Free Panning/Sluicing Areas, Colorado Options

[leonard]

When poking around looking for areas, I found this on the County Clerk's website:

http://map.co.clear-creek.co.us/imf/sites/...up_blocked=true

I like it...I like it a lot.
Chris

Screws fall out all the time, the world is an imperfect place. - John Bender

Zoom in around Idaho Springs. What a mess! How you figure out anything is beyond me. It looks like about every square foot was claimed.

Leonard

[swizz]

When poking around looking for areas, I found this on the County Clerk's website:

http://map.co.clear-creek.co.us/imf/sites/...up_blocked=true

Hi blue_heron,
Thanks for posting the map info!
Upon review it is a fair map.... but only in a very general sense. No truly accurate land status information can be derived from it for prospecting purposes.... a visit to the County Recorder or BLM Lakewood Public Records is still required to obtain accurate information such as legal claim border descriptions and actual claim boundary mapping (which is physically paper-filed and kept within public records per each claim). Your linked map gives a good idea for which claim files to request from the County or BLM HQ if researching land status... and that's not such a bad thing. I do not know what your intended personal use for this map is, but just so others here know: you cannot not use this map SOLELY to determine an area open to prospecting, maybe a starting point for further research... but that's about it. Much like geocom (burn in hell rest in peace), it cannot be used as a legal claim boundary reference or land status tool due to the (clearly stated) inaccuracies and other factors as defined below (red) in this Official Warning from their site (not just a 'disclaimer', but actual "warning"):
... and folks, this is the primary reason (as stated by BLM) that geocom was an epic fail in the mining realm

WARNING ABOUT ACCURACY

This map is a visual representation only. This map IS NOT SURVEY ACCURATE. In particular, lot or parcel corners and boundaries are representational only, errors in registration alone can be quite large and variable, and their locations on the ground can only be determined by survey. All data layers that appear on this map are subject to being inaccurate, out-of-date or otherwise unreliable. The information on this web site and pages within is not intended to provide specific information which can be used for legal, construction, survey, or real estate transaction purposes and should not be relied upon for any such uses.
DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY

THIS WEBSITE AND ALL OF THE INFORMATION IT CONTAINS ARE PROVIDED AS IS WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT, ARE HEREBY EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMED.

[CP]

Yep that disclaimer says it all and is what I was going to point out too.
Well put Swizz.

[sunspirit]

It looks like the best thing about that map is that it points out the areas to avoid. Some of those areas look like claim stacked on top of claim. Sheesh, who could sort it out?
Change of subject: While working Clear Creek this winter (to keep my hand in) I found some very interesting rocks. Being a rockhound, I always keep an eye out for cuttable stone in the classifing screens. Some that I have found seem to have small veins or wires of gold in them. At first I thought these to be an anomally, but after I realized what to look for, they seem to be pretty common. Has anyone found anything like this? (I will try to post a picture, if I can get one, but I am a computer moron so no promises)
The stone is brown to beige (aren't they all) fine textured and seem to be more dense than most. Some also have included crystals of a lighter color. Porphry (sp?) maybe? My geologist brother said if I could get a pickup load of the stuff it might be worth going for extraction.
Can anyone shed some light? (or should I just keep picking 'em out until I have that pickup load)

[Kev2008]

Good Info !!!! Thanks a million !!!

[Arbo]

On my way back from Denver for work, I managed to finally stop by Cache Creek. Interesting area. Did a bit of sampling and found a spot with color so filled a few buckets with dirt to run at home. But I have a question about the place. I noticed in some spots you get down to layers of basically a white/grey dirt. Is there gold in that layer? Or below it? Not familiar with that area so I figured I'd ask those that have been there before.

[Butch B]

Rich, PM me sometime if you want to go hit Clear Creek. I've always found color, though not in every pan, every time I've gone. If the Open Space area is where I think it is, I know a few decent places to hit.

If you guys are still going to Clear Creek I would like to go with yall some time.

[Coalbunny]

If you guys are still going to Clear Creek I would like to go with yall some time.

Sorry I'm a few months late on a reply....
...the likelihood I'll be in that area in the next few months isn't pretty. Maybe in the next 12-18 months as I'm now in Utah.

