Since the days of the California Gold Rush in 1849, persons intent on mining, prospecting and panning have flocked to California to hunt for gold. They use gold pans, sluice boxes, metal detectors, dredges and dry washers in their prospecting efforts. Rockhounding is done in the gold producing areas.

A simple gold pan is effective in detecting and recovering gold from a streambed. Recreational gold panning is a popular hobby in California and is enjoyed by California natives and visitors, alike. If you want to find some gold and have fun doing it, gold panning will suffice and will provide many happy hours of outdoor activity for you and your family.

Inexpensive light weight sluice boxes are often used in flowing streams to increase the amount of material being washed for gold. Metal detecting is done to detect nuggets in streambeds, dry washes and arid areas.  Dry washers are also used to recover gold in arid areas. 

The great California Gold Rush in 1849 was of such importance, and has received so much publicity, that many people are not aware that the California Gold Rush was preceded by gold rushes in the Southeastern States. Nor are they aware that much gold mining was done to the south in what is now Southern California long before the discovery at Sutter's mill that set off the 1849 gold rush.

The first documented discovery of gold in the United States was in North Carolina in 1799 and gold mining started there in 1803. A major gold rush took place in Georgia in 1828 and a lesser rush occurred in Alabama in the 1830's. Most of the gold mining districts in the West were located by pioneers, many of whom were experienced gold miners from Alabama and Georgia. 

Gold mining, prospecting and panning locations in California extend from the Mexican border to the Oregon state line and eastward to the Arizona and Nevada state lines. Both Northern and Southern California provide ample prospecting and panning locations where you may find gold.

Knowledge of places where gold has been found in the past is useful in searching for more gold. Big Ten's six California Gold Prospecting and Panning Maps show those locations.

Prior work by geologists of the U.S. Bureau of Mines, the U.S. Geological Survey and the California Division of Mines and Geology is acknowledged. Of special mention is the prior work of William B. Clark and Ralph Loyd of the California Division of Mines and Geology and that of Waldemar P. Lindgren of the U.S. Geological Survey. The excellent California Division of Mines and Geology Bulletin 193, by William B. Clark, was drawn upon for details of specific gold districts throughout the state and for text regarding the Klamath Mountains region of Northern California.  Lindgren's work published in the year 1911 as regards the ancient Tertiary Rivers is considered a classic.

Note: The above paragraphs are common to each of the six (6) California gold regions. If you should read about gold mining, prospecting and panning in the other California gold regions, just scroll down to the point in the text where the particular region is discussed and continue on from there. The numbers of the California Gold Prospecting and Panning Maps correspond to the numbers of the California gold regions.

Ballarat, Baker, Blythe, Chloride City, Cima, Death Valley, Desert Center, Desert City, Eagle Mountain, Glamis, Grommet, Halloran Springs, Harrisburg, Inca, Kelso, Midland, Midway, Mountain Pass, Needles, Niland, Nipton, Ogilby, Parker, Parker Dam, Picacho, Ripley, Shoshone, Tecopa, Valley Wells, Vibal, Wheaton Springs, (and Yuma, AZ)

It shows four hundred five (405) gold mines and gold prospecting and panning locations from official geological records of the State of California and the federal government. Locations for finding gold are shown within 15 miles of each of the above listed places. These gold deposit locations, which show where gold has been found in the past, are clearly marked. Christmas gift.

The map is done in color. The margin of the map has text that tells where to look for gold in a streambed, how to tell "fools gold" from real gold and gives step-by-step gold panning instructions. You can quickly learn to pan by following the instructions on the map.

GOLD MINES AND GOLD PROSPECTING IN CALIFORNIA GOLD REGION 1

California Gold Region 1 embraces the eastern area of Southern California from Death Valley to the Mexican Border. Some of the mountain ranges in California Gold Region 1 are Nopah, Big Maria, Cargo Muchacho, Chocolate, Chuckwalla, Providence, Funeral, Inyo and Whipple.

There are gold prospecting and gold mining sites in California Gold Region 1 within fifty miles of Las Vegas along Interstate 15. Gold mining and prospecting locations are shown  west of Needles near Interstate 40, west of Blythe near Interstate 10 and along the California side of the Colorado River north of Interstate 8 just a few miles from Yuma, Arizona. 

A California Division of Mines and Geology document mentions that mining was done by Spaniards as early as 1780-81 in the Cargo Muchacho Gold District, about 15 miles northwest of Yuma, Arizona.  Later, mining was resumed under Mexican rule. This is believed to be the first gold mined in what is now the State of California.

The Cargo Muchacho Gold District received it's name of Cargo Muchacho, or Loaded Boy, when two young Mexican boys came into camp one evening with their shirts loaded with gold. American gold miners became interested in this district after the end of the Mexican War in 1848. Large scale gold mining was done there to depths of 1,000 feet. 

The Potholes and Picacho gold mining districts also lie in the southeastern part of Imperial County, about 50 miles east of El Centro and 20 miles north of Yuma. Small scale gold mining began in the Potholes Gold District when California was under Spanish rule. The district was named Potholes because the gold was found in small depressions or pots. As many as 500 Mexicans and Indians could be seen working the dry washes. It is probable  that the Spanish mined the Picacho Gold District as early as 1780. Gold has also been mined in the Chocolate Mountains in Imperial County, notably northeast of Glamis.

The Chuckwalla Gold District, in the Chuckwalla Mountains of Southeastern Riverside County , was organized in the 1880's and gold mining continued through the early 1900's. There is a considerable number of gold mines and gold prospects in this area.

Gold prospecting and mining has been done in the Clark Mountain Range in San Bernardino County since the early 1880's, and since at least 1882 in the Ivanpah Gold  District, both of which are just off of Interstate 15 and about 35 miles northeast of Baker. Many gold deposits have been discovered through the years both east and west of Death Valley National Monument in Inyo County.

COMMENTS ON GOLD PROSPECTING IN CALIFORNIA GOLD REGION 1

The eastern area of Southern California is dry and hot (like Arizona). Modern-day gold prospectors hunt for gold with metal detectors during the cooler seasons. They use their metal detectors to scan placers for gold nuggets in the dry washes and the tailings from earlier gold mining operations. Dry washers are used to recover fine gold and nuggets.

The hundreds of dry washes originating in, and coming down from, the mountain ranges, as shown on California Gold Prospecting and Panning Map 1, offer opportunities to find more gold. 

Gold prospectors from Arizona, Nevada, and other states go into California to prospect throughout the Southern California Gold Regions 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Southern California gold mines and prospecting and panning sites continue on adjoining California Gold Prospecting and Panning Maps 2, 3 and 4.

The economical and popular set of Southern California Gold Prospecting and Panning Maps includes Maps 1, 2, 3 and 4.

To request gold prospecting and panning maps, please go to "REQUESTING GOLD MAPS", below.