

I'm glad you enjoy it. Its tough to pack much information into the 60 second shorts format.

[@raisethecolours]

You can dig gold but you cant dig silver, aint that wild? 😉

[@ChrisRalph]

There are some silver mines that produce native silver, but only a small percentage.

[@johnramirez5032]

Thanks for the video and sharing your knowledge.

[@ChrisRalph]

Glad it was helpful!

[@johnramirez5032]

@@ChrisRalph You always tell it like it is. To be good at anything you have to devote yourself to it. Yes there is dumb luck. People who win the lottery who dont look at how to save or invest there money go broke. To enjoy the thrill of the hunt is the way to insure that youve already have made your life worth living. If you find a bit of gold then that icing on the cake. We live in a concrete jungle most of our life chasing dollors. In nature and wonder is the true value in living. The nature and its beauty alone makes the adventure. Gold is the icing on the cake. To be able to explore and use your knowledge. Thats worth more than gold. If you enjoy your job and chasing dollors in a concete jungle that's ok too. To me the world is so much more than that. Thats what you bring to the table Criss and i just wanted you to know that its well appreciated.

[@donaldperson948]

I bought your book I will read it but since I love your videos I thought it would be smart to have it to pass down to my kids! With my equipment! So they know what to look for! These times are getting really bad! Gold will only go up with the world falling apart! This will be a lot of peoples job in the future I think!

[@ChrisRalph]

Sounds great.

[@LFrink]

Great video Chris! Something you said while talking about rock type and proximity made me think of one of our claims. There are MASSIVE slate walls as well as smaller slate formations. Some walls may be nearly 80' to 100' tall or more. Random small slate slabs protrude all over the hillside, great for tripping on. The claim also has plentiful multi-color quartz, both in a broken down cobble state as well as in quartz vein formations. Just off our claim is a very large quartz vein flowing down the hillside 40 to 50 feet long. Back on ours, at the very top of the hill, is a quartz "minefield" of broken down smaller size quartz. What is the relationship of quartz and slate if any? We do have the book, in fact, the other half is reading it right now! Thanks again!

[@ChrisRalph]

There is no direct relationship of quartz and slate - slate may have no quartz veins at all or may have many of them - and anything in between. Quartz veins can be found in many different types of rock. Slate weathers and decomposes - often to a clay. Quartz does not decompose like that, so where you have your quartz minefield, you likely have a quartz vein nearby. Now most quartz veins have little or no gold. Only a few have significant gold.

[@davidcox9115]

There is a run off ditch on a buddys property it's full of gray clay and quarts is that a good place to find gold around clay?

[@ChrisRalph]

Quartz and clay are both super common, while gold is rare. The best way to know is to sample and test it to see if there is any gold there.

[@barry7608]

I hate watching your videos it brings back all my detecting efforts in WA, only scored nuggets biggest being 7g but I was stoked. Thing is it was right next to an operating hard rock mining access road, about 100m, sadly we were on a time table so could not spend more than a half day. Another 4g was at a town called Cue and it was in the fossicking area about half a km from the town, clearly in sight. If you watch a lot of people detecting its very 'sawtooth' and must miss a lot. Come to Australia and we will do WA together! take care and I really love the stories

[@ChrisRalph]

My 6 weeks prospecting WA was spent between Cue and Meekathara. It's a very rich region and I do plan to return someday.

[@kimkell7009]

Hey, Chris. I like watching your videos. They're informative. My name is Kim. I live in Southwest Oregon and I have a fairly rich, hard rock mine that if you're ever in the area come up and see if you see something that I don't. We're the same age I've been doing this stuff 50 years. It's fun. I have a lot of gold on the outside of the tunnels is where I'm mostly have been playing anyways. If you ever get to my neighborhood, I live in the Applegate, basically, Jacksonville I look forward to meeting you soon. Thanks, keep your videos coming bro.

[@ChrisRalph]

Southwest Oregon does have a lot of gold. But I've never prospected there and I don't have any plans in the foreseeable future.

