Hooked on Gold.com : Fairplay Gold

PARK COUNTY is east of the mountain ridge from the Arkansas River, and so we have also spent a fair amount of time there and know the many placers, but not quite as well as the Arkansas side. From the top of Hoosier Pass south you will drop to Lincoln Mountain (Gee, I wonder who that was named after?) into the valley to the east of Mt. Bross and Montgomery reservoir. This area was extensively mined and some gold is still found in the steams, but much is claimed and private property with many open mine tunnels and adits. Up above the reservoir you will find the remains of the mill that processed the ores in this area.

Would you believe that the town that is submerged under the reservoir supported 5,000 souls? Most of Mt. Bross is private property and the roads on it are not forest service roads, but private. The land owners work tirelessly to keep people out with gates and other means, but people simply do not respect a land owners rights. Many of the roads in this area can be very BAD! They are not maintained and we are acquainted with some of the people who own this property. Often people will get stuck up above and churn mud and silt into their drinking water down below. PLEASE be respectful of private property and do not drive around gates! You are trespassing! There is a forest service road that access this area out of Buckskin Gulch. Please use it.

The first valley on the south side of Mt Bross is Buckskin Gulch. It winds westwardly out of Alma, then to the north and into an area well prospected, to Kite Lake. Many active claims still exist up this valley, including the famous Sweet Home Rhodochrosite mine. The biggest surface mine in the area was the Phillips Lode, which produced gold from a vein lying exposed on the surface which was some 600 feet wide and a mile or more long, until it disappeared into the mountain. This mine is claimed as well and the property just below it. Above you will find an arrastra in the creek that many detectorists have found ore pieces around containing gold. The town of Alma discourages panning in this area as they use this creek for their drinking water. You can also visit the site of the mill located in the valley. It is under restoration and is making nice progress towards being what it was, but it isn't finished so be careful around it.

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