Location: Oregon

Discussion: Any rivers near portland Oregon worth panning for gold in?Reported This is a featured thread

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outyonder
outyonder
Any rivers near portland Oregon worth panning for gold in?
Jan 1 2008, 8:45 PM EST | Post edited: Jan 1 2008, 8:45 PM EST
I am new to panning gold but have passionate interest in it. I have heard that Quartsville has old claims but probably not much left. I am looking for some out of the way creeks or other secluded spots. Any suggestions?

 2  out of 2 found this valuable. Do you?    

peadew97470
1. RE: Any rivers near portland Oregon worth panning for gold in?
Jan 14 2008, 3:42 PM EST | Post edited: Jan 14 2008, 3:42 PM EST
HI: try going to www.oregonrock.com. It;s a great website and lots of info. Also, you can get a Merck's map at most Hallmark or stationary stores. The hunters use that map, and it shows all the BLM, FS, State Forest roads. It also shows rivers/streams. I believe you can print a free topo map at www.gorp.com. Check w/the BLM-they have places where you can pan for free-There is a spot in Canyonville (douglas county) which is on BLM land.
Check some of the govt' websites...I can't remember which page/dept handles it, but there is a website about Oregon mining/laws, many which date back to the mid-1800's that are still applicable today, ie.claims.
And why do I know this? I had a friend who used to take me to some great places to go hiking, and I got really interested in places to see/do/rockhounding in Douglas County. I now live in Indiana, but plan on getting back to Oregon as soon as possible!

Good luck...Also, one last place would be the Multnomah Library. They might have some of those aforementioned maps and you'd be able to make photocopies. One last thought and then I'm done...if you can find any older maps, the old logging roads will be there-these can be really useful too! and the best days to go out in the woods or out on the logging roads is on Sunday-the logging trucks don'e run then.

GOOD LUCK!!! 2  out of 2 found this valuable. Do you?    
outyonder
outyonder
2. RE: Any rivers near portland Oregon worth panning for gold in?
Jan 14 2008, 10:14 PM EST | Post edited: Jan 14 2008, 10:14 PM EST
Thank you!
I do get going on the research sometimes but it usually leads me in 10 different directions when I do! Hehe Since watching Cash and Treasures I have become more aware of all the money making things close to me. I am going out to get Truffles Saturday.

Matt Do you find this valuable?    

peadew97470
3. RE: Any rivers near portland Oregon worth panning for gold in?
Jan 15 2008, 2:46 PM EST | Post edited: Jan 15 2008, 2:46 PM EST
Good luck w/your 'shroomin'. I know there are certain times of the year for certain mushrooms. I went w/my girlfriend once to look for chantrelles. I guess the buyer was paying $25/lb then, but that was quite some time ago; I have no idea what prices are like now.

I plan on moving back to Oregon as soon as I can get my place sold. I've forgotten how much fun it is to go rock collecting. I even packed my collection to be moved half-way x/country!

Have you tried www.el.com/oregon? It's a great place also. It has all the counties and most cities in the state. Lots of other links-a fun place to visit, or at least look at when it's too wet to go outside & play!

Let me know how things work out! Do you find this valuable?    
gromaine3
gromaine3
4. RE: Any rivers near portland Oregon worth panning for gold in?
Monday, 11:51 AM EST | Post edited: Monday, 11:51 AM EST
Quartzville is definitely open -- there are 11 miles of recreational panning spots you can hit. Also, there is good bedrock showing throughout much of the corridor, so you can get down to the cracks and crevices. Another area near Portland is Copper Creek, in SW Washington. The old GPAA guides listed a site up there, and I helped a guy dredge it once. Do you find this valuable?    
SecretNinja
SecretNinja
5. RE: Any rivers near portland Oregon worth panning for gold in?
Monday, 4:47 PM EST | Post edited: Monday, 4:47 PM EST
"Quartzville is definitely open -- there are 11 miles of recreational panning spots you can hit. Also, there is good bedrock showing throughout much of the corridor, so you can get down to the cracks and crevices. Another area near Portland is Copper Creek, in SW Washington. The old GPAA guides listed a site up there, and I helped a guy dredge it once. "
Don't forget to check out anywhere you go for claims. Google "geolocator" and it will take you to a site where you can search for claims. Old claims might be worth exploring.

Garrett - Where is copper creek? I know there are claim markers on the east fk of the lewis river 6 miles upstream of Sunset falls, probably a gold claim.