[@jdean1851]

SUPER HOT TIPS" A MUST WATCH! THANKS 4 POSTING!

[@ChrisRalph]

Glad it was helpful!

[@galiano221989]

Awesome explanations, thanks a lot. This is more valuable than the gold actually. I wish i was one of those friend's you brought to the place😂. I really love gold man i got a garret 24k goldmaster but i move to Pensilvania and doesn't test it yet.

[@ChrisRalph]

Glad it was helpful! But Pennsylvania is not a great state to hunt gold.

[@galiano221989]

Yeah I know, sadly. But I'm gonna try my best in the Susquehanna river and he's connected creeks.

[@bedrockbennett1827]

One time I was out detecting and got a signal by a tree. I thought I was probably garbage but Dug it up anyway. Once I got a little closer I heard some glass break and then the signal disappeared. I pulled an old 1800 bottle a small bottle with a cork and noticed there was Mercury everywhere in the hole I dug it all up and paint it out there was probably a pint of Mercury a couple weeks later I got another bottle by a tree it was full of mercury as well I didn't break that one ended up running the Mercury through a cloth and it had a small nugget in it so now I got some old miners gold and his Mercury he used and reused obviously

[@ChrisRalph]

I've never dug any bottled mercury - just got small amounts of amalgam panning and dredging along streams.

[@bedrockbennett1827]

@@ChrisRalph it was pretty cool had Gary and Todd with me for one of them and my cousin was with me for the other

[@leonardocartagena4928]

Thanks Chris for your Amazing information 🎉

[@ChrisRalph]

My pleasure! Glad to know you enjoyed the video.

[@olly2fish992]

Hey mate, im in Kalgoorlie, Australia, good info, thanks. Just bought your book, cheers.

[@ChrisRalph]

Awesome, thank you!

[@johndias6614]

What about river dredge tailings. I live a 5 minute walk from a river in central California. There's a large pond where the dredge would turn around. There are lots of piles of tailings.

[@ChrisRalph]

Some dredge tailings have gold, some do not. I'd say go and give them a try.

[@arianacaballero4928]

!*BEWARE*! I RECENTLY MET A FELLA THAT OBTAINED MERCURY POISONING FROM DIGGING AROUND IN OLD TAILING PILES*!! I normally don't express myself in all caps... But this seemed like the right time because the reality of it is that tailings that are old enough, *from times when they used mercury in EXCESS, are VERY DANGEROUS for our health and well-being!! 👍

[@DP-dv5bh]

I live in central Chatham county NC looking for some people to dredge with, I got a 4" Keene dredge and plenty of experience

[@findit6333]

Merced river ?

[@floridapielady]

Excellent video. We are looking to buy vacant land with mineral rights in Nevada. We plan on building a small house but I’d like to find gemstones along with gold. Do you prefer desert flats/ grasslands or hills / mountains? Only a couple have streams that are seasonal. What are you thoughts? Thanks for all your help your channel has taught me so much! ❤

[@ChrisRalph]

Come out and see and spend some time in the area you are looking to buy BEFORE you make any offer on a property. Nevada has a lot of remote desert land with no services - electricity, etc. and miles and miles of dirt roads to the nearest grocery or other store. Also there are gold and turquoise mines, but they may or may not be anywhere near the desert property you might look at. Just because you own mineral rights does not mean there are any valuable minerals on the property.

[@floridapielady]

@@ChrisRalph Thank you! Yes, we are looking off-grid. We are planning on coming out to see and sample the properties in person. Thank you again for all you do to help us gold and gem dreamers. ❤️

[@BrianM-44041]

I find most gold in mountain valley rivers and streams.

[@richmikesell812]

Funny thing, detecting back to the car also can work with coin detecting.

[@ChrisRalph]

Yep, good point there too.

[@Daniel69Hemedinger]

I have watched this video many times I wish I had all this information when I started prospecting in 1966

[@ChrisRalph]

Why not for prospecting now?

