Twin Lakes 

        Some of the High Mountains the Arkansas River drains

 

 

The Arkansas River runs through some of the richest ore bodies in the state.  At the northern tip of the river sits the Climax Mine, owned and operated by Freeport MacRohan and slated to reopen in 2011 or sooner.  10 miles below sits Leadville.  Lead Silver Carbonate was the biggest money maker for Leadville until the silver crash in the 1880's.  But, everyone knows the story of The Unsinkable Molly Brown and the Little Johnny, the saga of the Tabor's, and the tales of California Gultch, so gold was also an important part of its' history.  Most of the area is claimed that would be on the river, but metal detecting goes on, in the surrounding hills where you are not on private, marked property or active claims. From Mosquito Pass to Independence Pass,  there is an extensive mining

community, fun to prospect as well as explore.  You can pick up a pamphlet from the Chamber of Commerce in Leadville that will show you a marked car/bicycle tour of the mining district to the east as well as many other interesting things in the area.  Around Turquoise Lake you can still pick up a piece or two of turquoise.  Oh, gem hunting in Colorado is also BIG.  The same geothermal conditions that put the gold into matrix in many areas also put some of the best crystals into pegmatite as well.  We won't get into the prehistorics just yet, but we have them too!

 

 

Downstream from Leadville are the Hayden and Derry Ranches.  The Hayden is still private property and is used for grazing, but the ranch part of the Derry is State land open for fishing, but no prospecting.  The dredges found gold at the fifteen foot level so you would have trouble finding it with a #2 shovel anyway.  There is some surface gold, but the old ruins of the ranch are far more interesting and the fishing is good.  You might try your metal detector here, but it has been hunted to death.  There is a lot of private property in this area and it is a dam site for the city of Aurora, so watch out for possible construction.  As of Feb '08 we have heard that the City of Aurora has erected signs prohibiting many activities.  There is, also, a large placer mining operation at the base of Mt. Elbert, the highest peak in the State, that operates on and off.  It is fenced and gated.

 

 

To the south of the Derry Ranch sits Twin Lakes and a pay for use area on Dennis O'Neal's property that runs along highway 91 out of the Hayden Ranch, and highway 24, towards Independence Pass, about a half mile.  It has been customary for years to leave the fee of $1.00 a day for panning in his designated panning areas and $5.00 a day for motorized equipment in other designated areas in the first mailbox on the first road into housing on the road to Independence Pass, and mining is allowed here ONLY in designated areas.  His property also carries a sign with some information on it where Lake Creek empties into the Arkansas River.  Be sure to adhere to all of Mr. O'Neal's requirements

as he is VERY protective of his property, and has been known to be a bit sharp with people.  On up the road to Independence Pass (highway 24) you will drive through some very interesting areas.  Not much casual prospecting has been done up there to our knowledge, as most is private property or claimed.  You can find a claim or two still open, but access and water are a problem.  Metal Detecting might be fun.  We have only started to investigate this part of the area with the metal detector as there were numerous productive hard rock mines in the area.  A caution to stay out of any portals you might come across. Many hold bad air and ice.  We have been investigating a few the last couple of years that have been owned by people we know and have acquired some very interesting specimens around the portals.  Many of these mines trucked or trammed all of their ores to milling sites either on site or down valley.  The slopes on some of these mines are astonishingly steep.  On the Twin Lakes side of Independence Pass at the base of the mountain, there was a mill that served the mines in that area, and on the eastern side of the mountain, the Champion Mill still stands (Leans) on the Theodolite mine site it served.  *  Further information I have obtained about the area above Twin Lakes indicates that the glacier that was in that area scoured the placer gold out of the canyon and left little behind, dropping it below and leaving the steep canyon walls.

