Colorado Gold: Locations plus so much more!

Colorado is one or the most beautiful states to rock hound at there is plenty of fine Gold and many mineral rare mineral specimens to find and there are many wonderful places to discover. If you don't want to travel all over this wonderful state then Denver is a very good place to start. Within a 50 mile radius you will find most of the gems and mineral that can be found in Colorado. I have listed some places close by and then some cool places that are much farther away. Remember, I have only touch the surface so keep reading and searching the Great State of Colorado for Gems, Gold, and minerals. All these wonders are there to be discovered and treasured.



As you can tell by the video there are many spots in Colorado to rock hunt and to search for gold. One such an area is Georgetown. This area has lots of fine gold and silver, it doesn’t take long to figure out that there will be a wealth of minerals' in this area. One GREAT spot and one of the best places you’ll find the wonderful mineral specimen is Clear Creek County. So here is the scoop as I don’t want you to be bore you with all the digging I did in this county, I will just tell you were the sweet spots are, and where it was good and not so good to save you time.

If you are looking for big and nice minerals in vugs forget the Gold mines, I’m not saying you won't find good mineral specimens in theses old mines because you will. If you just use common sense, you will realize that everyone is looking for gold and they also seem to always pick up the nicest minerals at theses old mines. Now here is a clue and here it is… the old copper and silver mines always seem to have the best mineral specimens in their old dump piles.

If you’re looking for gold, good fine gold can be found about 6 to 8 miles up Chicago Creek from Clear Creek. It is always nice to know where to find the gold, even when you join different groups paying them good money or buying books they are very often a little miss leading. It is not fair but everyone is trying to make a little money (sign of the times). There was very little placer gold in the town of Empire but there was some fine gold. There should be some good gold in these areas so don't give up. I just gave you a summer of hard work from reading those bad books at least you will have a good start.

Gunnison was no good for gold and if there was good Gold there the locals didn't make it easy for you to get into the national forest, so I ended up going down to Placerville. San Miguel County on the San Miguel River is where you will find lots of fine gold as good as the Arkansas River. It is good about 5 miles west of Placerville. You will find Fine flakes and fine Gold in pockets, throughout this River. This is also a very beautiful and scenic area. There is a park down on the river about 6 to 7 miles west down from Placerville that talks about Sam Miguel and his Gold finding adventures (there is fine gold down there).

Near Parlin there is the Opportunity Mine. To reach the mine site from Parlin take county rd 76 north for 4 miles, then east on that good gravel road by the nearby homes. Then go a 1/2 mile and park, there you will see the old mine and an old road on the right. You can find aquamarine And Green Elbaite Crystals. There are a lot more Green Tourmaline and maybe if you’re lucky a little beryl (aquamarine) nothing of gem quality at all but very nice and large mineral specimens'. Yes you will find lots of good stuff here, good luck.

Traveling to Colorado looking for gold and more!

My Trip to Colorado was amazing, if you like big mountains, lots of fine Gold, old mines, and many different Gems this is a trip for you. I don’t believe you even have to like the great outdoors to appreciate the views you will discover in the State of Colorado.

Looking for Epidote crystals? Well I have a hint for you, the "Calumet Mine" in Salida. Yes, the Calumet Mine is really hard to find. You may even need to buy a few good books on the area and yes you will have to read directions very closely to find this one.

Now, if you do find the Calumet Mine plan on digging a lot of dirt to find these epidote crystals. If you do find some they will most likely be pretty small. Don't give up! Yes, there are big ones left for those of you willing to do the work looking for them. The largest crystals that I found were 1”x 1 ½” inches, not a bad size for this area and some of them are clean too!

Fine gold can be found all over and through out Colorado's Arkansas river and believe me when I say "it's really fine." Remember to be careful, if not it will float right out of the slues, even in the slowest water flows. If you want to find Colorado Gold this is the river to do it in. Maybe, with a little luck you could find a location with some coarse gold too!

If you are thinking of looking for Fluorite you will definite find it just outside of Colorado Springs at Saint Peters Dome. There was not a lot of crystal but there are some "massive" translucent chucks of purple to emerald green mixed with dark blues. Lot's of fun and worth the time. While in the area you can also find ammonites in El Paso County just outside of Colorado springs. Plan on spending a little time in this area and make sure to have a lot of fun.

If your on a budget you better like camping in some of these areas because motels and hotels will start at 100 dollars and up. This is the only bummer because in a tight economy, what can I say, your money can be a little tight too. You think these hotels and motels would understand this, o well. If you're not a camper you can do some good rock hunting closer to the Denver area, you will find more rooms and hotels at a more reasonable price.

I did a lot of traveling this summer and I have a lot more to share. Make sure you check back as I have some more really nice stories, finds, and picture to share. As always I will also share some great locations to find some really nice gems and other riches for all you rock hounds.