Miners first arrived in Southwest Oregon during the mid-19th century. In the 1850s, reports of prospectors finding gold in the Rogue River and Umpqua River valleys was generating much interest. Soon men from around the world, including thousands of prospectors from the California goldfields, were venturing into the Oregon wild lands to search for the […]
There are few things that reach from ancient times into the modern era like the legend of lost treasure. From the Dutchman’s hoard to King Solomon’s mines, the lure of finding hidden wealth continues to fuel many present-day adventurers. One such legend is that of the Lost Blue Bucket Mine in Oregon. The diverse mineralogy […]
With the leaps and bounds of progress in modern technology, it’s so easy to get lost in front of screens all day. Though we are quick to forget the benefits of being outdoors, a short hike through a beautiful park can easily fix that. Thankfully, one doesn’t have to look far—Oregon has a wealth of […]
The Coquille River may be home to some of Oregon’s most overlooked gold deposits. While nowhere near as rich as some of the surrounding area, people have been sifting gold from the gravels along the river since the early days of the Oregon gold rush. Situated in the Southern Oregon Coast Range, this is a […]
American poet and photographer Laura Gilpin once said, a river seems a magic thing. A magic, moving, living part of the very earth itself. Indeed, the many rivers across the world are mystical and complex, cutting paths across massive tracts of land and bearing bountiful fruits beneath their waters. One such river is the Umpqua […]
The Little Applegate River is one of the many gold-bearing rivers in Oregon. Gold has been mined here not long after the discovery of gold in California, and prospectors area still attracted to this area today. There are two public access sites along the Little Applegate River (tributary to the Applegate River which also has […]
The Snake River in the US state of Idaho has a long history of gold mining. However, early geological reports indicate that for the most part, the occurrence of gold there was somewhat limited in relation to the other gold districts in Idaho. The river course spans across from Western Wyoming to the confluence with […]
The southwestern corner of Oregon is well-known for its rich history of gold mining. A bit further north were some other documented gold occurrences. And while they aren’t as famous, these are still good areas to find gold today. Both of these sites are a short distance from Cottage Grove. And both have been withdrawn […]
Some five miles west of Medford, Jacksonville is a small town in Jackson County, Oregon. Its origin dates back to the 1850s when placer gold was found in Jackson Creek. The creek flows through Jacksonville, and it also inspired the name of the city. For nearly three decades after the city was established, Jacksonville was […]
Oregon has thousands of square miles of public land that a person can prospect for a variety of valuable minerals. In Southwestern Oregon there are many gold-bearing rivers where a person can do some panning. The problem for the casual prospector is that many areas are claimed up. This means that you aren’t allowed to […]