[@Daniel69Hemedinger]

@@ChrisRalph I have been living in the Philippines where it is not legal but I will soon be back in the US and I will get back to it it is late in the season but I will be prospecting on public land I plan on staking

[@CJRicaSaromines]

Hey Chris,if there is pirates is there any possible of gold presence?

[@ChrisRalph]

Depends on what presents the pirate possess.

[@joemckernan1060]

Thanks Criss, as always good information

[@ChrisRalph]

No problem 👍 Glad it was helpful!

[@jffbrk1]

I live in Florida.....Where would be the closest place you would look for gold? I read where North Florida had a gold rush in 1830 around the Apalachicola River that drains from the North Georgia mountains.

[@ChrisRalph]

Not sure where that story came from, but there are no known occurrences of natural gold within the state of Florida. The geology of the state is just not right for gold. Gold prospectors from Florida would be encouraged to research the gold deposits that have been found in nearby Alabama and Georgia. Both of these states have produced significant amounts of both lode and placer gold, and individual scale gold mining is still done in several areas within both states.

[@jadabaudelaire118]

Popular beaches! Sorry.. hadta

[@anatrejos8879]

❤❤❤Much live Chris❤❤❤ great pointers now days dangerous for women but always travel in two or three.

[@ChrisRalph]

Safety in numbers.

[@donaldperson948]

Don’t forget about old hydraulic areas! Like Litele Creak off 15 fry going up to Hesperia ca! You drive over the huge bridge just before you climb the mountain! That river has gold in it the whole river is a good place

[@ChrisRalph]

The point for the video was places "that other prospectors ignore". Lytle Creek has been hit by everyone and his brother for decades.

[@Michael-g2k6v]

Thanks again for the informative lesson Chris!

[@ChrisRalph]

No worries! Glad it was helpful!

[@steveward4034]

Hi, is it worth looking for gold in volcanic area's. Thanks from New Zealand.

[@ChrisRalph]

Some volcanic areas have gold, some do not. There is lots of info on gold mining areas of New Zealand. Check on line.

[@user-tp1bi6of3v]

Liked your video. I wanted to ask do you have to bring something to protect yourself: snakes, other wild animals? I know a first aid kit but any fire arms? What is the best time of day after a rain storm, in the morning/evening when its not too hot?

[@ChrisRalph]

I don't really carry anything special. I've only had one small indecent in hundreds of prospecting trip. One of the best safety choices for all sorts of potential problems (not just animals) is to bring someone along - don't go alone. I am only rarely alone when I am out in the field. I prospect at all times of day - When its hot I focus in the higher elevation country as it is cooler up there with more shade.

[@KevinHall-wn4eq]

You have such great information. Thank you. I just wish that there was more information on gold and mineral deposits in the Eastern US. Some of us can't travel to Nevada, Arizona et al. Please do some videos on prospecting in the East.

[@ChrisRalph]

Although I've been east a few times, I've never done any prospecting in the east. So its hard for me to do a video on prospecting in places I've never been.

[@KevinHall-wn4eq]

Hopefully you know someone that has the experience to do those kind of videos. I would sure subscribe and I am sure there are many more. I have done some prospecting in Alabama and hope to get back to it soon. @@ChrisRalph

[@bradh6185]

Hi, Chris. I have a newfound interest in prospecting. I'm having a great time watching your videos. I have a question- How did they determine the exact locations of the mines in the 1800's? Were there geologists back then who had ways of helping with that?

[@ChrisRalph]

Prospectors found gold and traced it back to the source.

[@jeffwyvell6287]

Chris what would you metal detector for gold would you recommend that won't break the bank?

[@ChrisRalph]

"break the bank" means different things to different people - for one its less than $100, others less than maybe $1,000. I don't know your budget, what you will use it for, etc. - You have to make that call for yourself. Take a look at this video about choosing a detector for yourself: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e3eXoHmsiK2VgNE

[@ericwiese7479]

Your road gold is awesome!

