#18 ABOVE LOWER DISCOVERY

#18 ABOVE LOWER DISCOVERY occupies the west half of T.270N., R.200E., Sec. 3, W2 — approximately 20 acres of federally administered land in Interior Alaska, Alaska. Under the General Mining Act of 1872, this parcel is identified by BLM serial number AK106518056 and is subject to annual maintenance obligations of $165 or equivalent assessment work.

The Fortymile Mining District — Interior Alaska's oldest continuously worked goldfield — predates the 1896 Klondike rush by over a decade. Small-scale placer operations along Chicken Creek, Franklin Gulch, and Mosquito Fork have produced documented gold through the 2020s. Seasonal access via the Taylor Highway (open May–October) provides the primary corridor to most claimable ground. The BLM Tok Field Office administers federal mineral entry in this zone; state-managed lands require separate DNR filing. Active mining claims have been renewed year-over-year in the Fortymile and Wade Creek sub-districts, indicating ongoing economic viability at current gold prices.

The nearest mapped access corridor, osm:1093206498 (mapped off-road route), lies 0.3 miles from this claim's centroid. off-road vehicle clearance is required. Vehicle staging is feasible along the route shoulder outside claim boundaries before the final approach on foot.