THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RIVER: There is a lot to be said for bringing a small boat or rubber raft along if one is available to you. To a large extent, the far side of the Klamath and Salmon Rivers have yet to be prospected and mined by our members. Some of the best finds these days from motorized sluicing, vacuum-mining and panning are coming from the far side of the river.
Nov 232011
MINING PROPERTIES IN OTHER AREAS: The New 49’ers also have access to several quarter-section-sized mineral properties near Quartzite, Arizona. Using Happy Camp as a model, we are opening up property in Quartzite to create prospecting opportunities for our members during the winter months.
As we are uncertain how long the moratorium on suction dredging will last in California, we are also supporting suction dredging along 40 miles of the Rogue River in Southern Oregon and on substantial portions of the South Umpqua River.
Most available gold properties are standard, non-patented, mining claims, but we do lease some private property mining areas. Some of the gold properties we use are owned by the Club or its Board of Directors. Some of them are leased. Some are located on State lands.
“…This information will help you a great deal when working on our mining properties.”
The New 49’ers provide access to approximately 60 linear miles of gold-bearing mining properties. Most of this gold-rich property is located on the beautiful and scenic Klamath, Salmon and Scott Rivers, and their crystal-clear creek tributaries, near ,Happy Camp, California in the pacific northwestern section of the United States. We also have gold properties in Arizona. New 49’er management is responsive to members’ suggestions and needs. Because of our expansion, we have the resources to increase the number of mining properties as our membership grows.
GPS Coordinates for Individual Properties
PROPERTIES LOCATED NEAR HAPPY CAMP, CALIFORNIA: We now have access to 60 miles of gold properties near our Happy Camp facility. Approximately half of this region’s property is located on the Klamath, Salmon and Scott Rivers (in northern California near the Oregon border). About half is on the creek and tributaries to these rivers, not far from the small, but friendly, full-service town of Happy Camp.
Siskiyou County, where our Happy Camp headquarters is located, is one of the highest gold-producing counties in California’s golden history. However, because this area is several hundred miles away from the famous, but congested, Mother Lode area or any large cities, it has not been heavily worked by modern gold mining activity. The opportunity for successful prospecting is excellent.
During the past twenty summer mining seasons, literally hundreds of thousands of dollars in gold-value has been recovered by small-scale gold prospectors (mostly New 49’er members) from the Happy Camp vicinity. New gold strikes are being made on a continuous basis. Because of our abundant property reserves, the surface has barely been scratched. Most of these available mineral properties have yet to be seriously tested or mined by our members, and we are adding more proven mining properties on a routine basis. Our policy provides for growth: It is better to have more than enough mining properties and have them set aside for the future of our members!
Getting to Happy Camp is a bit of a drive for some people, but we feel it is far better for members to spend a few extra hours on the road to get to a proven gold-producing area, rather than to spend an entire vacation prospecting somewhere else and not recover any gold!
TYPES OF MINING PROPERTY: We have access to miles of beautiful creek property on the forks of Elk Creek, Indian Creek, Thompson Creek, the Scott River and the Main Stem & North Fork of the Salmon Rivers –all proven in their gold production. Depending upon the property location, water depth can be inches deep to five feet deep or more. Streambed material depth can be the same. There are some areas with a great deal of gold-catching bedrock showing. Gold deposits in creeks and small rivers tend to be more spotty and inconsistent than deposits along the Klamath River. Also, creeks and some areas of small rivers tend to yield more gold in the boulders. Creek prospectors should come prepared with boulder-moving equipment.
Along the miles upon miles of Klamath River properties, water depth can be from inches deep to 15 feet or more in some locations. Streambed material depth can be the same. We have an enormous amount of property available on the Klamath for all different types and sizes of operations.
While the Klamath is a fair-sized waterway, members and guests have found an abundance of mining areas suited for panning, mossing, sluicing (with and without motorized pumps), dry-washing, electronic prospecting and other types gold prospecting activity.
MINING & DREDGING SEASONS IN CALIFORNIA: The State of California recently passed a law which has placed a statewide moratorium on suction dredging in California until the Department of Fish & Game (DFG) completes an updated Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and completes several other requirements.
