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MINING CLAIM INTELLIGENCE

Know the Ground Before You Stake It

66 free guides on filing BLM mining claims, reading PLSS aliquot descriptions, state-by-state prospecting rules, and the legal framework behind the 1872 Mining Act.

TIER 1 — FOUNDATION
Start here. Core concepts every prospector must understand before staking a single claim.
filing · 9 MIN
How to File a BLM Mining Claim (Step-by-Step)
A complete step-by-step guide to filing a BLM mining claim: land verification, physical location, Notice of Location, BLM filing, and annual fees.
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filing · 7 MIN
How to Check if Land is Open for Mining Claims
How to verify that federal land is open to mineral entry before staking a claim. Covers BLM MLRS, withdrawal status, wilderness, and military exclusions.
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filing · 8 MIN
What is a Notice of Location? Mining Claim Filing Guide
What a Notice of Location is, what it must contain, how to record it with the county and BLM, and how requirements vary by state.
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reference · 7 MIN
Lode vs Placer Mining Claims: What's the Difference?
The legal and practical differences between lode and placer mining claims: size limits, deposit types, which to choose, and mill site and tunnel claims.
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reference · 8 MIN
What is the PLSS? Township, Range, and Section Explained
A plain-language guide to the Public Land Survey System: how townships, ranges, sections, and aliquot parts work — and why they matter for mining claims.
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reference · 6 MIN
What is an Aliquot Part? 20-Acre Mining Claim Math
How to read aliquot notation like N2NWNE, understand 20-acre PLSS subdivisions, and why BLM claims describe less acreage than the polygon suggests.
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TIER 2 — STATE GUIDES
State-by-state BLM land access, local quirks, and region-specific open ground.
state guide · 8 MIN
Gold Prospecting in California: BLM Public Land Guide
Where and how to prospect for gold on California BLM land: Mother Lode belt, Klamath Mountains, suction dredge ban, Rancho exclusions, and casual use rules.
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state guide · 7 MIN
Gold Prospecting in Nevada: BLM Public Land Guide
How to prospect for gold on Nevada BLM land: Battle Mountain, the Carlin Trend, Great Basin open ground, NRS 517 state law, and desert access logistics.
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state guide · 7 MIN
Gold Prospecting in Arizona: BLM Public Land Guide
Gold prospecting on Arizona BLM land: Wickenburg belt, Goldfield Mountains, casual use rules, and extreme heat operational planning.
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state guide · 7 MIN
Gold Prospecting in Colorado: BLM Public Land Guide
Where to prospect for gold on Colorado BLM land: Clear Creek, Gilpin County, the San Juans, Spanish land grant exclusions, and altitude access considerations.
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state guide · 7 MIN
Gold Prospecting in Oregon: BLM Public Land Guide
Gold prospecting on Oregon BLM land: Josephine and Jackson counties, suction dredge restrictions, Siskiyou open ground, and permit requirements.
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state guide · 8 MIN
Mining Claims in Alaska: State vs Federal Land
How to file a mining claim in Alaska: the BLM federal system vs Alaska DNR state claims, ANCSA Native Corporation land, and the Nome beach and creek placer districts.
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state guide · 5 MIN
Gold Prospecting in Idaho: BLM Public Land Guide
Gold prospecting on Idaho BLM land: Boise Basin, Coeur d'Alene district, Idaho Batholith, and access to the Salmon River Mountains.
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state guide · 5 MIN
Gold Prospecting in Montana: BLM Public Land Guide
Gold prospecting on Montana BLM land: the SW Montana placer belt, Helena, Butte district, and Rocky Mountain access.
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state guide · 5 MIN
Gold Prospecting in Utah: BLM Public Land Guide
Gold prospecting on Utah BLM land: Oquirrh Mountains, Bingham district, desert basins, and high-desert access logistics.
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state guide · 5 MIN
Gold Prospecting in Washington: BLM Public Land Guide
Gold prospecting in Washington state: the Republic/Okanogan mineral belt, Cascade foothills, and BLM land access in eastern Washington.
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state guide · 5 MIN
Gold Prospecting in New Mexico: BLM Public Land Guide
Gold prospecting on New Mexico BLM land: Hillsboro, Pinos Altos, the Black Range, and Spanish land grant exclusions in southern New Mexico.
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state guide · 5 MIN
Gold Prospecting in Wyoming: BLM Public Land Guide
Gold prospecting on Wyoming BLM land: South Pass historic placer district, Rattlesnake Hills, and Wind River Range access.
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state guide · 5 MIN
Gold Prospecting in South Dakota: Black Hills Guide
Gold prospecting in the South Dakota Black Hills: the Homestake belt, Lead/Deadwood district, USFS vs BLM jurisdiction, and claim filing.