But I'm more than happy to help, be it via phone, internet or in person.

[placer]

i have been looking for somewhere around the twin lakes area to sluice/pan. I have been looking in the forums and I have not found anything in this area. Does anybody know of an area around the twin lakes area to run a sluice? I would figure the higher the elevation of the creek, stream the better it would be for color

[OklaPony]

i have been looking for somewhere around the twin lakes area to sluice/pan. I have been looking in the forums and I have not found anything in this area. Does anybody know of an area around the twin lakes area to run a sluice? I would figure the higher the elevation of the creek, stream the better it would be for color

While not free there's a fellow with a pay to dig site right at the intersection of 24 and the road to Twin Lakes / Independence Pass. I've never worked there but have seen people there on several occasions and have also seen positive trip reports from there over the years.

[CP]

An update concerning the "Free Panning and Sluicing Areas".........
We do not include any city parks or open space east (downstream) of Jefferson county's open space for the "Free Panning and Sluicing areas" intentionally. That's from Golden's western city limit and on downstream.
I know alot of folks like to use the city parks along Clear creek as well as the South Platte but those are not what we view here as the typical areas we should list for folks to go prospect. Those metro area parks have absolutely nothing to do with anyones "right to prospect" in the field which is what we educate about here.

Jefferson county's open space is listed even though it's a privately held "park", it is a much larger expanse with allowed free activities anyways.......more ground, better gold and not far from any of the metro. Nothing east (downstream) of tunnel #1 on Clear creek was included

This thread also does not/should not include any pay to dig sites for the general publics references to find "free panning and sluicing".

As far as those city parks go along Clear creek or the South Platte river, there is also a warning that folks should see as well.....
BUYER BEWARE! ILLEGAL REC GUIDE SERVICES

Have fun out there folks, know where you stand and you'll be successful!!

[Rockyrat]

I know that this thread is a little out of date so I will add something to it.

In late June of 2013 I stayed at the Hand Hotel in Fairplay. It is directly above the river/pond area where you go panning. When I was there they were about to close off the beach area for a major remodel of the parking area. I have not been able to find any pictures of how it looks today, but I believe that the images you can see on Google/Google Earth are before it was remodeled. I remember that there was talk of doing some dredging in the pond so it's possible that they have dug up and redeposited some of the previously submerged tailings from the 1800's.

There were people there that were working on the old tailings piles. In fact there were some large holes in the piles. That tells me that either someone was trying to make a grave, or they were finding gold in that spot.

Maybe someone else has some more current information on that area.

The permit was still only $5.

[Coalbunny]

Actually, that has changed yet again.

Fairplay is now $5 per week or $35 per year. The fee schedule can be found at http://www.fairplayco.us/docsforms/FeeSchedule08042014.pdf

Application can be found at http://www.fairplayco.us/docsforms/GoldPanningPermit2014.pdf

Word of mouth has it this will again change in 2015.

Man, all these changes in the permits, it's almost like they think there's gold in them gravels....

[Woody]

I used to go there quite often about 15/20 years ago. Found some good stuff. If it is as good as it was back then, I'd highly recommend it, especially for a
beginner.

Just a little ways up the creek from that spot, there used to be a Gravel-pit mining operation. They had a process set-up that would capture the gold as they
washed the gravel. At the time it was ran by a feller named George. I talked with George from time to time. He used to let me pan down by the creek. I gave
him an Arrowhead I made from obsidian as a token of thanks. Last time I talked with him ol' George he was doing pretty rough. I heard his sister took over the
operation and things went sour between them. George was a tuff 'ol boot. A reminder of prospectors from days gone by.
Thanks George, wherever you may be, Woody.

[Coalbunny]

i have been looking for somewhere around the twin lakes area to sluice/pan. I have been looking in the forums and I have not found anything in this area. Does anybody know of an area around the twin lakes area to run a sluice? I would figure the higher the elevation of the creek, stream the better it would be for color

I have panned there, and I forget the fellas name. Fairly nice guy, has some sweet gravels you can work.
Last I recall it's about $5 per day, but that was a few years back, and only for panning. Anything else costs more and has different restrictions.
But watch out for the mosquitoes. You'll need a German 88mm for those.