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Any Areas In/around Wickenburg Az?


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Hello all,

I am in Wickenburg AZ, visiting family for Christmas. Id like to get out of the house for a few hrs and detect. Never detected for gold before but i figure it would be fun to give it a go. I use an equinox 800. Anyhow, I dont want to end up tresspassing on someones land or claim. So anyone know of some good spots open to the public?

thanks in advance

  beyond the FLOT

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Many, many mining claims in those areas.  You would need to know how to determine where those claims were located before detecting.  Hate to be a kill joy but it just isn't something that can be done without a bit of research.

 

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Wickenburg is like the Winnemucca of Arizona - close your eyes, spin 360 degrees around, and you are likely to find gold in almost any direction if you know where to look.

Prospecting 101 for Arizona is Maureen Johnson's book. Definitely read through the relevant counties to start.  

1.) Pick a nearby area to explore from the book.

2.) Research claims and land ownership on My Land Matters

3.) Pack your gear and go explore, keep an eye out for new claim posts that aren't on the map yet.

4.) Profit?

Good luck, but fair warning it's hard to start detecting for gold on your own. But you are right where I first started alone too, so you are in the right place for it. Try to meet someone already successful at nugget hunting if you can, it woulda shaved years off my learning curve if I did. That's the best advice I could give someone starting out. 

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You can't legally prospect Arizona State lands with a recreational permit. That's a big no no.

You can legally prospect a specific section of State land with a Mineral Exploration Permit. That permit is $500 and takes about a month to process so it's probably not appropriate for the casual visitor to be directed to State lands.

Stay off State Lands for prospecting if you want to enjoy your visit. Locally to Wickenburg most BLM managed land that hasn't been claimed is open to prospecting. Your best bet is to pick a spot near where there are existing mining claims. You can get a view of which Sections are open by visiting the Land Matters Mining Claim Maps. It's free and the most current information available on the internet.

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5 hours ago, GhostMiner said:

If you go out there, make sure you stay off this guy's claim.

 

 

Nothing like a little drama to get the conversation going ghostminer!

Jeff's claims are about 180 miles north of Wickenburg by mule. About 6 more miles by car. I think your average Wickenburg prospector is safe from Jeff as long as they stay off the internet.  I'll bet he appreciates you putting up his link though. 😃

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29 minutes ago, Clay Diggins said:

You can't legally prospect Arizona State lands with a recreational permit. That's a big no no.

Thank you (again) Clay Diggins, you may have saved this gent some serious money, a waste of time waiting for the permit that is not a permit for prospecting, and if he was seriously unlucky, having his equipment confiscated.

Good one

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I’m going to be out in the Bradshaws on the 24th if you feel like going further north and meeting up. I don’t know the area, researched claims, and know the 800 pretty well. I guess at the very least, I can give you tips on how to use the machine and am confident if my 800 goes over gold I will find it. 

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