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state guide · 5 MIN
Gold Prospecting in Georgia: Dahlonega and State Land Rules
Gold prospecting in Georgia: the Dahlonega Gold Belt, state land rules (no BLM), county recording requirements, and the first US gold rush.
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TIER 3 — LEGAL & COMPLIANCE
The law behind the land. From the 1872 Mining Act to suction dredge bans.
legal · 5 MIN
The General Mining Act of 1872: What Prospectors Need to Know
What the General Mining Act of 1872 allows: who can file, on what land, what rights it grants, and what it doesn't cover.
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legal · 5 MIN
Casual Use vs Notice of Intent: When Do You Need a BLM Permit?
What casual use means on BLM land, when you need a Notice of Intent vs Plan of Operations, and how state overlay rules apply in CA and AZ.
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legal · 4 MIN
Can You Prospect in a National Forest?
Gold panning and prospecting rules on National Forest land: 36 CFR Part 228, casual use thresholds, closed vs open watersheds, and how USFS differs from BLM.
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reference · 5 MIN
What is a Ghost Claim? How to Find Abandoned Mining Claims
How to identify expired and abandoned BLM mining claims using MLRS data, what annual assessment failure means, and how to legally restake open ground.
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reference · 5 MIN
How to Read a BLM MLRS Mining Claim Record
A field guide to BLM MLRS claim record fields: CSE_NR, CSE_DISP, RCRD_ACRS, PLSS_DESC, LOC_DT, LST_ASMT_YR explained in plain English.
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legal · 5 MIN
Suction Dredging Regulations by State (2025)
State-by-state suction dredge regulations: California ban, Oregon permit requirements, Nevada/Arizona conditions, and Alaska watershed-by-watershed rules.
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reference · 5 MIN
What is USGS MRDS? Using Historic Mine Data for Prospecting
What the USGS Mineral Resources Data System contains, how to interpret deposit records and commodity codes, and how MRDS proximity improves claim targeting.
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legal · 5 MIN
Native American Land and Mining Rights: What Prospectors Must Know
Why BLM mining claims cannot be filed on tribal trust land, how to identify tribal boundaries, ANCSA corporations in Alaska, and the legal consequences of trespass.
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legal · 5 MIN
Spanish and Mexican Land Grants: Why BLM Claims Don't Work in Parts of California
Why the 1872 Mining Act never applied to Rancho land grants: the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, the federal public domain, and how to identify excluded parcels.
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legal · 5 MIN
Eastern States and Mining Claims: Why BLM Doesn't Apply
Why there are no BLM mining claims east of the Mississippi: the public domain concept, metes-and-bounds vs PLSS, and what prospectors in eastern states must do instead.
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★ GOLD RUSH INTEL
Real coordinates, real geology — every TV claim mapped to open ground. See what the old-timers pulled, and whether the adjacent blocks are still available.
goldrush · 6 MIN
Jim Nail Placer (Porcupine Creek, Alaska) — Gold Rush Season 1
The Jim Nail Placer on Porcupine Creek, Alaska was the Season 1 proving ground for the Hoffman crew on Gold Rush. Learn why they recovered just 14.64 ounces — and how Dakota Fred's Glory Hole unlocked its true potential.
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goldrush · 6 MIN
Quartz Creek Mine, Yukon — Gold Rush Season 2-3
Quartz Creek Mine in the Klondike was where the Hoffman crew battled permafrost and finally broke through with 803 ounces in Season 3. A real Yukon placer mining location you can explore.
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goldrush · 6 MIN
McKinnon Creek Mine, Yukon — Gold Rush Season 5-7
McKinnon Creek was the Hoffman crew's redemption claim after their jungle disaster. Industrial-scale wash plants and massive yardage finally delivered a 3,000+ ounce season in the Klondike.
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goldrush · 6 MIN
High Bar Mine, Baker County Oregon — Gold Rush Season 8
The High Bar Mine in Baker County, Oregon was Todd Hoffman's Season 8 disaster. Massive boulders and chemically complex flour gold defeated standard wash plants despite millions invested.
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goldrush · 6 MIN
Katuska Pit, Fairplay Colorado — High-Altitude Placer Mining
The Katuska Pit in Fairplay, Colorado sits at over 10,000 feet. Learn how altitude, deep overburden, and strict environmental regulations shaped the Hoffman crew's Season 8 high-altitude mining operation.
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goldrush · 6 MIN
Big Nugget Mine, Haines Borough Alaska — Parker Schnabel's Roots
The Big Nugget Mine is the Schnabel family operation where Parker learned to run a crew. Founded by grandfather John Schnabel, this Alaska DNR claim was Parker's proving ground before the Klondike.