 

Back east, and then south on Highway 24, you will pass through the town of Granite.  The general store there is well known and its' restaurant boasts some of the best food in the region.  Gold panning has been allowed off and on depending on the mood of the year, but only "pans and hands" are allowed.  You are not even allowed a shovel to put material into your pan with.  Strickly for the casual panner when allowed.  To the west of Granite you will find Cache Creek and Lost Canyon.  Cache Creek is being developed by the BLM into a recreational Prospecting site open to the public with the correct "bonding" permits. To access the part that is open to highbanking, take the dirt road that goes behind the Granite Store back to the road that takes off to the south where the power lines are.  That's the "power line" road.  Follow that south until you reach the gate.  Park there in the parking lot and you can use a highbanker anywhere within the marked boundaries of the are.  NOTES:  The power line road is very rough in spots and the area has had bouts of limited water.  The small stream that runs to the south of the parking lot seems to run enough water to accommodate prospectors if they cooperate with each other and not run it all out of the stream, but return it quickly.  Summer of 2008 - You will be required to have a special bonding permit to highbank in this area for 10 days.  Extra days may be purchased for $5.00 per day up to an additional 10 days.  Also, note that you are allowed to gold pan, sluice, and dry wash without this bonding permit. 

 

GOLD was found in an old bank to the south and east of the parking lot in the late spring of '07.  Many prospectors brought out many ounces of gold from this old placer area that the old timers left due to values not being enough for them to process.  The BLM assessed the use of this area in the Fall of '07, and has determined, in conjunction with the GPOC and Hooked on Gold, that they will implement some further restrictions for this area.  Since the area was bought by the BLM with conservation funds, certain regulations must be adhered to, to continue to have this area open to the public.   They are developing them now, and have published the page below as

a first step to that end.  We will keep you informed of the changes as they occur.  In the mean time, click on

http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/rgfo/minerals/locatable_minerals/placer_mining/cache_creek.html to see what has happened so far.  Also, several improvements will be made to the property, but will not include toilets.  Campers will be required to carry their own facilities and limit the impact of waste products on the area, as well as confining campfires to metal receptacles that are off the ground.  This fire restriction is being imposed on most of the Arkansas in Colorado, so be advised that you may be required to do this in all Colorado forest areas soon, if not now.  NEW INFORMATION '08 All the above regulations have been semi-finalized.  In addition, camping will not be allowed in the parking lot, nor will overnight "parking" be allowed.  The parking lot is for day use only, and if you are staying in the area for more than one day, you will be required to move your vehicle to a camping spot for the nights you are in the area.  (There is plenty of area just across from the parking lot that can be used, as well as others very near the parking lot.  You can move your vehicle back to the parking lot during the day.)  DREDGING WILL NEVER BE ALLOWED IN THE CACHE CREEK AREA OR ON CACHE CREEK.  PLEASE visit http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/rgfo/minerals/locatable_minerals/placer_mining.html for the newest forms for '08.  Click around the pages to find the various permits you will need for the season and their restrictions.

 

On up the road behind Granite, past the power line road, up the switchbacks, and at the back of the canyon sits Lost Canyon, a privately owned placer mining operation that the operator lets others use for a fee.  Panning, highbanking, and dredging are allowed within designated areas.  Prices run from $5.00 to $15.00 a day. You will pass other marked mining areas that are still active or there is at least interest in.  Stay off those roads and respect the owners rights by not walking in, either.  There are many other roads in the area that you can explore.

 

Back to Highway 24, and on south towards Buena Vista you will come to Clear Lake reservoir, great for fishing.  You could probably put a pan in while you are fishing below the water outlet, but don't try the bar at the confluence.  Recently we found out that this stretch has been newly claimed as well, but these guys have many claims and are probably not going to bother you if you are only using a pan.  They'll give you a lesson to boot.  Leonard Leeper and his group have been in prospecting for many years (decades) and they know more about dredging than most, and have another claim down river at Elephant Rock.  The rest of the bend is private property or claimed.  Drive into the camping area just down the road about a couple of blocks from Clear Creek, and take a look at the stone house there.  The area has been a camping spot for over a hundred years.  (Probably longer)  If you take the road west, past the reservoir, you will come to the old townships of Vicksburg and Winfield.  There are several old cabins that have been preserved and there is a walking tour of them.  There was an extensive mining community in the mountains surrounding these towns, and a good book will tell you more of its history.  While we know this part of the State best, there are areas that we know better.  So much to investigate, so little time!  We have traveled up that way once or twice, but the valley always calls us back.  A pan on the streams in the area might be fun, but watch for marked claims and private property.  (There is more and more of that all the time. What IS the Forest Service doing?)