Just in case you do not know, this new law only stops suction dredging within 100 yards of California’s active waterways. It does not have anything to do with the other types of prospecting or mining that we do in California. Unaffected prospecting activities include panning, sniping & vack-mining, sluicing & high-banking, electronic prospecting and other types of prospecting that do not use a suction system to excavate material from the bottom of an active stream, river or creek. It also does not affect our group weekend projects.
There are no seasons imposed upon these other types of mining activity. In other words, you can do them at any time of the year.
Please be advised that these other types of mining activity along New 49′er properties are subject to our set of Surface Mining Operational Guidelines.
ACCESSIBILITY: Most of the gold properties available to our members are near roads which parallel them, and are reasonably accessible. Under most conditions, 4-wheel drive vehicles are not needed. However, some people do like to get off by themselves, and we have plenty of property which will fulfill their needs for solitude and serenity.
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RIVER: There is a lot to be said for bringing a small boat or rubber raft along if one is available to you. To a large extent, the far side of the Klamath and Salmon Rivers have yet to be prospected and mined by our members. Some of the best finds these days from motorized sluicing, vacuum-mining and panning are coming from the far side of the river.
GUARANTEES: The Klamath and Salmon Rivers are very proven gold-bearing rivers. We recommend all beginning dredgers start on the Klamath, rather than on the creeks or smaller rivers. The Klamath’s consistent gold reserves guarantee that everyone is going to recover some gold if you get out and give it even the smallest amount of effort. We also recommend that above-water prospectors begin along our properties on the Main Stem & North Fork of the Salmon Rivers. Both sides of the Salmon are very consistent in gold both in the exposed moss and the surface gravels.
While some of our more experienced prospectors have done well on the creeks, and the creeks provide fantastic potential, people consistently do so well on the Klamath (dredging) and Salmon (mining alongside the river) that we find most of our members and guests end up prospecting on these rivers instead of the creeks.
Experience has shown that the key to successful gold prospecting is in learning how to prospect for acceptable gold deposits.
HOW SOME MEMBERS HAVE DONE: Prospecting operations on our gold properties usually fall into three general categories: Small-scale, intermediate-scale, and large-scale.
It is very common for our smallest-scale members to recover a pennyweight (1/20th of an ounce) or two of gold per day in their small dredging or shoveling activities. Some of our relatively new members have panned or shoveled as much as an ounce per week along our gold properties.
Our more experienced, intermediate-scale members can and do recover 1/4 ounce per day on a regular basis. Some of our individual members using sluices (using motorized pumps to provide water up on the stream bank) were averaging 1/4 ounce per day during a past season–even though one or two pennyweight per day is more common.
Not everyone recovers this much gold, but many of those who apply themselves to learning prospecting techniques have done this well and better.
Some of our more serious intermediate dredging members have averaged well over an ounce of gold per day at times. And some of our most serious, larger-scale dredgers (8-inch and 10-inch suction dredges along the Klamath River) have averaged in the multiple ounces per day range. Again, they prospected around to find higher-grade gold deposits.
It is common for people to ask us for average gold value figures contained within the gravels along the gold properties available to members. Placer gold deposits are not consistent enough to place an average figure on 60 linear miles of area! Some areas are great; some areas are poor; and some areas are in-between. How much gold you can expect to recover largely depends upon your level of ability and prospecting experience, size of equipment, how much work you are prepared to do–and partly on your luck. However, we feel a prospector largely creates luck by energetically undertaking proper sampling techniques. We can guarantee you are going to recover gold on the Klamath and Salmon Rivers. How much you recover depends entirely upon your approach.
We have had a fair number of members start from scratch and evolve their activity into lucrative small-scale, commercial mining operations. We have many success stories of this kind, and some members have done exceptionally well!
Since gold prospecting, like any other activity, has a learning curve, you need to study how to do it and get some experience under your belt to be continually successful. The New 49’ers have an ongoing program, which consists of organized group mining projects where we actually go out and do it, to help you with this. Generally, you can expect to do as well as you apply yourself to the available opportunities.
Just about all of our members agree that they have done better along our gold properties than elsewhere, and agree that there are no better gold opportunities available anywhere.
MINING PROPERTIES IN OTHER AREAS: The New 49’ers also have access to several quarter-section-sized mineral properties near Quartzite, Arizona. Using Happy Camp as a model, we are opening up property in Quartzite to create prospecting opportunities for our members during the winter months.