[@ChrisRalph]

Thanks. Finding it was a lot of fun.

[@mikeryan2388]

Your first story made me think of a question for you, specifically related to the bulldozed road cut through bedrock. Is asbestos exposure something you’re aware of and has it ever kept you away from a otherwise decent location?

[@ChrisRalph]

The geology of Gold vs. Asbestos occurrences are such they they only rarely occur together. I stay aware of natural asbestos but its never stopped me because they are almost never together.

[@mikeryan2388]

@@ChrisRalph El Dorado County

[@goldiswhereyoufindit]

Our favorable rock types here in North Georgia are biotite gneiss and mica schist. Not much gold associated with granite here, though there are lots of places with veins in granite with very little or no gold.

[@ChrisRalph]

quartz is pretty common - its the gold rich veins that are rare.

[@goldiswhereyoufindit]

@alph That's not a joke! I've been in the gold fields prospecting every weekend for over 2 years now and still haven't found a rich gold vein. lol Everything is covered with moss and vegetation in Georgia and where the bedrock is outcropped it's decomposed almost into soil. I think it's easier to find veins in dry climates where you can see the rocks.

[@Smithsgold]

All good places just got home from the Mountains it was nice out today !!!!

[@ChrisRalph]

Not covered by snow? you must be fairly low in elevation.

[@Smithsgold]

@@ChrisRalph was below Downieville

[@albanesealbanese-yv2sd]

is there gold on a gravel road ? i live in wi. and theres a gravel pit there where we put this gravel to level the road thank you

[@ChrisRalph]

There can be gold in road gravel - but not always. Gold is pretty rare stuff. Test the road gravel to see if it has gold or not.

[@bboy108]

Oh Man, I'm a Downieville chapter Clamper , ECV , theres an old town Under that little old mining town too btw

[@ChrisRalph]

Under that little old mining town?

[@aaronpaolilli8578]

@8:50 That is the beautiful thing about the Bazooka Hydraulic Sluice Box. If you have a Heavy piece of Ore, it will get caught on the Classifier.

[@ChrisRalph]

OK.

[@badbenito]

Grew up in Juneau, AK. Many places to search for gold.

[@ChrisRalph]

The Juneau region produced a lot of gold.

[@OpenSpaceWellness]

Great list! Thanks for sharing 🙏❤️🌲

[@ChrisRalph]

Thanks for watching! Glad it was helpful!

[@goa699]

I live in a tricky place. The State of Ohio. We have glacial gold but the stuff is so fine its micro stuff. But it Depends where you live in the state, the best gold is reportedly found by Columbus and Mansfield Ohio where the furthest advancement of the ice sheet recieded and left a bunch of moraine which sorted its placer in creeks or rivers. Pickers have been reported but are rare. The stuff is so small usually you need a Loop to see it. And you can go through 10 gallons of material and find a few specks. A bead if your lucky lol I found some really fine flakes. But have to put it in a vial of water to see it 😂

[@ChrisRalph]

Keep on prospecting to find the best spots - not all spots in a stream are equal in gold.

[@rlsiler8663]

Chris I live in Southern Arizona where there's a lot of history in silver and copper. Is there a chance some gold got overlooked because they were primarily looking for silver and copper?

[@ChrisRalph]

There are a number of known gold deposits in southern Arizona. Take a look at my video on Arizona gold deposits. See: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aYW1p353e5mppqs

[@danbrent4618]

Great video Chris! I take rocks that I find and can find Gold in them by looking with a light! I found Gold this weekend! Dan Brent

[@ChrisRalph]

sounds interesting.

[@48thstateprospecting]

Great info for sure and your almost at 100 k subs congrats that play button is coming soon thanks for sharing all your knowledge with us see you on the next one👍🏼👊🏼

[@ChrisRalph]

Thanks much, I enjoy sharing. And yep, the 100K benchmark is coming soon.

