thekevin Posted December 19, 2012 Report Share Posted December 19, 2012 I am starting to plan a trip to take my grandpa to do some metal detecting for gold and I think I have decided that Rich Hill is where I want to take him. I have several questions as we are both pretty new to this.1. Is the GPAA the best association to join to get access to that land.2. Do they allow ATV's, it is a 20 hour drive for us and I don't want to pull them the whole way and not be able to use them.3. Do they allow open carry firearms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clay Posted December 19, 2012 Report Share Posted December 19, 2012 Welcome to the forum thekevin.I'll give you the short version - I'm sure more of our fine prospectors will chime in with the details if you need them.1. The GPAA has no claims on or near Rich Hill this year. There are some other more local clubs who do have claims but how many and where is still up in the air with the recent claims fee hikes.2. ATVs are allowed and suggested.3. Arizona has open and concealed carry without permits. Carry what you want where you want (within reason) out here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldies1955 Posted December 20, 2012 Report Share Posted December 20, 2012 I am starting to plan a trip to take my grandpa to do some metal detecting for gold and I think I have decided that Rich Hill is where I want to take him. I have several questions as we are both pretty new to this.1. Is the GPAA the best association to join to get access to that land.2. Do they allow ATV's, it is a 20 hour drive for us and I don't want to pull them the whole way and not be able to use them.3. Do they allow open carry firearms.Weaver mining district has some good claims up there...some one on the south/west side of rich hill. Its good drywashing area...I have not done much good at getting nuggets around rich hill....just me though.Tom H. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thekevin Posted December 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2012 So if I read that right it's $50 per year per person to be able to detect on their claims. We are planning a 10 day trip of which 2 of it will be driving so I figure a good 7 days of detecting and we are planning on the third week of April. I know a lot of you guys are familiar with the area so I would appreciate any and all advice. We plan on bringing a nice wall tent with a heat stove to stay in and a couple of atv's to get around on, my grandpa is 81 years old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Tom Posted December 20, 2012 Report Share Posted December 20, 2012 First of all don't get visions of grandeur about Rich Hill. It's been worked over by experts for years and nuggets are not easy to come by there. My son and I just came from there and we did manage to pick up one small nugget. I'm 79 years old and I have a ball everytime I go out and I know your grandfather will have a great time on his ATV there. Not knowing the area you are going to have to get some good maps and do some planning before you start. It would be great if one of the guys from the forum would plan a trip there at the same time. Old Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Ron Posted December 20, 2012 Report Share Posted December 20, 2012 Yo, Old Tom, how's the recovery going .. Have you been able to ditch the heart cough pillow? ... From what I've been seeing on the forums, you're coming back better than most that are 15 years your junior... WTG! Cheers, Unc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldies1955 Posted December 20, 2012 Report Share Posted December 20, 2012 So if I read that right it's $50 per year per person to be able to detect on their claims. We are planning a 10 day trip of which 2 of it will be driving so I figure a good 7 days of detecting and we are planning on the third week of April. I know a lot of you guys are familiar with the area so I would appreciate any and all advice. We plan on bringing a nice wall tent with a heat stove to stay in and a couple of atv's to get around on, my grandpa is 81 years old.Its 50 a year and you get two member cards...you can get one for your grandfather.The tent should be fine for that time of the year. Lots of free areas to camp that are south of Decision corner on Angel Ranch road.Theres not much fire wood left up there, try to find some on the way or bring some.As my dad said, its been hammered pretty good over the years. Plus there is a good amount of trash in the creeks from the old miners. Not trying to dissolusion you...just the facts. Probably the best bet to popping a nugget or two is to dig off the overburden in a wash and detect it when your closer to bedrock. As I said, drywashers do pretty decent there.Kind of far in advance to say I could come up and help get you going....but if im open I will.Tom H. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thekevin Posted December 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2012 To be honest if I find one little fleck of gold I will be happy. My grandpa on the other hand may be a little harder to please, his last trip to Alaska produced a little over 4oz. with just a metal detector and a wash pan. I have a Minelab 705 with a 6" HF coil and he has a White's GMT so we just have low end detectors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fredm Posted December 20, 2012 Report Share Posted December 20, 2012 You can get a 3 day permit from Weaver Mining...if you plan on going to other areas in addition to Rich Hill that is an option...I was there about a month ago...three days if diligent detecting yielded much lead, junk and no gold...but, it is still found by many...fred Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Tom Posted December 20, 2012 Report Share Posted December 20, 2012 Yo, Old Tom, how's the recovery going .. Have you been able to ditch the heart cough pillow? ... From what I've been seeing on the forums, you're coming back better than most that are 15 years your junior... WTG! Cheers, UncHi Unka Ron, I ditched the pillow a while back but it was sure a security blanket for me. I wouldn't leave home without it. It's been three months and I feel great. I am pushing it a little to see how I am doing and I don't get the pounding in the chest and ears anymore. When I pause to rest going up a hill the the old engine is running very smooth and I recover a lot faster. I was lucky, I didn't have any damage to the heart so there aren't any complications from the operation. I wouldn't recommend that procedure to anyone though, I makes a real baby out of you. Take care of yourselves guys, it pays to stay out of the hospital. But if you do need the procedure they sure do take good care of you in there. Ron, I challange you to a five yard race but you have to give me a three foot head start for my age. :-) Old Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