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goldrush · 7 MIN
Scribner Creek Mine, Yukon — Parker Schnabel's Breakout Claim
Scribner Creek is the Yukon placer claim where Parker Schnabel became a serious mine boss. Leased from Tony Beets at a brutal 20% royalty, Parker pulled 1,029 ounces in his first season here.
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goldrush · 6 MIN
Mud Mountain, Yukon — Parker Schnabel's Record-Breaking Deep Cut
Mud Mountain required stripping 60 feet of frozen overburden to reach ancient pay gravels. Parker Schnabel's high-stakes gamble delivered record-breaking 7,000+ ounce seasons worth millions.
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goldrush · 6 MIN
Paradise Hill, Yukon — Tony Beets' Klondike Empire
Paradise Hill is the heart of Tony Beets' Gold Rush mining empire in the Klondike. Enormous wash plants, 24/7 operations, and ruthless volume-based efficiency define this iconic Yukon operation.
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goldrush · 7 MIN
Eureka Creek Dredge, Yukon — Tony Beets' Historic Bucket Dredge
Tony Beets resurrected a 75-year-old floating bucket dredge at Eureka Creek, Yukon. This enormous gamble paid off — the dredge processes gold at a fraction of the cost of modern excavator operations.
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goldrush · 6 MIN
Dominion Creek, Yukon — Parker Schnabel & Tony Beets Deep Lead Mining
Dominion Creek is the big leagues of modern Klondike mining. Both Parker Schnabel and Tony Beets have stripped 40 feet of overburden here to reach 7,000+ ounce ancient pay streaks.
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goldrush · 6 MIN
Rally Valley / Duncan Creek, Yukon — Rick Ness Gold Rush Season 10+
Rick Ness risked his life savings on Rally Valley near Keno City, Yukon. Despite equipment failures and a brutal start, the deep bedrock delivered a record-breaking solo season.
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goldrush · 5 MIN
Elk Creek, Idaho County — Fred Lewis Gold Rush Season 12
Elk Creek in Idaho County was Fred Lewis's Season 12 operation with military veterans. Boulder-choked ground and sparse gold proved determination alone cannot overcome difficult geology.
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goldrush · 7 MIN
McKinley Creek, Alaska — Gold Rush: White Water Suction Dredging
McKinley Creek in Haines Borough is the extreme site featured on Gold Rush: White Water. Dustin and Fred Hurt run suction dredges in raging rapids to pull nuggets from untouched bedrock plunge pools.
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goldrush · 6 MIN
Box Creek, Lake County Colorado — Dave Turin's Lost Mine
Box Creek near Leadville, Colorado was revived by Dave Turin on Dave Turin's Lost Mine. He battled clay-heavy gold and strict environmental regulations to turn a struggling historic claim profitable.
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goldrush · 6 MIN
Lynx Creek, Arizona — Dry Washing Gold in the Desert
Lynx Creek in Yavapai County, Arizona is where Dave Turin showcased dry washing for gold without water. Learn how caliche, extreme heat, and fine gold recovery define desert placer prospecting.
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goldrush · 7 MIN
Tomcod Claim, Nome Alaska — Bering Sea Gold Shawn Pomrenke
The Tomcod Claim is Shawn Pomrenke's premier offshore dredging lease in the Bering Sea near Nome. Mr. Gold's Christine Rose excavator dredge pulls thousands of ounces from the seafloor each season.
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goldrush · 6 MIN
Bluff Claim, Nome Alaska — Bering Sea Gold Diver Dredging
The Bluff Claim 50 miles east of Nome is one of the most dangerous offshore dredging sites in the Bering Sea. Divers vacuum chunky gold from exposed bedrock in near-zero visibility and violent currents.
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goldrush · 7 MIN
Sutter's Mill Coloma — Where the California Gold Rush Began
James Marshall's 1848 gold discovery at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California ignited the greatest mass migration in American history. Learn the geology, the history, and where to prospect near the Mother Lode today.
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goldrush · 7 MIN
Empire Mine Grass Valley — 106 Years, 5.8 Million Ounces
Empire Mine in Grass Valley, California operated for over a century and produced 5.8 million ounces of gold — one of the largest hard-rock gold mines in US history. Learn what made it tick and where to prospect the Mother Lode belt today.
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goldrush · 7 MIN
Malakoff Diggins — The World's Largest Hydraulic Gold Mine
Malakoff Diggins in Nevada County, California was the world's largest hydraulic gold mine until the 1884 Sawyer Decision banned it. Learn the geology of Tertiary channels, the environmental reckoning, and where to prospect today.
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goldrush · 7 MIN
Comstock Lode — The Richest Silver Strike in US History
The Comstock Lode in Virginia City, Nevada produced $500 million in silver and gold (over $17 billion today) and financed the Union during the Civil War. Learn the geology, the innovations, and Nevada's mining opportunity today.
