The Smith River watershed drains the mountains in the most northwesterly corner of the state of California. Situated in Del Norte County, this region sees much less activity than most other parts of the state. Even most Californians have never been here.
Gold mining in the region dates back almost as early as the original gold rush, with most mining activity taking place from the 1850s through the 1870s.
Minor Gold Rush
To be clear, the historical gold production in Del Norte County was a far cry from most other mining regions in California. The publication Gold Districts of California put the total estimate of gold production somewhere around 40,000 ounces. Most of this likely came from placer mining operations on the Smith River.
The South Fork of the Smith River received most attention from early miners. Fine gold could be recovered from the present gravels, and ancient river channels above the current river were often richer still. Miners would build long toms and sift through gravels to accumulate the small hidden particles of gold.
Golden Tributaries
There are some creeks that flow into the Smith River that are worth exploring. One would be Craig Creek, which drains into the river just a few miles east of Crescent City. Another drainage worth exploring would by Myrtle Creek.
Rowdy Creek is another spot to check out. There is good access with plenty of public land and gold that can be recovered by panning.
If you head up Highway 199 (Redwood Highway) past Gasquet heading toward Oregon, there is Monkey Creek and Shelly Creek. Both are known gold producers, and there are several nice campground in this area.
The Smith River was hit hard back when suction dredging was legal in California. While early literature puts estimates of the total gold production around 40,000 ounces, the true tally is likely much higher than that. While it’s true that the amount of gold in the Smith River watershed is far lower than surrounding areas (Klamath River, Trinity River, etc), that certainly doesn’t mean that this area should be overlooked.
NorCal Beach Gold
There are several sites along the Pacific Coast where miners can recover decent quantities of gold from the sands. The mouth of the Smith River at one of these areas. Actually, there are decent beach deposits on the entire stretch of the northern California Coast, ranging from the Oregon border down to Eureka.
The best places to recover beach gold are around the mouth of the Smith River, the mouth of the Klamath River, Gold Bluff, Big Lagoon, and Orick. Keep in mind that this gold has traveled a long way, and it is almost certain to be tiny particles. Panning is definitely a challenge.
More Reading:
17 of California’s Richest Gold Mining Locations
16+ Pound Chunk of Raw Crystalline Gold from California
Protecting Your Mineral Discovery