Gold Prospecting on the Skykomish and Sultan Rivers

For gold seekers in the Seattle area looking to get out of the city and do some prospecting, the Skykomish River probably offers the best chance of success. The areas is known to produce small amounts of placer gold throughout.

The Skykomish River does flow through an area with a rich history of gold mining, and there is gold present all the way throughout the system. However, you aren’t going to strike it rich here. It will take some hard work!

The Sultan River is also worth mentioning. In fact, there is generally better gold to be found in the Sultan River, if you can find access. Let’s take a deeper look at this area.

 

Notable Areas

 

I expect that you can find a speck of gold just about anywhere in these river, but there are a few spots that are known to have better concentrations of gold. One of these areas is near the towns of Gold Bar and Sultan.

While gold occurs throughout the river systems, is seems to be known that you will have most luck with a 20 mile radius of Gold Bar.

 

Very Fine Flood Gold

 

Almost without exception, the gold in the Skykomish is ultra-fine, often called “flood gold.” These tiny specks create a unique challenge for gold prospectors.

Fine gold is always a challenge, but simply finding concentrations of this tiny gold can be a problem. Unlike coarser gold which will settle in bedrock cracks, this fine gold will easily be moved by annual flood activity.

In many cases, the richest concentrations of gold will be found away from the edge of the river. Avoid the main river channel and look up near the high-water flood level, where sticks and debris has accumulated.

Rather than digging out bedrock, consider doing some “mossing.” This is a simple technique where you separate moss from rocks and break it apart, panning out the concentrates. This works because moss acts as a natural collector of very fine silts, and it can capture those tiny specks of gold dust too.

Read: Using a Gold Cube to Capture Fine Gold

 

Skykomish River Access

 

One good access point for the Skykomish River is a couple miles east of Gold Bar. The Big Eddy Public Water Access is a good spot to do a little panning. Put in some time here and you are likely to be rewarded with some gold.

The Sultan Boat Launch is another good site to access both rivers, situated where the Sultan River flows in the the Skykomish River. There’s definitely gold to find here.

 

Silver Creek & Mineral City

 

The fine gold dust throughout the river system are due to the mineralization of the surrounding mountains. Within the Skykomish River drainage there are several rich mines that are worth noting. In fact, a serious miner would be advised to seek out mineralization of the surrounding mountains. Rich ores can still be found in the northern Cascades.

The majority of the very fine gold in the Skykomish River comes from the North Fork Skykomish, and more specifically from the Silver Creek tributary.

About 10 miles up the Index-Galena road, you might also want to check out the Silver Creek trailhead. There’s an old abandoned mining camp name Mineral City about 5 miles up the trail. At one time this was a silver/gold producer. Fine gold can be panned from Silver Creek downstream of Mineral City.

 

Sultan River

 

The Sultan River is more productive than the Skykomish River. This is good, but it also means that most areas situated on public lands already have active gold claims.

For many years, the section of river called Horseshoe Bend was popular and productive with gold panners. The area makes a huge bend, and the heavier gold would drop out and settle in this section. I’ve heard some impressive stories from miners who dredged this area years ago. I suspect there are still some big nuggets here.

Onley Creek is a tributary of the Sultan River that will also turn up some decent gold.

Also Read: The Rich Gold Mines of Republic, Washington

And: 12 of the Richest Gold Mining Areas in Washington

 

The Monte Cristo Mines

 

Situated high in the surrounding peaks is the site of the Monte Cristo Mining area. This was one of the most productive gold mining sites in the state of Washington. It operated in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Peak production occurred in 1897.

The mines have long ago stopped production, and the area is now accessible only by hiking in. There are a few old mining shacks and relics at the site.

 

Let’s Get Started!

 

Read to venture out and do some gold prospecting? WAIT!

First thing first. You need to print out a copy of the Gold & Fish Pamphlet. Go to the Washington Fish & Wildlife website and print out a copy. You MUST carry a copy with you while you are prospecting in the field in Washington.

Second, you need to figure out a place to go. This article has mentioned lots of general areas where you can go and explore, and even a few specific areas that you can check out. However, you need to take care to ensure that you are on land that is actually open for you to prospect on.

 

Following the Law

 

There are two big reasons why you might not be able to prospect an area.

Active mining claims: In the United States, individual citizens and companies can stake claims on parcels of public land to extract valuable minerals. This gives them exclusive rights to the minerals. While the land is still open for other casual-use activities, others cannot prospect on this land without permission from the claimant.

Private land: There is a lot of private land adjacent to both the Skykomish River and the Sultan River. You need permission from the landowner to access these lands. Otherwise, you are trespassing.

If you want to take some of the stress out of this, an easy way to gain access to gold-bearing ground is to join a prospecting club. Most of them have “club claims,” which provide access to paying members. Cost for most clubs is quite reasonable.

 

Washington Gold Prospecting Clubs

 

Research these Washington prospecting clubs for further information:

Bedrock Prospectors

Washington Prospectors

Western Washington GPAA