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goldrush · 7 MIN
Alder Gulch Montana — $90 Million in Placer Gold and the Vigilantes
Alder Gulch near Virginia City, Montana produced an estimated $90 million in placer gold in the 1860s and gave rise to the notorious Plummer Gang and the Montana Vigilantes. Learn the history and where to prospect today.
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goldrush · 6 MIN
Bannack Montana — Gold, Outlaws, and the First Territorial Capital
Bannack was Montana's first gold strike (1862) and first territorial capital. Sheriff Henry Plummer secretly ran the outlaw gang that murdered 102 people before the Vigilantes hanged him. Learn the history and find open ground nearby.
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goldrush · 7 MIN
Cripple Creek Colorado — 800 Tons of Gold from a Volcanic Caldera
Cripple Creek in Teller County, Colorado produced over 800 tons of gold worth $28 billion today from an ancient volcanic caldera. Learn the unique geology, the labor wars, and Colorado's open mining opportunity.
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goldrush · 6 MIN
Central City Colorado — "The Richest Square Mile on Earth"
John Gregory's 1859 lode discovery at Central City triggered Colorado's gold rush and spawned the Colorado Mineral Belt. Learn the hard-rock geology, Horace Tabor's rise, and where to prospect the Front Range today.
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goldrush · 7 MIN
Boise Basin Idaho City — Pacific Northwest's Biggest Placer Strike
The Boise Basin in Boise County, Idaho produced $250 million in placer gold and made Idaho City temporarily the largest city in the Pacific Northwest. Learn the history, the dredging era, and where to prospect today.
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goldrush · 7 MIN
Homestake Mine — 126 Years, 40 Million Ounces, Deepest in the West
Homestake Mine in Lead, South Dakota operated 126 years and produced 40 million ounces of gold — more than any other US mine. George Hearst bought it for $70,000. Today it houses a deep-earth physics laboratory.
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goldrush · 6 MIN
Jacksonville Oregon Gold District — Klamath Mountains Placer Mining
Jacksonville in Jackson County, Oregon was the center of Oregon's gold rush (1851) and is now the best-preserved 19th-century town in the state. Learn the unique Klamath Mountains geology and where to prospect in southern Oregon.
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goldrush · 6 MIN
Oatman Arizona Gold Camp — Tom Reed Mine and the WWII Shutdown
Oatman in Mohave County, Arizona produced over $40 million in gold before WWII forced its closure. The Tom Reed and United Eastern mines worked rich epithermal veins in the Black Mountains. Learn the history and find open BLM ground nearby.
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goldrush · 6 MIN
Elizabethtown New Mexico — E-Town and the Aztec Ditch
Elizabethtown (E-Town) in Colfax County, New Mexico was the state's first gold boomtown and the site of the failed 41-mile Aztec Ditch hydraulic project. Learn the history and find open ground in the New Mexico mineral belt.
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goldrush · 7 MIN
Treadwell Mine Alaska — The World's Largest Hard-Rock Gold Mine (1917 Flood)
Treadwell Mine on Douglas Island was the world's largest hard-rock gold mine before seawater permanently flooded it in 1917. Its 960-stamp mill ran for 35 years. The ruins are accessible by trail from Juneau today.
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goldrush · 7 MIN
Nome Beach Placer — Public Domain Gold and the Bering Sea Rush
Nome's beach gold was unique: public domain sand anyone could mine without a claim. The 1899 discovery brought 20,000 stampede-era prospectors. Today's Bering Sea Gold dredges mine the same offshore deposits submerged since the Ice Age.
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goldrush · 7 MIN
Barkerville BC — Cariboo Gold Rush and How a Province Was Saved
Barkerville on Williams Creek triggered the Cariboo Gold Rush of 1862, producing $50 million in gold and growing to become the largest city in western Canada. Governor Douglas built the Cariboo Road to keep BC British.
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goldrush · 7 MIN
Fraser River Gold Rush — The Rush That Created British Columbia
The 1858 Fraser River Gold Rush brought 30,000 American miners into British territory, alarming London into creating British Columbia as a Crown Colony. Yale became the gateway to the Cariboo goldfields. The Fraser still produces today.
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goldrush · 8 MIN
Bonanza Creek — The Discovery That Started the Klondike Gold Rush
George Carmack, Skookum Jim, and Tagish Charlie's August 1896 discovery on Bonanza Creek triggered the last and largest gold rush in North American history — 100,000 stampede-ers, $500 million in gold, and a permanent transformation of the Yukon.
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AuthoriProspector overlays live BLM claims, 20-acre aliquot precision, USGS historic mine markers, and no-go zones on a single map. Tap any block to see who owns it.

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