Most available gold properties are standard, non-patented, mining claims, but we do lease some private property mining areas. Some of the gold properties we use are owned by the Club or its Board of Directors. Some of them are leased. Some are located on State lands.
MAPS: We have detailed maps showing the location of all existing mining properties. Maps of newly-acquired properties are produced periodically as new areas are procured. The latest information about property acquisitions and other news can always be found on our website in the latest newsletters
MEMBERSHIP TRADES: We do on occasion accept quality mining claims in trade for fully-paid membership to The New 49’ers. Typically, these claims need to be in the same general areas where we are already established. They must be proven gold producers. Such trades are usually worked out on a trial basis, giving our members a chance to experience the gold potential before the trade becomes final.
“Here are the GPS Coordinates for our mining properties…”
To view the content from the coordinates links below you will need to have Google Earth installed on your home computer. Download Google Earth
Clicking on the individual claim number links will take you to the full description page for each claim.
Upper Klamath River:
UK-3: 41 52’15.4″N 122 33’32.8″W
UK-3A: 41 52’43.0″N 122 33’18.0″W
UK-4: 41 49’45.0″N 122 36’16.5″W
Main Klamath River:
K-1: 41 50’44.1″N 122 40’59.6″W
K-2: 41 51’23.0″N 122 42’8.4″W
K-2A: 41 51’31.3″N 122 45’1.5″W
K-3: 41 51’50.8″N 122 47’22.2″W
K-4: 41 50’9.7″N 122 56’35.4″W
K-5: 41 49’51.5″N 122 57’25.9″W
K-6A: 41 49’16.3″N 123 0’35.9″W
K-8: 41 47’15.8″N 123 4’46.1″W
K-10: 41 48’36.0″N 123 6’56.3″W
K-11: 41 49’5.1″N 123 7’51.1″W
K-12: 41 50’10.5″N 123 10’31.3″W
K-13: 41 51’8.6″N 123 13’49.1″W
K-15A: 41 51’49.1″N 123 16’6.1″W
K-15: 41 52’7.6″N 123 17’6.3″W
K-16: 41 51’36.6″N 123 18’33.3″W
K-17: 41 49’14.6″N 123 18’8.1″W
K-17A: 41°47’54.21″N 123°19’4.95″W
K-18: 41 46’52.0″N 123 19’44.2″W
K-19: 41 46’10.3″N 123 20’18.2″W
K-19A: 41 47’30.4″N 123 20’48.0W
K-20: 41 48’30.00″N 123 20’58.3″W
K-21: 41 47’33.5″N 123 22’2.0″W
K-22: 41 44’42.4″N 123 24’5.1″W
K-23: 41 43’47.46″N 123 26’30.15″W
K-23A: 41 42’54.9″N 123 26’44.5″W
K-24: 41 39’45.1″N 123 27’0.2″W
K-24A: 41°39’9.72″N 123°27’38.75″W
K-25: 41 38’17.2″N 123 27’55.4″W
K-25AA 41°37’2.59″N 123°28’59.66″W
K-25A: 41 36’46.6″N 123 29’49.3″W
K-25AB 41°36’7.79″N 123°30’31.16″W
K-25B: 41 35’39.9″N 123 30’40.2″W
K-26: 41°34’51.01″N, 123°32’8.76″W
Main Stem, Salmon River:
SA-5: 41 17’5.2″N 123 21’36.7″W
North Fork, Salmon River:
SAN-1: 41 15’37.1″N 123 19’10.4″W
SAN-2: 41 16’42.9″N 123 16’1.1″W
SAN-3A: 41 18’56.6″N 123 11’0.7″W
SAN-4: 41 19’5.8″N 123 10’17.5″W
SAN-6: 41 17’57.2″N 123 4’59.2″W
Scott River:
S-1: 41 43’56.0″N 123 0’30.9″W
S-2: 41 46’24.5″N 123 1’38.5″W
S-3: 41 45’10.7″N 123 0’35.0″W
Indian Creek:
I-1A: 41 51’47.9″N 123 24’10.0″W
I-1: 41 53’37.1″N 123 26’4.5″W
I-2: 41 54’37.5″N 123 26’59.6″W
I-2A: 41 54’59.10″N 123 27’59.10″W
I-3: 41 55’54.6″N 123 28’28.7″W
I-4: 41 52’32.1″N 123 26’20.2″W
Elk Creek:
E-1: 41 46’26.2″N 123 22’39.1″W (at top of road access)
E-2: 41 44’31.4″N 123 21’3.2″W
E-3: 41 44’41.4″N 123 21’21.8″W
E-4: 41 41’27.8″N 123 21’17.3″W
E-5: 41 39’30.1″N 123 19’5.2″W
Thompson Creek:
Nov 232011
MAPS: We have detailed maps showing the location of all existing mining properties. Maps of newly-acquired properties are produced periodically as new areas are procured. The latest information about property acquisitions and other news can always be found on our website in the latest newsletters
Nov 232011
GUARANTEES: The Klamath and Salmon Rivers are very proven gold-bearing rivers. We recommend all beginning dredgers start on the Klamath, rather than on the creeks or smaller rivers. The Klamath’s consistent gold reserves guarantee that everyone is going to recover some gold if you get out and give it even the smallest amount of effort. We also recommend that above-water prospectors begin along our properties on the Main Stem & North Fork of the Salmon Rivers. Both sides of the Salmon are very consistent in gold both in the exposed moss and the surface gravels.