OutYonder - There's gold out there, but your best bet in my opinion is to study the geology, get a good idea of what host rock the gold is in round there parts and then study the hell out of Oregon.

I saw a guy sluicing the black sands north of gold beach for a few hours productivly. Don't forget about beaches! Do you find this valuable?    
SecretNinja
SecretNinja
6. RE: Any rivers near portland Oregon worth panning for gold in?
Monday, 4:47 PM EST | Post edited: Monday, 4:47 PM EST
"I saw a guy sluicing the black sands north of gold beach for a few hours productivly. Don't forget about beaches! "
Correction Beverly Beach, not Gold Beach Do you find this valuable?    
SecretNinja
SecretNinja
7. RE: Any rivers near portland Oregon worth panning for gold in?
Monday, 4:48 PM EST | Post edited: Monday, 4:48 PM EST
"Don't forget to check out anywhere you go for claims. Google "geolocator" and it will take you to a site where you can search for claims. Old claims might be worth exploring.

"
Damn I am off today, google "geocommunicator" Do you find this valuable?    
gromaine3
gromaine3
8. RE: Any rivers near portland Oregon worth panning for gold in?
Monday, 5:19 PM EST | Post edited: Monday, 5:19 PM EST
Copper Creek is up above the Sunset Falls area. I'll see if I can find a GPS coordinate for you tonight.

The great thing about Quartzville is that for 11 miles, you can't claim the creek -- it's set aside. I got my first nugget up there, so I'm always partial to Quartzville Creek. It's nice to not have to worry about claims there. Do you find this valuable?    
SecretNinja
SecretNinja
9. RE: Any rivers near portland Oregon worth panning for gold in?
Monday, 6:14 PM EST | Post edited: Monday, 6:14 PM EST
"Copper Creek is up above the Sunset Falls area. I'll see if I can find a GPS coordinate for you tonight.

The great thing about Quartzville is that for 11 miles, you can't claim the creek -- it's set aside. I got my first nugget up there, so I'm always partial to Quartzville Creek. It's nice to not have to worry about claims there. "
OOoohhhh I'm gonna have to go! :)

Here's the draw, I found it, it's before the falls right here: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=yacolt,+wa&sll=45.505961,-122.656988&sspn=0.006196,0.012424&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Yacolt,+Clark,+Washington&ll=45.787457,-122.219296&spn=0.049318,0.099392&t=p&z=13


I am fairly certain there is a gold claim on the lewis in that area as well, you certainly get into some green rock and some quartz up there. Any idea what material the gold is coming out of there? From what I understand there is no batholith creeping up there, it is the foothills of the Cascades....



I'm gonna have to hit up Quartzville!



P.s. hit a bunch of your waypoints this weekend near Hampton Butte, good stuff. Thank you. Found some deep red pet wood up there. There was SO MUCH SNOW but it was still awesome. Hit Glass Buttes as well, pulled one piece of Aurora out of the pit then high tailed it outta there, boy it was COLD. :) Could not for the life of me find the purple pit off the first turn but found a huge grouping of pits up that way with all pretty opaque stuff but a TON of pits. It was up a gnarly little hill, followed someone elses tracks in. :) 1  out of 1 found this valuable. Do you?    
Rockhound5555
Rockhound5555
10. RE: Any rivers near portland Oregon worth panning for gold in?
Monday, 7:10 PM EST | Post edited: Monday, 7:10 PM EST
SecretNinja,
If you are on geocommunicator they have a box on the right that says active claims. If you click on it when you are at the place you are looking at to pan all the active claims should come up. Hope that helps some'
Sharon Do you find this valuable?    
gromaine3
gromaine3
11. RE: Any rivers near portland Oregon worth panning for gold in?
Monday, 7:33 PM EST | Post edited: Monday, 7:33 PM EST
By the way, I put a new YouTube video together about gold panning up near Stevens Pass, Washington. I can't remember if I put it up here yet; I'm not very methodical about it. Here's the link...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsKdYmeEBXU Do you find this valuable?    
SecretNinja
SecretNinja
12. RE: Any rivers near portland Oregon worth panning for gold in?
Monday, 10:47 PM EST | Post edited: Monday, 10:47 PM EST
"SecretNinja,
If you are on geocommunicator they have a box on the right that says active claims. If you click on it when you are at the place you are looking at to pan all the active claims should come up. Hope that helps some'
Sharon"
Oh yeah! I love Geocommunicator! I always check that thing before I head out, don't like to step on toes! Do you find this valuable?    

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