5 geologic signs to look for when out prospecting for gold?

[Grumpie]

When looking for a new location to prospect what are 5 of the most important geologic signs you look for in a new location? I'm sure 5 different geologist would all have the same ideas but how about the everyday recreational prosecutor? Do you all just stay in areas you know that produce gold? Or do you leave gold to prospect other areas?

 

[Grumpie]

Come on folks let's talk about quartz outcroppings and granite, smooth round heavy rocks vs coarse. How about diorite, feldspar and locations where its found and other clues to help lead us to find the yellow stuff. How about ravines with bedrock gold traps,inside bends and benches and old signs of diggings.

 

[okara gold]

You know the old saying "Don't leave gold to find gold". But I have done this many times with the thought that I can always go back to the ground that was producing. I like to prospect and see new areas! The excitement of finding a new patch is what always drove me on. These searches were primarily in AZ. Some things I always look for... From a distance, look for areas of red soil that stand out from the surrounding area. These might be an indicator of oxidized iron rich and hopefully gold bearing soils. Hunt any saddles on hills that may have caught gold from eroding veins. Always look underfoot for areas of the most mix of rock types, quartz, hot rocks, vuggy, rotten iron stained quartz, granite, etc. These groupings of mixed media has paid off more than you can imagine. They also cause a metal detector the most grief! If trekking through areas of exposed schist look for any tiny veins of quartz. The same goes for granite outcroppings with quartz contact zones. Look for any signs of old workings in washes. Mainly rocks stacked along sides of small washes. These prospects (my favorite) often contain gold nuggets mixed in with the over burden shoveled out of the wash. In the haste for the old prospectors to get to bedrock, many nuggets were shoveled out behind the wall of rocks. Tear the walls down and start hunting. Beware of snakes, scorpions, and black widows all hiding out in the cavities of the walls. I like tarantulas so I won't mention them. LOL Don't forget to rake down any OLD dry wash piles. Preferably those with an abundance of vegetative growth, another favorite!
Good luck!

 

[Pyledriver]

All of the above! Then there are also anomalies like a patch of nuggets found on a hillside in loose overburden, not red or anything eye-catching. We’re still trying to figure out where it came from! Further up, huh? It dang sure didn’t go uphill from the wash! Lol.. Dense vegetation limits us the further uphill you go, but there are some outcroppings way up that we haven’t made it to yet. So far we’ve been busy with what we find in the washes where it’s easier than the steep hillsides. But soon we’ll be side-hilling with our detectors again and hopefully solve the mystery!

 

[BobOso]

Okara gold gave some good points, except I do not agree on tearing down the walls built by the old timers, I think we should leave history alone, there may be a few small pieces under the wall, but what is left for our grandchildren. I have seen several Astras destroyed by by greedy prospectors hopping to find that lost nugget. Red dirt with quartz is always nice, don't forget looking in areas covered with basalt, plays hell with your metal detector, so most people avoid these areas.

 

[Walknstik]

All of the above! Then there are also anomalies like a patch of nuggets found on a hillside in loose overburden, not red or anything eye-catching. We’re still trying to figure out where it came from! Further up, huh? It dang sure didn’t go uphill from the wash! Lol.. Dense vegetation limits us the further uphill you go, but there are some outcroppings way up that we haven’t made it to yet. So far we’ve been busy with what we find in the washes where it’s easier than the steep hillsides. But soon we’ll be side-hilling with our detectors again and hopefully solve the mystery!

Not too long ago I read a post by a well-respected geologist/prospector/author that stated they once found a nice nugget patch atop a hill that showed no geological signs whatsoever of why gold was there or even in the immediate general area?! "Mother Nature" has had literally millions of years to toss around and rearrange the landscape that we see today and in the process some of her treasures could be out of place? Maybe this could account for the old saying...gold is where you find it. Ha!

 

[Walknstik]

All of the above! Then there are also anomalies like a patch of nuggets found on a hillside in loose overburden, not red or anything eye-catching. We’re still trying to figure out where it came from! Further up, huh? It dang sure didn’t go uphill from the wash! Lol.. Dense vegetation limits us the further uphill you go, but there are some outcroppings way up that we haven’t made it to yet. So far we’ve been busy with what we find in the washes where it’s easier than the steep hillsides. But soon we’ll be side-hilling with our detectors again and hopefully solve the mystery!

Not too long ago I read a post by a well-respected geologist/prospector/author that stated they once found a nice nugget patch atop a hill that showed no true geological signs of why gold was there and void in the immediate general area?! "Mother Nature" has had literally millions of years to toss around and rearrange the landscape that we see today and in the process some of her treasures could be out of place? Maybe this could account for the old saying...gold is where you find it. Ha!

 

[alaskaseeker]

In known gold producing areas you are always looking for rounded river gravels no matter where, the most interesting of course would be hillside placers, but you must understand the river or stream ran everywhere when establishing its watercourse, so outside of colorization which is a sign of ground minerals you are liking for rounded rocks with streaks of black sand, when hunting in All metal you can hear the changes... Geo

 

[Walknstik]

I don't know if the found gold was course or water worn? Mother Natures erosion through the eons either opened up some pocket-gold/vein or exposed some gold bearing rounded river gravels? Happy New Year and HH!

 

[woody86]

Contact zones, heavy minerals, bedrock, quartz outcroppings, sulfites, staining...on and on. Really depends where you are looking.

 

[Wandering Karl]

You find gold where its been found.
Start in known districts, educate your eye/self, and branch out is what i have done.

 

[BobOso]

I look for places like this