[@matthewstackpole5609]

I'm up in southern Maine and recently had a fairly large logging operation behind my dad's house. That area where he lives is on a ledgey Ridge and the logging operation exposed a lot of quartz veins and garnets, think it's worth checking out?

[@matthewstackpole5609]

Metal detecting?

[@ChrisRalph]

There is some gold in Maine - not a huge amount, but some. It wont hurt to test and see.

[@ChrisRalph]

I'd be testing with a gold pan.

[@matthewstackpole5609]

@@ChrisRalph I'm definitely going to do some testing with my pick hammer and goldpan when the snow melts

[@jean-sebastienlaliberte4016]

You are the best Chris

[@ChrisRalph]

I'm not sure about that, but thanks for the kind words.

[@stevejanejamesjassteph5903]

Very intetesting, thanks Chris

[@ChrisRalph]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@Vishfeast]

Sometimes structures that could contain gold were created with the intentions of gold never to be considered. :) Especially in areas which gold would be found. Since a lot of road structures require drill/blasting to create your various base layers. Even in mining areas, some some rock has to be set aside for structures regardless. Geotech analysis has its limitations as well, it's not always so planned out as perceived.

[@ChrisRalph]

True, Geotech analysis does have its limitations

[@douglasgault5458]

High banking in the desert is highly over looked. Old river rocks over top of rusted black sands are abundant in some areas. It's easy face diggings & often beautiful chunky finds. I've seen deposits at over 9 oz a ton of chunky nuggets from these ancient river beds. And they visibly stand out in the Strata layering of the rock faces. I've seen the black sands layers as thick as 4' to 5' thick. But there's a lot of time consuming wandering & climbing involved in the desert1. Some of my best finds back in the 1970s was when gold was only $55 oz

[@ChrisRalph]

With gold at about $2400 an ounce, plenty of reason to get out and find some more.

[@ChrisRalph]

With gold at about $2,400 an ounce, all the more reason to go out and get some more.

[@cacogenicist]

Build road with mining operation gravels on an old high bench, with some gold moving downhill from the above slope. Multiple sources.

[@ChrisRalph]

Are you saying you know a place like that?

[@cacogenicist]

​@@ChrisRalph- Not specifically -- but I bet Gary Honan does. 😊 Was just thinking out loud about potential gold sources on roads in, for example, the Mother Lode Country -- alluvial gold missed in tailings used to construct access roads, some segments of which are no doubt on old benches, with some eluvial accumulations from weathering hard rock deposits uphill ... hmm, or placer gold weathering out of ancient channel conglomerates higher up.

[@jeffdevine6387]

ever try a falcon md-20? it can find some really small gold.

[@ChrisRalph]

It can, but cannot be used like a metal detector because the probe is so small.

[@jeffdevine6387]

@@ChrisRalph I just always found it useful when doing hard rock prospecting. Thanks for the answer. Take care.

[@polymathperspective]

People ignore seasonal creeks that become waterfalls during a certain season only, then at other times of the year is no creek or waterfall at all. Lots of canyons I own gold mines have seasonal creeks that a person could never mine unless it’s winter and rainstorms have made this seasonal creeks. Can’t do manual labor without water nearby. Logic said so.

[@ChrisRalph]

I'm sure you have taken gold from waterfalls all over the place.

[@richardhendrickson]

I would really be happy,if you talk about georgia gold.... Maybe you have no knowledge of South eastern gold...??????? I have a gold bug pro., thanks to you..... I love your video's they really are filled with knowledge...😊🎉❤

[@ChrisRalph]

The first problem that I have been to Atlanta once 30+ years ago. Never did any prospecting on that trip - its my only trip to Georgia. The second problem is that only the folks from that part of the country are interested - Georgians would be interested, but folks from the other 49 states, not so much. I try to be more general or at least talk about places I have prospected. You know more about Georgia than I do -

[@goldiswhereyoufindit]

1,400 more subscribers let's go!!!! Can't wait to see your silver play button on the wall!

