Motherlode camping/panning/sluicing area?

[treasured310]

Hi- I know there are a million places to pan in the Motherlode area of CA, but I'm specifically looking for a quiet beautiful campground on a stream or river thats known for producing color. A nice campground for tent campers that has facilities like showers, toilets.....yet is on a river or stream where I can pan and sluice, and possibly hike to old mine sites. Anyone know of a place thats good? I prefer non- reservable campgrounds, because with the reservations system it will be hard to find a place for labor day weekend, but any suggestions would be awesome. I live in southern cali and this will be my first trip into the Motherlode area- i'm excited to finally see places like Jamestown, Coloma and all the other places I've read about.

 

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[EARTHLING]

good luck........ its all hunted to death down there... you will have to do some heavy duty packing in to get to areas that have little seen footprints

 

[aarthrj3811]

Hey treasured310…..There is a campgrounds in Colfax that is friendly to miners. It has been years since I have been in the area. The people to talk to are at Pioneer Mining Supply in Auburn. They always know what is happening in the area. http://WWW.PIONEERMINING.COM

Despite what people think..There is still a lot of gold in them there hills…Art

 

[kuger]

Nope its all hunted out stay home!!!

 

[russau]

i read about some problems they have been having over there in the mother load area. at the claim"the rose" people pull off and park there only to find that their truck/car has been broken into. or they got hasseled by some dopers! beware of your surrroundings and people that come up on you.watch your junk! i also heard 1 lady got raped out there.

 

[flyspekau]

SHEESH this is an absolute shame.


Come up to Briceburgh canyon just below Yosemtie on Hwy 140 theres gold in the Merced river I have stepeed 3 feet out off the bank rolled over a boulder and found decent flake gold there or you can come to Bagby which is also the merced river the lower section just above McClure lake that is on Hwy 49 and you can crevice there and get nice gold lots of pickers and dust for a little workdiggin, the campsites are nice and tree covered some of the camping areas have full facilitys but you better call and see about reservations for this weekend but I have never seen them full there. If there full just go to the back in the primitive area all they have is a bathroom there though but thats a great place to crevice I have recently seen nice gold found in the bedrock above the banks.

AND I have not heard of any troubles in either of those places they have on site rangers 24 hours a day.

 

[russau]

yep i remember that Yosemite park employee that kill those two women hikers there in the park not that to long ago! my advice is keep vigilant on your surroundings and people that seem overly friendly!

 

[flyspekau]

That was Cary Steiner happened in 1999 . I went to high school with him in Merced he was a very strange guy, his brother was steven Steiner who had been kidnapped and held hostage by a man for many years he was in my sisters class I believe that whole deal is very strange.

The guys at Bagby leave there dredges in during the week , the merced irrigation ranger keeps watch for them and a then the guys work the dredges on the weekends mostly its pretty nice deal .

But yeah gotta watch your back every where anymore, even getting gas at the pump might end up getting car jacked .

yep i remember that Yosemite park employee that kill those two women hikers there in the park not that to long ago! my advice is keep vigilant on your surroundings and people that seem overly friendly!

 

[kuger]

Same as it was in the old days!!!!

 

[El Cooter]

Vini!!! Dont give up our secret spot at Bagby, are you crazy?


Old Coot

 

[flyspekau]

OH PLEASE Cooter few if anyones gonna go down there and deal with all them boulders LOL I think i'm done there myself sticking to san bars on the San Joaquin river instead, flyspek gold but oh well if I could ger a decent 3 days of dredging might just get some weight one day..........