Click each photo to greatly enlarge it
In the past century, over 100,000 ounces of gold have been mined on Chicken Creek and its tributaries and there still remains a great deal of gold to be found.
In 2007, we opened some of our claims to recreational mining with good success. These claims include virgin ground as well as some ground previously mined by crude methods at
least 50 years ago. The claims have historically produced good gold including some nuggets as large as 3 oz.
Guests* staying at the Chicken Gold Camp can pan or mine on nearby claims for a daily fee. We allow use of pans, metal detectors, hand sluices, small suction
dredges (2½" max) and high bankers. It is approximately 2 miles by road to the claims, with a ¼ mile walk or ATV ride. We can provide transportation for a small fee.
Rates:
$15 per day for panning & metal detecting
$30 per day for hand sluices
$50 per day for high bankers or suction dredges (max 2½")
* Prices apply to those camped at Chicken Gold Camp.
Equipment Rentals:
$15 per day to rent a hand sluice
$35 per day to rent a high banker or dredge
Prices and availability are subject to change without notice.
Many 'pickers' and nice jewelry nuggets have been found by our
guests with the largest to date weighing 1.4 oz. The claims have also produced some nice specimens of jasper, chert, agate, opal, petrified wood and Pleistocene mammal remains
such as mammoth tusks and teeth.