[@ChrisRalph]

Me too!! You know I am tracking it. At the rate I am going, I am looking at sometime in Mid-March to reach 100K.

[@PatriceTaylor-u4i]

Not aprapo to this video, but would you consider doing a vid of minerals associated with gold look like after being exposed to weathering cause them to look differently than how you might expect them to look. I'm thinking of minerals like serpentine, schist, shale. Does that sound like a video you might like to do? Really enjoyed your stories of unexpected places to look for gold! ❤

[@ChrisRalph]

An interesting thought - I will think about that as an idea for a video. But Its not a simple or easy thing. Its not like there are 10 or 12 minerals associated with gold - there are more than 100. and the "minerals" you cited - serpentine, schist, shale - are rocks. There are also dozens of different types of rocks that can be associated with gold. The geology of gold deposits is not a simple or easy thing.

[@PatriceTaylor-u4i]

I don't mean to ask you for a difficult to do video, just think it would be helpful to those of us who are new at prospecting to be able to recognize the most common rocks and minerals associated with gold ( maybe 15 ?) after they've weathered and look very different from those we see in handbooks on the subject. I was thinking of a photo I saw of weathered greenstone that I would never have recognized as such, but now I have a better idea of how it could look. Do these rocks and minerals associated with gold reveal their fresh side if broken open with a hammer, or do they tend to be weathered all the way through? Thanks for your help! I've enjoyed all your videos.

[@iinezlee6534]

Thank You . ❤

[@ChrisRalph]

You're welcome 😊

[@donaldlee6699]

Very appreciated I always receive a lot of knowledge from your videos. The PI metal detectors are in a class of their own? I may have to get a P I machine. Your formal education places you in a different class. Thanks for the video!

[@ChrisRalph]

Thanks for the kind words! Choosing a detector is not a simple question, as there are many factors to consider, including your budget, and the type of detecting you might do. Please watch my video on selecting a detector for yourself. See: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e3eXoHmsiK2VgNE

[@donaldlee6699]

@@ChrisRalph As always I appreciate your advice. Thanks for posting the link. I will watch it later. Thanks!

[@melipeli007]

What metal detector do you recommend?

[@ChrisRalph]

Choosing a detector is not a simple question, as there are many factors to consider, including your budget, and the type of detecting you might do. Please watch my video on selecting a detector for yourself. See: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e3eXoHmsiK2VgNE

[@melipeli007]

@@ChrisRalph I will. Thank you!

[@seancunningham7589]

On rd 68 outside of butte and oroville I found a couple pieces of quartz that had gold on them.. not much but still there

[@ChrisRalph]

It is still there to be found.

[@ronsilva516]

Excellent information. Thanks.👍👍😎

[@ChrisRalph]

Glad it was helpful!

[@JCG0001]

Good stories, good tips.

[@ChrisRalph]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@annettebromley9217]

Ordered your book, arriving tomorrow. I'm going panning.

[@ChrisRalph]

Awesome! Sounds great. Thank you!

[@savagestacker]

Buy the book best book on gold prospecting out there helped me find fistfuls of gold . Going this weekend finally a good weekend without rain

[@ChrisRalph]

Best of luck to you in your prospecting.

[@mikemullenix6956]

You might want to check if your on someone else's claim. You definitely don't want to be claim jumping. Good info, and I got your book Chris !.

[@ChrisRalph]

Always a good thing to remember.

[@DuaneTheOakHirst]

Great video !!!

[@ChrisRalph]

I'm glad you liked it.

[@GOLD_FEVER]

I am kind of in a rut ... I don't have any claims or in depth knowledge about old hydraulic pits or where to find old channels... I am pretty much stuck prospecting on the same river ... the south yuba. I have tried multiple times to head to the american river, and even went as far as the feather river down by paradise! I have NEVER found anything better than the South Yuba... I would LOVE to find those spots you are talking about up in the gullies and the old channels... But i struggle to find ways to access good spots... i can't hike hours through vertical terrain, and if you look at the south yuba river, there are really only about 3 bridges over it... the rest is wild river and NO trails! I want to find good spots ,but i feel like i am very limited by my access points... Any tips?

