Prospecting For Gold On The Middle Fork of the American River at Mammoth Bar

[@JasonAlexzander1q47]

So which is the best the north middle or south fork?

[@Silentkloak]

Looks pretty good, ill have to check that area out! I was getting some 2-4mm pickers up river at yankee jims this week.

[@jonathanryan4267]

Ryan Duerlinger According to a range I spoke with at Yankee Jim's, the best gold is a quarter mile (not easy mind you) up Shirttail Creek, but not past "the water fall" which is claimed

[@davekauffmanjr2069]

when i was a kid,my sister and i learned to swim at Mammoth Bar,back then,it was a rough dirt trail,wasnt even a road,you needed a 4x4 to get there,that said,there were two upside down cars,late 40s early 50s that you had to drive over to access the bar.they say that only a 10th of the gold in this area was taken.lots of gold left here.i was born in auburn,and ive only recently seen anything on large dredges on the middle fork,this being the second reference,but this area of the river was at one time flowing through a wooden flume,and the river bed was worked by hand by 100s of men prospecting.

[@jdmcarandmotorcycle]

Kauffman is the man

[@Silentkloak]

Yah Ill hike up that way and have to do some sampling. Let me know if u ever want an extra shovel or anything. This is my first month into the hobbie and could use any tips and tricks. Plus its always nice to do it together. Anyways thanks for the reply. Best of luck and happy hunting.

[@jonathanryan4267]

Ryan Duerlinger Wow, first month and already did the tough drive to Yankee Jim's! The road from Colfax to YJ is better than the road from Forresthill to YJ, if you have an option

[@ramonplascencia7598]

DO YOU NEED A LICENSE TO PROSPECT OR METAL DETECTION ON STATE PARKS?

[@jonathanryan4267]

Sorry, didn't see this one. No, there is no license needed

[@ramonplascencia7598]

Thank you.

[@Erikpdx]

Ramon Plascencia from what I've read, you can't use sluice boxes or even shovels in the state recreational areas. When they say "hands and pans" only, it's literal. County and federal parks/forest have fewer restrictions. check out Bear River Campground in colfax. you'll see people panning at the gravel bar in front of the parking area, or head in either direction (north or south) on the trails for more areas. There's a more secluded group campground about a half mile south with a huge gravel bar. almost every pan had a dozen or more specks in it. good place to run a slice box. the gravels are loaded with flood gold.

[@wadecartwright4277]

You should try the tributaries on the carbon River that's where all the early gold prospectors were after and before the Klondike

[@callmeBe]

Don't get caught doing this! California does not want you to empty the debris from your sluice directly into the water. Also, your sluice should be placed over bedrock (this use to be a WA regulation), as fish do not spawn over bedrock. You'll need a power sluice instead with it's water dumping in an area where it does not run into the river. I am not saying I advocate all this, but this is what the state wants.

[@auassassin787]

CA laws are so ridiculous and over reaching. Finally leaving for AZ in September after spending my life in this outdoor prison we call California. As long as one isn't tearing apart the wilderness and murdering mother nature then I believe the state can shove their cute little laws right on up themselves

[@lincolnthinking]

loved your dream pan ~ (o:

[@01jakefry]

about 130 miles from here there is an old dredge they call it the Sumpter valley dredge and there mounds of tailings for miles

[@spiritawahili260]

Dont tell lies. Those dredges were pathetic at getting the gold. Look at how it operates. Those buckets missed A LOT OF GOLD

[@GOLD_FEVER]

My friend, while you are undoubtedly right that our gold extraction equipment has been massively improved since those times, do you think they would use those methods if there were better ones known to them at getting the gold out?

[@CarlosRodrigues-zn8gh]

That is in the middle of the "hands and pans only "area that comes with confiscation of your equipment and hefty fines if the man catches you and it seems likely since it has a ranger fee collection shack there .

[@ROCKONNORG]

Thought this was a "hands and pans only" area.

[@Silentkloak]

I like to come down 174 or dog bar to colfax from grass valleythen go down one of the roads to the river. I feel like all the roads on the foresthill side of the river are all longer and more of a pain to get out of. I dont like to go into foresthill. Too far, plus im still finding gold closer, no need to go farther.

[@superdave54811]

Resolution too low.

[@jdmcarandmotorcycle]

Lana

[@musclehead57]

RAFTERS DO NOT START AT THIS LOCATION. THEY TAKE THEIR BOATS OUT. THERE IS A RAPID JUST AROUND THE CORNER THAT KILLS PEOPLE. PULL THIS VIDEO AND RE-EDIT IT.

[@auassassin787]

🤣🤣