The 16 to 1 mine is a gold, silver, copper, zinc and lead mine located in the Alleghany mining district in California. It is most famous for producing jewelry quality gold in quartz specimens. Gold was first discovered in the Alleghany region in 1851 by a group of Kanakas sailors who found gold nuggets in […]
California gold mining
Merced River Gold – Historic Mining Location on the River
Merced River Gold Mining The Merced River is an important gold-bearing river in northern California. The river flows through the heart of the Mother Lode, the richest gold regions in California. The river is a tributary of the San Joaquin River. When it comes to gold mining the river is famous for the Yosemite Valley […]
Gold Panning Locations on the Kern River
The Kern River originates in the southern extent of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Of all the major gold producing rivers in the California Mother Lode, the Kern River is the farthest south. Gold was first discovered on the river 1851 at the mouth of Greenhorn Creek, but it was not until mid-1850s than the real […]
Lucky Gold Miners hit it Big in Downieville
San Joaquin River Gold Panning Locations
Being the longest river on the mother lode, the San Joaquin River offers a great opportunity to anyone who wants to escape the bustling of the city and try their luck at finding gold. The river originates from the Sierra Nevada Mountains and flows for 366 miles through the San Joaquin valley before emptying into […]
San Andreas: A California Mining Town with Huge Gold Nuggets
The town of San Andreas California was founded in the winter of 1848 by Mexican miners that discovered gold in rich gravel deposits. The small town was most likely named in honor of Saint Andrew. It was on his day, November 30th of that founding year that the first mass was celebrated in the region. […]
Weaverville, California: Gold Miners Rush to the Trinity Alps
In the foot of the California Trinity Alps lies the historic Gold Rush town of Weaverville, California. The story of Weaverville is like so many other mining towns in California gold country. The town went through its shares of ups and downs, booms and busts, robberies and gangs, settlement and mining activities. In the end, […]
Historic Gold Mining Areas on the Tuolumne River
The Tuolumne River is another important gold-bearing river that flows through the Central Valley. The river originates from the Yosemite National Park and flows for nearly 150 miles to join the San Joaquin River near Modesto. The river is made up of several fast flowing streams and a series of canyons. First Discovery of […]
Early Mining History of Grass Valley, California
The discovery of the wealth buried in the hills and valleys of Grass Valley, California, is said to come from story of one lost cow. A legend has it that a miner discovered the gold in Grass Valley while searching for his lost cow. While searching for his animal, he stubbed his toe, dislodging a […]
3 Old Ghost Towns in California you Must Visit
It’s no surprise that California would have some interesting ghost towns, given the discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill in 1848, and the subsequent gold rush. Let’s take a look at three of the best ghost towns in California. BODIE The western slopes of the Sierra Nevada range began to see a decline […]
A Miner found this 156-Ounce Gold Nugget with his Metal Detector!
Most people who pick up a metal detector first think of coin hunting in the park, or maybe searching around a popular swimming hole for jewelry. Very few people actually use metal detectors to find gold nuggets. It never ceases to amaze me how many people think that all the gold is long gone. They […]
Rich Gold Prospecting Locations on the Stanislaus River
The Stanislaus River is one of the major gold-bearing rivers crisscrossing the Mother Lode in California. The river is the largest tributary of the San Joaquin River. It is roughly 95 miles in length and it is divided in to three forks (the North, Middle and South) with the longest fork being the Middle Fork. […]
Gold Mining Locations on the Mokelumne River
The Mokelumne River originates in central Sierra Nevada and flows for 95-miles through the central valley into the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta. The river is divided into the Lower Mokelumne River (the portion below the Camanche Dam) and the Upper Mokelumne River. The history of placer mining on the great Mokelumne River can be traced […]
Gold Mining Locations on the Cosumnes River
The Cosumnes River is an important gold bearing river traversing through El Dorado and Amador counties in Northern California. The river originates from the western slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and flows for about 50 miles through the Central Valley, before emptying in the Mokelumne River. The river is divided into three major forks; […]
American River: The Start of the California Gold Rush
The discovery of gold on the American river is credited with triggering the first gold rush to in California. The first gold discovery in California was by James Marshall at the Sutter’s Mill on the banks of the South Fork of the American River in 1848. The spread of word of this discovery brought thousands […]