[@ChrisRalph]

Keep trying. If at first you don't succeed in finding other places, keep trying. Join a prospecting club and get access to their claims.

[@JamesMcGee-mx8ib]

Hello Sir.. I have a question for you.. Have you ever heard of a old ghost town named Campo Seco California? Could you share any thing you know about it please. Thank you. Have a good day. Respectfully Mr. James McGee

[@ChrisRalph]

I am not familiar with Campo Seco.

[@JamesMcGee-mx8ib]

@@ChrisRalph hey man thank you for getting back to me so quick just like you said you would in your video.. 🙂👍 next time I will try asking better questions... I live in Campo Seco.. it's a ghost town.. in between amador & calaveras county.. I have found 2.4 grams in little normally dry creaks.. also some specs in some mine tailings. For the Herculean effort i have invested in this "gold mining" operation of the last 2 months.. I will pretend I have found 2 ounces not 2 grams... I tried hard really hard.. the Golden State is truly still golden.. but I can't go on collecting a dollar or 2$ per 8hrs of unbelievable labor.. I think collecting cans on the side of the road would make more money for the effort... I salute you Good Sir ... 👋🙂 Thank you for your teachings.. they really helped me produce more.. especially the tips on what not to do . My favorite & most useful was to not just mine the first place.. to continue to hunt . Respectfully Mr. James McGee

[@johnclarke1319]

penny wieght , pounds ounces, how to convert to modern measures?I know there are different ounces - several. which one do you use? enjoy your hobby,

[@ChrisRalph]

Gold and silver are always weighed in troy ounces. You can look up all the conversion factors on Google.

[@frankchiuchiolo2345]

What road did you say that was on😅

[@ChrisRalph]

That dirt road - you know the one.

[@PatriceTaylor-u4i]

I was thinking about something a friend told me about a place a friend of his found gold. His friend found gold nuggets in the roots of an old blown down tree in the mountains.

[@ChrisRalph]

Sometimes overturned trees pull up gravel with them when they tip over.

[@PatriceTaylor-u4i]

In the old history reports, in the language of the time, is the term "ground sluicing" used or do they use other words for the same process? I have really enjoyed this presentation!

[@9greatdanes981]

I love your videos. I contradict what you say and where you say it won’t be found. I would love to send you a pic or video of what I found, where geologists say I won’t be able to find it.

[@ChrisRalph]

Ok -

[@richardharrow6397]

Do you need a metal detected that reads gold .how much does it cost for a good one .that will work .do metal detecter detect gold or is there a cheap but good enough to detect gold!?.

[@richardharrow6397]

Can you tell me a good brand of a detecter.

[@ChrisRalph]

Choosing a detector is not a simple question, as there are many factors to consider, including your budget, and the type of detecting you might do. Please watch my video on selecting a detector for yourself. See: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e3eXoHmsiK2VgNE

[@donaldperson948]

Nice gold nuggets! I would make jewelry out of the interesting pieces!

[@ChrisRalph]

For now, I keep them as is, as a trophy of past finds and memory of the fun I had discovering them.

[@leonardatkins6335]

Me and my fiancé are looking to move to a different state. We live in Florida or there's no gold here. I'm a gem hunter and a amateur prospector I always liked minerals and rock hounding. What state do you think would be good for someone like me? I want it as a hobby. I don't expect to get rich off of it. But if that happens that's cool too

[@ChrisRalph]

A lot depends on your and your fiance's lines of work. Arizona, Northern California, and Colorado all offer interesting opportunities. Colorado has more in the way of both gems and gold.

