Mojave Gold

[GoldNewb]

Are there open areas in the Mojave to metal detect for gold? What I mean by open is it legal and doesn't require a permit. I want to stay near the Amboy area if possible.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Family Maps of Hinds County, Mississippi, Deluxe Edition - Grab it through Amazon!

[GotAu?]

Are there open areas in the Mojave to metal detect for gold? What I mean by open is it legal and doesn't require a permit. I want to stay near the Amboy area if possible.

In the Amboy area, mineral exploration is allowed pretty much south of Route 66 as most of it is open BLM land. North of 66, there is the Trilobite and other wilderness areas, but there is open land in that area also. Get a map of the area (online) to see where the boundaries are.

 

[GotAu?]

In the Amboy area, mineral exploration is allowed pretty much south of Route 66 as most of it is open BLM land unless you are in the Trilobite and other wilderness areas, and generally the areas north of Route 66 are in the Mojave Preserve but there is open land there also. Get a map of the Mojave Preserve (online) to see where the boundary is.

As Clay points out, I made a mistake! Mojave Preserve is north of the 40, but there is a wilderness area north of 66 east of Amboy and north of Cadiz, but most of the area is open BLM where you can “legally” detect for gold and collect other minerals there, but most of it has not been known to contain free milling gold except in a few mining areas east of Amboy. Best place to start your hunt is here to research the area for open BLM land:

Land Matters California Land Status

Land Matters

mylandmatters.org

Then to their library and claims maps pages to see the areas out there where gold mining has actually occurred.

 

[Clay Diggins]

You will need a concrete mixer and a centrifuge to metal detect those areas. No permit needed detect wherever you want and keep all the gold you find. Don't worry about all those property owners and claim owners shooting at you, ducking at the right time is the most useful skill for a Mojave prospector!

 

[GotAu?]

You will need a concrete mixer and a centrifuge to metal detect those areas. No permit needed detect wherever you want and keep all the gold you find. Don't worry about all those property owners and claim owners shooting at you, ducking at the right time is the most useful skill for a Mojave prospector!

Hi Clay- thanks for the correction hint 🤣. I fixed my MNP mistake above and moved it back to where it belongs north of the 40!

A buddy of mine did find some bits at one of the mining areas out there just while detecting, and I tried to take the BLM route that leads to it, but all the flooding from heavy rains out there really obliterated the trail in to it and I didn’t have the right vehicle to make it all the way so we had to hike in a ways. Also, much of Route 66 was (still is?) closed east of Kelbaker road so we had to detour quite a lot of it. One should check CalTrans highway conditions as well for that area.