NuggetStrike — North American Gold Prospector & Geology Field Guide

Layer Indicators

Gold Past Producer (High Yield)

Placer Gravel / Ancient River

Quartz Vein / Lode Mine

Melones Major Fault Suture

USFS Public Land (Casual Use)

BLM Public Domain (43 CFR 3809)

State Park (Strictly Prohibited)

Select a Gold Deposit

Click on any gold mine icon or fault line on the map to review USGS historical extraction records, host rock lithology, gangue minerals, and land clearance.

Mineral Prospectivity Engine

Calculates localized gold probability by spatially intersecting crustal shear faults, historical placer benches, and host lithology.

88 / 100

High Potential Placer / Contact

Within 450m of Melones fault suture and 0.8 mi of past gold producer.

Fault Suture Distance

0.4 km

Nearest Past Producer

0.8 mi

Host Rock Favorability

Slate / Serpentine

Land Legal Clearance

USFS Open

Recommended Field Tactics:

Sample gravels at inside bends of high-water flood channels.
Inspect bedrock ribs running transverse to stream flow for crevice gold.
Check for iron-stained quartz float on surrounding hillsides.
Verify unpatented mining claims on BLM MLRS portal prior to digging.

Prospector Field Journal

Log finds, specimen grades, GPS waypoints, and export to Garmin / OnX / Gaia GPS.

Location / Waypoint Name

Latitude

Longitude

Gold Specimen Type

Weight (Grams)

Recovery Tool

Bedrock / Gravel Depth

Field Observations & Notes

Saved Waypoints & Finds (0)

Recreational Mining Regulations

Knowing the rules prevents civil trespass, criminal fines, and claim-jumping disputes.

US Forest Service (36 CFR § 228, Subpart A)

Permitted without permit: Recreational gold panning, metal detecting, and non-motorized hand sluicing (under 14" width) on open public land.

Prohibited: Digging into stream banks, cutting trees, using motorized winches or gas highbankers without an approved Plan of Operations.

Bureau of Land Management (43 CFR § 3809)

"Casual Use": Hand tools, metal detectors, and drywashers are classified as casual use requiring no formal notice or bond, provided they cause no significant surface disturbance.

Caution: Check BLM MLRS serial numbers to avoid prospecting on someone's active unpatented placer or lode claim.

Zero-Tolerance Prohibitions

State & National Parks: 100% prohibited. Gold panning and metal detecting are illegal in all US National Parks and California State Parks (e.g. Empire Mine SHP, Marshall Gold Discovery SHP).

Private Property: Mineral trespass is a serious offense. Always verify boundaries on your device map.

How to Check Claims on BLM MLRS

Every USGS deposit in GoldStrike displays its PLSS coordinates (e.g., Township 18N, Range 10E, Section 04). To verify active claims:

Note the Township, Range, and Section from GoldStrike's Inspector tab.
Visit the BLM MLRS portal: reports.blm.gov/reports/mlrs.
Select "Mining Claims by Land Description" and input the T/R/Sec.
Inspect active serial numbers (Closed = Open ground, Active = Active claim).