Chris's Prospecting Adventures

Large 7.5 ounce California gold nugget

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Come along with me on some virtual prospecting adventures that I have made into the desert outback of Nevada or the Sierra Nevada Mother Lode Country of California. We'll be looking for gold and sometimes for turquoise or other gems, but its all beautiful country, wild and remote, and well worth exploring. Yep, the gold and gems are still out there waiting to be found and while they are not lying all over the ground for anyone to just come by and pick up, if you will work hard and think about what you are doing, you will likely be rewarded for your efforts. Now I don't take a well-loaded burro with me when I head out into the hills on my adventures, I actually have a GPS system, a camping trailer and a Chevy Suburban - I guess things have changed a lot since the last century. Much of the gold country, however, is just as beautiful as it was for those original pioneers. I do use a small pick and a gold pan, but I also have a dredge, a dry washer and high-tech metal detectors as well. Select a title from one of the articles below, set back and join me out on the trail...... 8 ounces of large Alaska gold nuggets
   

 

 
Dredging and detecting in Sierra City, California

Join me for a virtual trip exploring for gold in a small mother lode town, high up in the beautiful Sierra Nevada range of California. We'll be using both a metal detector and a motorized dredge to find gold nuggets.

Sierra City Prospectng for gold

A Prospectors Adventure to Northern Nevada

The desert outback of northern Nevada has a special and unique beauty that few people ever get to see. A group of us met out on the desert to seek some gold with a metal detector. Come and check out gold amidst the miles and miles of sage brush in our state. 

Dry washing for gold nuggets in Nevada
A Quick trip to Royston, Nevada

Just to show that prospecting for gold isn’t all I do in the field, I thought I’d put together a few pages on trips taken hunting for gemstones as well. Recently, we took a trip to look for turquoise out at the Bunker Hill mine in the Royston Hills area, near Tonopah in the central part of the state. We found some nice gems.
 

Looking for Turquoise at Royston
 

Sierra City Dredging - 2005

I got back from my annual dredging trip to Sierra City in the Mother lode country of California. I had a great time with other prospecting folks and my family even came up to join me for part of the trip. My big find was a quarter ounce nugget that I actually eyeballed while working with my dredge. I put together with a few of my  photos from the trip and did up a little web page.
 

Dredging for Gold In California  
An Alaskan Prospecting Adventure

Alaska..... Its the last frontier. During the summer of 2006, I had the chance to go on the adventure of a lifetime to visit the Moore Creek gold mine in the South West part of Alaska. We were in very remote country, miles from the nearest road, and everything we used while we were there had to be flown in by plane. Big beautiful country, big beautiful gold.

 

Highbanking for Gold in Alaska
Detecting California's Hydraulic Gold Mines

California has had over a thousand hydraulic gold mines over the years, and these old mines offer some serious sites for the electronic prospector armed with a good metal detector. Millions of nuggets were found in these mines and a good number remain. Here is a bit of info on hunting these old gravel mines.

 

California Gold Country

Making Fine Gold Quartz Jewelry

 

Every once in a while my prospecting and jewelry making intersect in a single project. Here is a little pendant that I finished doing up a while ago, a little project I thought both jewelry enthusiasts and prospectors might enjoy......

 

Gold Quartz Jewelry  
 

 

Breaking That Streak of Bum Luck

Every prospector experiences it once in a while - that streak of bum luck where you just cant seem to find a nugget. Others around you may be finding them and you may even be in a great spot, but the results just don't happen. What's a guy to do? Take a look here and see some ideas on how to get back into the gold.

 

 

metal detector trash

Arizona Outback Rich Hill Get Together

For each of the past two years, I have spent a few days attending the annual AZO outing at Rich Hill, Arizona. The outing is free and open to anyone who is interested in learning about prospecting for gold with a metal detector. In the evenings, large campfires are set up in several locations around Decision Corner and there is plenty of gold talk around the campfires at night.

 

Mark Twain's Prospecting Adventures

Young Sam Clemens (later to be known as Mark Twain) came to Nevada and contracted a very bad case of "Gold and Silver Fever". He became a prospector and tromped all over Nevada and California searching for the precious metals. Luckily, he was better at writing than finding gold. Here is a collection of his tales and adventures prospecting in the west almost 150 years ago.

 

 

Great Gold Finds And Discoveries of History

Explorers and Prospectors have sought gold as a source of wealth for centuries. Here are some of the famous stories of great finds and discoveries of gold from the history books, including both old and recent history.

 

 
Return To The Prospecting Encyclopedia Page Return To The Basic Placer Mining Page Return To The Miner's Reference Page Return To The Nevada Outback Home Page

Want to know a little bit more about this crazy prospector guy? Well, here's a little bit more about me, and how I got into prospecting: Chris' Prospecting Story  Here are some interesting photos of beautiful Gold Nuggets
 

Nevada Turquoise, Tanzanite and Tourmaline Jewelry

Nevada Outback Gems

Find out more by checking out all of our links below:
Learn The Basics of Placer Mining for Gold Locations to Prospect for Gold for Free
Build Your Own Gold Mining Equipment Miner's Reference Guide: How its Done
Chris' Adventures Prospecting for Gold, Silver, and more Investing In Gold and Precious Metals
Metal Detecting with the MXT Metal Detector Prospecting In Nevada Prospecting In California
Nevada Outback Library and Bookstore - Learn more! Prospecting In Arizona Prospecting In Alaska
Natural Gold Nugget Photos: Big Nuggets, Crystal Gold Recovering Gold From Black Sand Metal Detecting For Gold Nuggets
The Rockhound's Corner for Gem Hunting Panning for Gold Nuggets Advice on Selling Your Gold
Take a virtual tour of our Nevada Turquoise mines Build Your Own Gold Dredge Dredging for Gold Nuggets
Our Free Colored Gemstone Information Encyclopedia Gold Sluice Box Plans Gold Investment Vehicles
Rare Crystals and Gemstone Rough, including Turquoise Processing Rich Gold Ores Affordable Home Welding
More Info about Turquoise, the Beautiful Gem Nevada Outback Gems Homepage Nevada Outback Gems Site Map