50 Plus Crowd Prospecting Vacation Page!
There are several ways of experiencing a gold prospecting vacation. You could put together a vacation yourself, which is not as difficult as you might think and it is certainly the least expensive route. Before you set out on your own, consider the next alternative, which would be to sign up with a local or statewide prospecting club if you have one within range. You could then plan a vacation around the club's timetable for meetings and events. This is really the best approach if you have never prospected and don't have a clue where to go or what to do.
Every prospecting club that I know of has members that are more than willing to educate the "sourdoughs" and explain how the equipment works. The equipment can be as simple as a $5.00 gold pan, or as expensive as you want to go, say $4,000.00 for a 4-inch dredge or a high-end metal detector. Many folks actually prospect today using only metal detectors, looking for gold, platinum, coins, meteorites, and other treasure. Personally, I like to jump in the river and dig.
Finally, you have the option of going to existing mines or mineral claim sites that offer access to the public for a fee. The Gold Prospectors Association of America (GPAA) offers summer trips to their property near Nome, AK every year. This is a great experience for "sourdoughs" because everything you need is available at the camp... just don't forget your mosquito net! There are other mine locations in California and North Carolina that offer public access as well.
The Gold Prospectors and Treasure Hunters of America (GPTHA), headquartered in Central Pennsylvania, goes to
North Carolina each year with about a dozen members to participate in a common dig event at the Lucky Strike Gold and Gem Mine. To get an idea of what goes on there, check out the Lucky Strike. Visit our Gem Hunting page for links to North Carolina gem mines, as well as others in New York and
Wyoming.
Probably the best of all is another Alaska site that really gets down to business when it come to finding the larger nuggets. You have to go to their Website at Ganes Creek to see for yourself. Last year, a fellow named Tom who regularly visits Ganes Creek, took home a beautiful 10.64 ounce nugget. That week's total was almost 25 ounces of gold nuggets and the week prior, 30 ounces of nuggets were found. I'm out of words... check them out at Ganes Creek!
There are two very important magazines I want to bring to your attention if you are even the slightest bit interested in Prospecting. The first is the GPAA magazine that comes when you join the GPAA, which can be a simple one year membership. Basically, the cost of membership (for the whole family) is what you might expect to pay for the magazine subsription alone! I have to admit that it is an informative magazine and one of the better deals for family fun today.
The second is for more serious prospectors interested in more intimate details about the geology of gold,
prospecting methods, refining methods, etc. It's not just for gold, but covers other minerals including diamonds. This magazine, ICMJ's Prospecting and Mining Journal (ICMJ), is available in single and multi-year subscriptions. There is no prospecting club or organization that is directly associated with the journal, but
it is worth its weight in...well you know! Visit ICMJ and check out this month's issue.
Prospecting Links
Prospecting Info
The following documents are presented in pdf form. If your computer does not have a pdf reader, Adobe will provide the latest version of Adobe Reader free of charge at their Website at Adobe.
Where's the Gold? How to Pan First Detector
If you're interested in buying a metal detector, please do a little research first. It will prevent major headaches later and most likely will save you a lot of money. To get up to speed on the various styles of detectors on the market and their abilities, read the "First Detector" document. If possible, visit a storefront that has the type you are interested in so you can give one a test drive before you pay. It may sound strange, but they are just like cars... they depreciate as soon as you leave the showroom floor.
I have no storefronts to buy from near my home so I purchase my equipment online. I only buy detectors and related equipment from
one trusted online source, which I have used for well over ten years. Kellyco Metal Detectors always has great sales and they are real pros in the metal detector business. If you visit
their Website at Kellyco, you will likely agree.
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