placerchaser Posted December 20, 2012 Report Share Posted December 20, 2012 I'll echo what everyone has said here so far about Rich Hill. There is definitely gold there, but all of the club claims have been hit VERY hard over the years. People are still finding nuggets on private claims around Rich Hill (Rob is the master at finding those ), but I've observed that most if not all of the mining operations in the area on private claims are all using heavy equipment to dig down at substantial depth. I have been out to the Weaver claims several times and hunted all day without finding a single nugget. There is a lot of trash in the area as well. I have found countless bullets and bits and pieces of cans and other metal particles. The GPX 5000 will find an old crushed soda can 4 feet or more below the surface . I look at it as good exercise From just my own experience, most of the surface nuggets have already been cleaned out by prospectors over the last 150 years or so. Not to say that nuggets can't be found, as people do find them, they are just pretty darn scarce in the area.Those with drywashers seem to do ok. I talked with some guys that were working some ground on a nearby Roadrunner club claim and they said they usually get about a gram of fine gold out of the ground on a good day.Also, I noticed that you said you are bringing VLF detectors. The ground here in Arizona is very mineralized and tends to overload and false VLF detectors. My buddy has a Whites MXT VLF that he uses and it falses on him quite often while out in the field. Lots of hot rocks, black sand and other material that tends to make VLF's difficult to use.Don't get me wrong, I don't want to discourage you, as hunting around Rich Hill is a lot of fun even if you don't find any gold. Its also beautiful rugged country out there. If anything, you'll have a blast ATVing and camping around the area. I've met a lot of friendly people in the area as well. You mentioned driving 20 hours, so I figured I'd just "tell ya like it is" before you make such a long trip, so that you know what to expect. Have fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thekevin Posted December 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2012 I am not 100% set on where we go, there just seemed to be quite a bit of information on that area. We are driving from northwest Arkansas and according to Google maps it is going to take just under 20 hours to get there. I am open to suggestions on better places to try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cp90macs Posted December 21, 2012 Report Share Posted December 21, 2012 Welcome to the forum. I will agree what others have said about Rich Hill and the Stanton area, it is a tough hunt. But there is some gold still there to be found by the persistance prospector. In the last year since I have gottem my 5000 unit I have found a .5gram on Rob"s private claim on my day of field training. That have been the nearest nugget I have found by Rich Hill. I found another .4 gram on the RoadRunner "Leave No Hole" claim, and two nuggets down on the GPAA "Lucky Linda" claim for another .5 grams together. Those claims are down on the flats S/SW of Decision Corner. I dig a lot more trash targets than gold nuggets for sure, its just make those nuggets a little xtra special! Using the Stanton area as a base camp you have the options of several others placer grounds within 45 miles if you wanted to explore. I am thiking of the Little San Domingo wash area, and the Vulture Mine area. Just my 2 cents worth.More Au to you, Robert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZNuggetBob Posted December 21, 2012 Report Share Posted December 21, 2012 I agree with you cp90macsRich Hill is getting tougher. I think the biggest problem is finding a place to hunt or even camp without being on someones claims. I dont normally promote mining clubs but $50.00 a year for Weaver mining club membership is the way to go in my opinon.just click on link below for more information. AzNuggetBob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishing8046 Posted December 21, 2012 Report Share Posted December 21, 2012 What about the open area to the public area at Lynx Creek? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thekevin Posted December 22, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 22, 2012 Where is that in relation to Lynx Lake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clay Posted December 23, 2012 Report Share Posted December 23, 2012 Here's a map to help you find your way around Lynx Creek/Lake thekevin.Click on it to get to the page with the really big version. (7.7 M)There's more free stuff there to help you find your way around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thekevin Posted December 23, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 23, 2012 How are they about ATV's there, I read somewhere that there is 13+ miles of creek and washouts to explore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin nuggethunting Posted December 24, 2012 Admin Report Share Posted December 24, 2012 Hey Guys, I have to agree, Weaver Mining is worth the weight in gold for $50 per year. I heard rumors that they were dropping a bunch of claims due to the new BLM fees, so I stopped in and check it out in person. They stated they were going to keep all claims, so I'm guessing they are paying the fees and there will be no issue with claims. If you're around Congress, drop in and talk with them in person. I don't know much about the 3-day passes, but this might even be a cheaper option for people out for a weekend or so. P.S. Yes, I have had great success with nuggets around Rich Hill, but I must say I paid my dues the hard way. Thousands of hours of swinging the detector across the tough landscape with falls, scraps, scratches, cactus thorns and even close calls with snakes. I also had a un-numbered days with no nuggets!! Keep in mind, you always here the success stories, not the stories about days without a single nugget! Hope this helps,Rob Allison Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fredm Posted December 24, 2012 Report Share Posted December 24, 2012 Rob, the three day option is fairly new, it served me well because I knew it is unlikely I will be back there again in the near future...if I lived nearby I would certainly be a full member.For someone visiting the area it is a good option...fred Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McGator Posted December 25, 2012 Report Share Posted December 25, 2012 I believe the Y-Not Prospectors Club is still around for the Rich Hill area for $30. If that isn't the case I'm sure someone will chime in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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