[@leonardatkins6335]

@ChrisRalph when we were thinking about like the carolinas, I know there's gems and gold, but would it be worth it? Or do you think all of that gold has already been mind out? We were thinking about Arizona, but it's hot. Really? Really hot, but I guess it's probably about the same as Florida, and I'm an electrician. She's on disability. She has autism, but she loves animals, so she likes working with animals

[@ChrisRalph]

The problem in the east is not a lack of gold, it is that everything is private property with no trespassing. There are gold and gem deposits, but its all fenced and gated and you can't go there. The west has far more open, federal land to explore. The difference between AZ heat and FL heat is humidity, something that makes a big difference. In AZ, most folks prospect in the months of the year. In Colorado, the gold and gems are in the high country, so they are only prospected in the warm months of the year.

[@leonardatkins6335]

@ChrisRalph so in your opinion for arizona, where is the best place to live, in Arizona, to prospect What city or what town if you, if you know that

[@leonardatkins6335]

I also wanted to live in Nevada, but I'm not sure. Where in Nevada? I could live to prospect for gold in silver. I'm a big silver fan more than gold. For some reason, but I know Nevada is very expensive.

[@navmarroaming2292]

Where do you sell the nuggets?

[@ChrisRalph]

THere are people who buy them. As for me, I don't sell my gold, I keep it in the bank.

[@navmarroaming2292]

@@ChrisRalph ok. Thanks

[@chriswertz1438]

Thank you

[@ChrisRalph]

You are welcome.

[@Goldtoysrock]

beautiful finds

[@ChrisRalph]

Thanks. Glad you like them!

[@michaelgrubb2341]

Do you think the mountains of West Virginia or Virginia would have gold in them?

[@ChrisRalph]

West Virginia has very little gold, but Virginia has some. The largest concentrations of historical gold mines are in Buckingham, Fluvanna, Louisa, Goochland, and Spotsylvania counties. Other abandoned gold mines and prospects are scattered widely in the Blue Ridge and Piedmont provinces. Do some searching for gold deposits of Virginia on Google for more information.

[@matthewstackpole5609]

What is it that California and surrounding states have that the rest of the country doesn't when it comes to finding gold? I used to watch tom massie prospecting out there and it seemed like everywhere he went there was good gold

[@ChrisRalph]

First, a lot of Tom's videos were phoney - staged with gold they brought with them so he was always successful. And I have that from folks who were involved with filming video for GPAA. Yes, you are tight that not all states have an equal amount of gold. Its the mountainous western states with the majoirty of the gold in the US because of the plate techtonics and widespread volcanic actions in the western US.

[@matthewstackpole5609]

@@ChrisRalph you know that was my first thought that it was being planted along with some of the other gold prospecting KZbin channels I have been watching!

[@hamop3]

Metal Detecting rule- 75% of tour time should be on researching, 25% in the actual hunt of it. So if you invest time in researching, it can often lead to a great spot you want to be.

[@ChrisRalph]

Research is certainly very important.

[@retirementOwl]

I live in Miami Beach and have a Garrett detector I use on the beach occasionally for fun and exercise. I am interested to try gold detecting out west for a vacation and my firend is also interested. I'd love to find is someone who would take me out prospecting with them in a good area, provide a good gold detector to use and give a few pointers. A gold detecting private tour is a good description. I do know a guy who does something similar in Rye Patch NV, but you have to buy an expensive detector from him and the area he goes to is fairly well picked over. If you know of anyone who would take me along where ever they may be going for a few days, I'd love to try that. Is this a crazy idea?

[@ChrisRalph]

I don't know anyone who does something like that. Certainly not me. Areas that are not already picked over get picked over fast because gold is so valuable.

[@retirementOwl]

@@ChrisRalph Thanks for the reply!

[@kord530]

I was sniping near a popular swimming hole. Big low pressure zone right there. Found 3 nuggets right there, and one of them was literally resting in about an inch wide crack out of the water sunbathing 😂

[@ChrisRalph]

Nice work! sounds similar to my story.