CALIFORNIA GOLD REGION 4

California Gold Region 4 embraces Fresno, Bakersfield, Visalia, Porterville, Mohave, Randsburg, Johannesburg, Ridgecrest, China Lake, Trona, Fort Irwin, Independence, Lone Pine and Darwin.

National Forests in California Gold Region 4 include Sequoia, Sierra and Inyo. Some of the mountain ranges there are: Sierra Nevada, Tehachapi, Greenhorn, Panamint, El Paso, Piute, Granite, Argus, Slate and Owls Head. 

Other features of interest are: Sequoia National Park Giant Forest (the really big trees), Kings Canyon National Park, Mohave Desert, Owens Valley, Panamint Valley, Indian reservations and the U. S. Naval Weapons Center. 

There are one hundred seventy (170) gold sites within 40 miles of Bakersfield and fifty (50) sites within 40 miles of Fresno. Gold deposits extend across California Gold Region 4 to Death Valley National Monument.

Big Ten's California Gold Map 4 covers California Gold Region 4. It shows 770 gold mines and prospecting sites from official geological records of the State of California and the federal government. Specific gold deposit sites are shown in parts of these counties: 

Fresno      Inyo      Kern      San Bernardino     Tulare
Gold sites continue to the east on California Gold Map 1, to the south on Map 3 and to the north on Map 5.

GOLD MINES AND GOLD PROSPECTING IN CALIFORNIA GOLD REGION 4

California Gold Region 4 in Southern California is host to important gold deposits; a few of which follow: 

There is a concentration of gold sites five miles south of Mohave and another west of Fort Irwin, about 20 miles from Barstow. Heavy concentrations occur along the Kern River and at Isabella Lake east of the Greenhorn Mountains. California state road 178 parallels the Kern River. More sites exist in Sequoia National Forest east of Bakersfield.

The numerous gold deposits in the area surrounding Randsburg and Johannesburg and in the El Paso mountains northwest of Randsburg have been of considerable interest to prospectors and miners since the 1880's. Dry placer gold has been found in Red Rock Canyon, Mesquite Canyon, Goler Gulch and Red Bluffs. Gold-bearing sands and gravel occur in benches and in the hillsides above the canyons and on bedrock in the washes and canyons themselves. The gold particles are round and appear to have suffered considerable abrasion. The gold is mostly fine, although nuggets up to several ounces have been found. There are some narrow gold-quartz veins present.

The Rademacher Gold District is about 15 miles north of Randsburg and about 5 miles south of Ridgecrest. Faults and quartz veins exist in this district, which has 25 gold mines.

Many gold sites are in and between the Argus Mountain Range west of Trona and the Slate Mountain Range east of Trona. This area bridges the Inyo County/ San Bernardino County line east of the U.S. Naval Weapons Center. There are trails leading to the gold mines and dry washes here.

North and northeast of Fresno, gold sites are located in California Gold Region 4 near the Millerton Lake State Recreation Area and Pine Flat Lake. There are sites in Sierra National Forest and Sequoia National Forest north and south of the Kings River in Fresno County.

Inyo County has many gold deposits in and around the Owens Valley, north of Lone Pine, and in the vicinity of Darwin, south of state highway 190.

COMMENTS ON GOLD PROSPECTING IN CALIFORNIA GOLD REGION 4

In this region you will be prospecting for California gold in an interesting part of the United States, which boasts the giant redwood trees. Time permitting, you may wish to drive through the beautiful twisting mountain road leading down into Kings Canyon and the Kings River in Kings Canyon National Park.

The many existing gold sites in California Gold Region 4 testify to the great interest in prospecting here in the past. Use a gold pan in the streams and a metal detector or dry washer in arid locations.