While some of our more experienced prospectors have done well on the creeks, and the creeks provide fantastic potential, people consistently do so well on the Klamath (dredging) and Salmon (mining alongside the river) that we find most of our members and guests end up prospecting on these rivers instead of the creeks.
Experience has shown that the key to successful gold prospecting is in learning how to prospect for acceptable gold deposits.
“Here follow the mining properties available to our members on the upper Klamath River upstream from where Interstate 5 crosses the river.”
These claims are situated a distance upstream from where Interstate 5 crosses the Klamath River. There are basically two ways to gain access to the claims: One is by exiting Interstate 5 at exit #786, which is where the Colliers Rest Stop is located, and where Interstate 5 crosses the Klamath River. The other is to exit Interstate 5 at exit #789, which is the next I-5 exit to the north. From there, you can drive east several miles and connect with Klamathon Road.
Klamathon Road is a dirt road that follows along the Klamath River, starting where Interstate 5 crosses the Klamath River at exit #786 (There is no sign there calling it “Klamathon Road” at the lower end), and ending at Ager Road around 6 miles upriver. Access to the Club’s UK claims will almost entirely be accomplished from Klamathon Road. The Klamathon Road is almost entirely unpaved, and there are some narrow places towards the lower end. Four-wheel drives are not necessary.
There are some places to park and camp along these UK properties, but please be careful to not block or inhibit traffic along the Klamathon Road or pre-established river access routes. For the future of our activity, it is important to be considerate of others who are actively using the road and river in this area!!
Dave’s Personal Guarantee
We have over 60 miles of mining properties in northern California for you to prospect and mine.
If you can’t find the gold you are looking for on our properties, let me know and I’ll help you find it!”
— Dave McCracken
Author: “Gold Mining in the 21st Century”
Dave McCracken
General Manager
The New 49’ers Prospecting Organization, Inc.
P.O. Box 47, 27 Davis Road, Happy Camp, California 96039
Contact us for more information at (530) 493-2012.
Important note concerning Mining & Dredging Seasons on this Property
Google Earth Coordinates: 41 52’37.11″N 123 19’16.44″W
To view the content from the link above you will need to have Google Earth installed on your home computer. Download Google Earth
T-1 LOWER THOMPSON CREEK CLAIMS – are located on Thompson Creek, which is 10.9 miles upriver from Happy Camp. The creek is marked with a sign on the Highway 96 Bridge which crosses the creek. Since there is private property at the lower end of the creek (Thompson Creek Lodge), our claims must be accessed by a Forest Service road (road #18N01) which is located 3/10 of a mile towards Happy Camp on Highway 96 from Thompson Creek. Since our claims take in miles of the lower end of the creek, there are several points of access. Approximately 1.6 miles up the #18N02 access road, it splits three ways. Taking the right-hand road (may need some brushing) will lead you to the lower-end of our claims. The middle road will take you to the upper end of T-1. This road is not maintained anymore. So we suggest you check it out before driving an RV or pulling a trailer on this road. ATV’s might be a big help to gain access on this creek. To access the lower end of T-1, take the right-hand split in the road. The road will lead you to a small bridge that crosses Thompson Creek 1.3 miles from the split. Just before the bridge, you can take a right turn into a camping area and creek access. The lower creek boundary is a long way down the creek from there. There is another old creek access road that you will pass on the way in, but it will likely need some brushing to make it passable. You can also take a left turn just before the small bridge that will take you onto a 4WD very primitive road, which splits left and right, just after crossing a small feeder creek. All of these primitive roads are overgrown with brush and may require some work before use. They lead to creek access points further up and downstream. There is limited camping space in both areas. We highly suggest you look, before driving into these areas. There is another lower creek access and camping area which can be reached by crossing over the small bridge and taking an immediate left up another primitive road. We suggest you look before driving in. To reach the upper access area of T-1, rather than take the right split in the road (1.6 miles up #18N01 from Highway 96) which leads you to the small bridge, you would take the center option in the road and follow it 4 miles from the split. The right-hand turn follows an overgrown and primitive road which leads to a parcel of private property. The private property is the upper boundary of T-1. Watch for the appropriate posted signs. There is limited camping at the bottom. The bottom of the road is just upstream from the upper boundary of T-1.
