Smoky Quartz Hunting on Rampart Range Rd, First timer looking for assistance Options

[Yurconale]

Hi All,

I'm relatively new to Colorado and am hoping to start exploring new options to dig fun stuff out of the ground. Since I've moved out here I've had some decent luck gold panning and now would like to try and find some smoky quartz along Rampart Range Rd. I've had trouble pinpointing exactly where on the road to dig, would someone be able to confirm if the location linked below is correct?

https://imgur.com/HVczsiN

I've also been told there may be a season where this was allowed that may have ended 9/1 or be ending 10/1. Is that the case or can I go anytime as long as there is no snow on the ground?

Thanks for your help!

[Clay Diggins]

It's not just about where the crystals are found. You will need to study the land status before you stop and dig. There are 9 mining claims and a pretty good chunk of private property along the stretch of road you show on your map. Those areas are off limits to your digging.

Lucky for you this is a good place to learn how to find open areas for prospecting. Look around the forum to learn how to do the research wherever you may want to prospect. It's a skill that will serve you well and the knowledge will keep you out of trouble. In the meantime I'm pretty sure some friendly member here will give you a pointy finger to get you started.

[NewRockHounder]

Fair Warning ; I own 2 claims in that area, if I catch you claim jumping me, I will PRESS CHARGES.

Go to the BLM office in Denver and do some RESEARCH for the area before you just start taking stuff. I'm friends with the owner of the recent opened claim at Topaz Point Picnic Ground. My claims are south of that. I hope you didn't claim jump me/him already. From the looks of yer map, yer damn close to both of us.

My wife n I invite people to our claims to dig with us. Send me a private message if you're interested.



This post has been edited by Denise: Sep 29 2018, 02:16 PM

[Yurconale]

Fair Warning ; I own 2 claims in that area, if I catch you claim jumping me, I will PRESS CHARGES.

Go to the BLM office in Denver and do some RESEARCH for the area before you just start taking stuff. I'm friends with the owner of the recent opened claim at Topaz Point Picnic Ground. My claims are south of that. I hope you didn't claim jump me/him already. From the looks of yer map, yer damn close to both of us.

My wife n I invite people to our claims to dig with us. Send me a private message if you're interested.

Easy there, I haven't claim jumped anyone. I'm just looking for help in determining where along Rampart Range road I can pull off and do a little digging for quartz crystals. My understanding is there are parts that are on public land where I wouldn't run the risk of bumping against a claim. From what I've found online, this area falls between Devils Head Campground and the Topaz Point Picnic Area (my linked picture), is that not the case?

[NewRockHounder]

That is not the case. There's a lot south of Devils Head. More or less - that map you showed is highlighting that new claim at Topaz Point Picnic Ground. There is a lot of public (free) land in the area. Just be careful. There's at least 3, maybe 4 claims around Log Jumper trail head. The ground around the trail head/camping area is all dug, who knows, you may get lucky in an old hole. Just be aware of claim markers. If you go south of Log Jumper, my main claim Endless is at mile marker 12 - it's marked. And my new one, that hasn't been filed yet, but is staked, is a couple miles south of that. But I have a friends claim on my SW corner and someone I don't know to my NW, possibly directly north of my claim. If you park at the pull out at mile marker 12, go east NOT West. There's one claim that I know of to the east but I have yet to see any markers. But it popped up as active on LR2000 (BLM).

There's also a pretty cool spot way south of all of this, it's a quartz rock jetting out of a small hill on the right - if you're going south bound. You can tell people have been digging there, but if you walk just past that (or dig there too) there's an old caved in mine. Keep in mind, I haven't done research lately for this area.. so it may be claimed by now.. or its still open. I found some small terminations and a little bit of amazonite there. Don't be like the rest of the fools n try n dig into the quartz, you need to go under it. And/er around it. Hope this helps.

Worse case scenario; or perhaps best case.. We meet you up there in show you in person some killer areas that are still public and/er dig at Endless Lode Claim.