What to Know About Gold Mines in California

In the 1840s and 50s California experienced what has historically become known as the gold rush. Gold mines sprang up all over the California countryside following the findings of this glittering gold nuggets at Sutter’s mill with thousands of people catching gold fever and flocking into the area in a hope of striking rich. It didn’t take long until the richest veins were tapped out, and many a prospector went bust, or went to search in other areas such as Nevada or Alaska.

However, despite the fact that gold rush in California is officially over the lure of gold in California is still very much alive and gold mines in California are still very much a part of this state’s heritage, history, and even future.
Making a Profit with the Glitter of Gold
Some of the old historical gold mines in California seen at Black Hawk Mine are still turning profit today, without even a hint of the glitter of gold. Innovative and far seeing individuals have found ways of turning these old and no longer profitable gold mines into money making tourist attractions by giving new generations of people a historical view of what the gold rush and gold mining was like. These tourist areas, make their profits by charging a nominal fee to people wanting to experience a taste of what the gold miner’s life was like. Such as activities as panning for gold, or gold mine tours still hold interest for many people today, and there are companies and individuals who have made a handsome profit by providing a day or weekend long experience for these history and gold mining enthusiasts.
Working Gold Mines
While there gold rush in California is long past, that doesn’t mean that all the gold has been removed from them hills just yet, and there are still a few working gold mines in the area that are slowly giving up their riches in the shape of gold nuggets. Mines like the Black Diamond mines and Stutter Gold mining are still finding gold and trying or succeeding to turn a profit from gold. Of course these modern day mines are run nothing like those gold mines of old, and today’s gold miners tend to have geology degrees and host of modern day equipment to aid their search for this high demand metal.
Gold Mining the Rivers
While not exactly high production gold mining endeavors, California’s recent drought has lead to a small resurgence in gold mining rivers as many people are now flocking to those rivers that were once a source of rich gold deposits looking for hidden nuggets in the shallow water caused by the drought. Rivers that were once 10 or 12 feet deep, and considered too deep to get gold from, are now 2 feet deep or less making it possible for people to try their hand at panning gold, in the hopes that these rivers were hiding rich nuggets that washed down, and continue to rush down from the hills above. While most of these modern day miners have not had much luck, a few have struck it big keeping the California gold mine dream alive.