PROSPECTS: Thompson Creek has good gold, and much of it is big and slabby. One old-timer (named Briggs) found a pocket of gold up Thompson Creek that was so rich, he was able to retire. His gold was found in slabs-which is typical of Thompson Creek gold. Members have found gold all along T-1, wherever they have dredged. Some do better along the edges, and some find it in the center of the creek. The gold seems to be associated with boulders and bedrock. The gold is spotty-meaning that in some places you find none, and in other places you find plenty. Because access is not easy on most of T-1, member dredging has been limited to the direct access areas. We had several members doing well mining out of the creek in a gravel bar below the lowest campground. They were finding fine gold and flakes in the streambed gravels. Overall, the prospects look excellent. If you are dredging, you must reach bedrock, most often in the boulders, in order to do well. Some areas have bedrock exposed or within a foot or two. Here is a nugget which one of our members recently located with a metal detector. Other areas have several feet, or up to 8 or 9 feet of gravel and material over top of bedrock.
Click on thumbnail for larger image.
Upper Topo
Lower Topo
Upper 3D Down
Lower 3D Down
Upper 3D Up
Lower 3D Up
Satellite
Upper Aerial
Lower Aerial
“The following mining property is available to our members on the main stem of the Salmon River.”
Important note concerning Mining & Dredging Seasons on this Property
The Salmon River road is located about 37 miles south on Hwy 96 (down river along the Klamath) from the town of Happy Camp. Hwy 96 is a good road, and the drive takes about an hour. The junction is on the left, just past the Somes Bar store, before crossing the Salmon River.
The small town of Orleans can be reached by continuing south on Hwy 96 for another 6 or 7 miles. Orleans has two gas stations (propane & diesel also available), a fairly large grocery store & deli, a restaurant, hardware & auto parts store, laundry mat, several RV parks with full hookups, a motel and other support services. A listing of accommodations with addresses and phone numbers is available from our Club headquarters in Happy Camp.
The Forest Service (USFS) Oak Bottom Campground is on the left as you drive 2.2 miles up the Salmon River road. Oak Bottom is a nice, quiet place to stay. There are individual sites there with BBQ pits (that do not require a campfire permit), picnic tables, running water and large restrooms. The fee in the USFS developed campground is $10/night. But there is a 50% discount if you have a Golden Age or USFS Access Passport. These are available at any USFS office (including Orleans or Happy Camp).
The USFS has agreed to allow our members free potable drinking water (as much as you want) out of their Oak Bottom USFS fee campground. There are at least 10 water faucets in the campground. The ones near the toilets allow for a garden hose hookup. Bring a garden hose if you will need it to fill your containers or RV.
The Salmon River road reduces down to (Salmon River Road 14 feet wide at its narrowest) one lane in places beyond Butler Flat, which is around 9 miles up the Salmon River road. We advise members to take a look with a car first, before driving beyond Butler Flat with a motor home or pulling a trailer. Logging trucks and other heavy trucks routinely traverse the road, so it is being done. There is a very nice USFS fee-campground further up the road at Nordheimer Flat (13.2 miles up the Salmon River road).
Perhaps the most important thing we have discovered about the Main Stem of the Salmon River is that the banks carry substantial amounts of gold which is easy to recover with hand tools and gold pans.