 

On down highway 24, around the bend you will come to Gold Camp which has been in existence since the mines started.  It has gone into the hands of private industry now, and is a parking place for the rafting companies.  The last owners made their living off the gold they gleaned from this placer.  Hooked on Gold looked into buying this property twice, but it wasn't in our stars to own it.  It could have been a nice place for prospectors to come and have some fun.  Alas, t'was not to be.

 

Past the falls you come to a stretch in the river known as "The Numbers".   There is a bit of State land, a tiny bit of BLM land and 4 claims that run together down to the raft launch.  If you try to access the State or BLM land for panning, be aware that you are not supposed to cross the railroad tracks to get there.  Also, the water in that stretch runs fast in spots and it is a bit of a walk in and down the VERY steep bank.  (Back up, too.)  The 4 claims below that are in the hands of Phil Martinez, who works them regularly when the Forest Service is agreeable.  Phil probably wouldn't mind if you were there with a pan, but keep your motorized equipment out of there.  Anyone using the area will need to pay for a day pass at the Forest Service box provided and park in the parking area.  Below that is private property, marked, and fenced.  These people monitor activities, so don't be in there or you may have the sheriff on you.  

 

Past the bridge is a combination of private property and claims until you get to the GPAA claims.  Be careful on the GPAA claims as they run in between some private land.  All activities are allowed on the GPAA claims as long as you are a member of that club.  I should point out here that a "bond" is required for ALL who are running motorized equipment on the Arkansas or its tributaries, whether you are on a club claim, private claim, or private property.

 

Below the GPAA claims are a group of claims intermixed with the Elephant Rock public prospecting area.  Some very nice flour gold comes out of this stretch of the river, so try your luck here.  Most of the open area is on the east side, but some of the claims run on the east side as well.  Most of these claim owners aren't as fussy as they are upstream and don't mind if you go over the boundaries a bit.  They'll even lend you a hand if they are on their claim that day.  There is private property on the west side, so watch for that.  Just below Elephant Rock, across the river on the west side, there is a claim GPOC now has, but the area below it is open to the public for prospecting to the big rocks and the next private property.  These have been withdrawn from mineral entry and are in an area reserved for a power plant or dam site.  Even though they are not claimable, the BLM says they are open for public prospecting. 

 

Below Elephant Rock is the town of Buena Vista.  Needless to say, there is a lot of private property and little river access all the way through Brown's Canyon, which is off limits to prospecting, and on past Salida. You may find a spot in this area, but do your research and make doubly sure you know where you are.  Point Bar south of Salida is open to the public, but watch for rattle snakes.  As with all of the Arkansas and its tributaries, the BLM requires a "bond" for use of motorized equipment other than a dry washer.  Panning and sluicing are also allowed without the bond.

 

We do not usually wander below Point Bar far due to the distance from our Buena Vista camp, so we are not familiar with this part of the river.  However, I will compile information I have about the river below Point Bar and post what I can find about it.

 

Clubs in the State that have claims you can work on are the Gold Prospectors of Colorado out of Colorado Springs, and Gold Prospectors of America Association.  GPOC has claims south of Salida below Point Bar on Badger Creek, outside of Fairplay on Beaver Creek and north of Buena Vista on the Arkansas River.  You can find information about them right here on HookedonGold on the GPOC Temp Pages.  We provide a temporary information page for them.  GPAA has claims on the Arkansas River, north of Buena Vista, a claim north of Granite and a claim southeast of Leadville.