CALIFORNIA GOLD REGION 2

California Gold Region 2 includes the southernmost part of Southern California from the Mexican Border northward to Santa Ana and Riverside and eastward to El Centro, the Salton Sea and Joshua Tree National Monument. It embraces San Diego, Escondido, Anaheim, Hemet, Julian, Palm Springs and Indio.  Some of the mountain ranges in the region are Laguna, San Ysidro, Santa Ana, Elsinore, Little San Bernardino and San Jacinto. 

The national forests in California Gold Region 2 are Cleveland and San Bernardino. There are gold sites throughout the region and near San Diego, Escondido, Riverside, Palm Springs and Joshua Tree National Monument.

Big Ten's California Gold Map 2 covers California Gold Region 2. It shows 340 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:

 Imperial      Orange      Riverside      San Diego
Gold sites continue to the east on Map 1 and to the north on Map 3.     

GOLD MINES AND GOLD PROSPECTING IN CALIFORNIA GOLD REGION 2

Many people are surprised to learn of the vast extent of gold mining and prospecting sites in Southern California. This is due in part to the massive amount of publicity directed toward history of the discovery of gold in the Mother Lode area of the state and the resulting California Gold Rush. However, the early prospectors found gold in Southern California, including in California Gold Region 2.

The San Ysidro Mountains a few miles east of Chula Vista and 20 miles southeast of San Diego is the location of the Dulzura Gold District. Placer gold was discovered here in 1828 and lode mining began in 1890. The deposits consist of broken and crushed quartz containing gold.

The Escondido District is 25 miles north of San Diego. Mexicans mined the rich surface ores here many years ago and there was considerable activity in this district in the 1890's and early 1900's.  

The Laguna District lies about 45 miles east-northeast of San Diego in the Laguna Mountains. The Cuyamaca District is a few miles northwest of the Laguna District. The Pine Valley District in San Diego County includes Descanso and is just off of Interstate 8 about 35 miles east of San Diego.

Directly east of Escondido is the famous Julian-Banner District, which, together with the Cuyamaca and Pinacote Districts, were prime sources of gold in Region 2. The Pinacote District is in the hills of western Riverside County between Perris and Lake Elsinore.  The area of the Pinacote District was placer mined in the 1850's and there was considerable activity after discovery of a major vein in 1874, and until 1903.

Some other Region 2 gold districts were: Boulder Creek, about 5 miles west of Cuyamaca; Deer Park, about 6 miles south of Cuyamaca Rancho State Park; Menifee, about 8 miles south of Perris; Mesa Grande, about 50 miles north of San Diego and just northwest of the town of Mesa Grande; Montezuma, or Rice District, about 12 miles north of Julian; and, Trabuco, in the canyons of the Santa Ana Mountains in eastern Orange County, mainly the Trabuco and Silverado Canyons.

The rich Dale or Virginia Dale District is in southern San Bernardino County and northern Riverside County. It extends into California Gold Region 2 about 50 miles east-northeast of Palm Springs. There are many gold deposit sites between Palm Springs and the Dale District.

COMMENTS ON GOLD PROSPECTING IN CALIFORNIA GOLD REGION 2

California Gold Region 2 is a good part of the state for outdoor recreation, including recreational gold prospecting and gold panning. It has the Cleveland National Forest and the San Bernardino National Forest.

Gold sites are within easy driving distance of the areas of major population and the clear, mild weather is ideal for outdoor activities. Camping and RV facilities are excellent. 

California Gold Region Three  

RECREATIONAL  GOLD PROSPECTING AND GOLD PANNING IN THE CALIFORNIA GOLD REGIONS
Note: The immediately following eight paragraphs are common to each of the six (6) California gold regions. If you should read about gold in the other California gold regions, just scroll down to the point in the text where the particular region is discussed and continue on from there.

Since the days of the California gold rush in 1849, prospectors, treasure hunters and vacationers have flocked to California to hunt for gold. They use gold pans, sluice boxes, metal detectors, dredges and dry washers in their prospecting efforts. Rockhounding is done in the gold producing areas.

Recreational gold panning is a popular hobby in California. A simple gold pan is effective in detecting and recovering gold from a streambed.

Metal detectors are used to detect nuggets in the dry washes, dry streambeds and desert areas. Inexpensive light weight sluice boxes are often used in flowing streams to increase the amount of material being washed for gold. Dry washers are used to recover gold in arid areas. Experienced prospectors may be seen dredging for California gold. However, if you want to find some gold and have fun doing it, pans will suffice and provide many happy hours of outdoor activity for you and your family.

The great California Gold Rush was of such importance, and has received so much publicity, that many people are not aware that the California Gold Rush was preceded by gold rushes in the Southeastern States. The first documented discovery of gold in the United States was in North Carolina in 1799 and gold mining started there in 1803. A major gold rush took place in Georgia in 1828 and a lesser rush occurred in Alabama in the 1830's. Most of the gold mining districts in the West were located by pioneers, many of whom were experienced gold miners from Alabama and Georgia. 

Gold mining and prospecting sites in California range from the Mexican border to the Oregon state line and eastward to the Arizona and Nevada state lines. Both Northern and Southern California provide ample locations where you may pan for gold.

Knowledge of those places where gold has been found earlier is useful in searching for more gold.

Prior work by geologists of the U.S. Bureau of Mines, the U.S. Geological Survey and the California Division of Mines and Geology is acknowledged. Of special mention is the prior work of William B. Clark and Ralph Loyd of the California Division of Mines and Geology and that of Waldemar P. Lindgren of the U.S. Geological Survey. The excellent California Division of Mines and Geology Bulletin 193, by William B. Clark, was drawn upon for details of specific gold districts throughout the state and for text regarding the Klamath Mountains region of Northern California.  Lindgren's work published in the year 1911 as regards the ancient Tertiary Rivers is considered a classic.

Note: The above paragraphs to this point are common to each of the six (6) California gold regions. If you should read about gold in the other California gold regions, just scroll down to the point in the text where the particular region is discussed and continue on from there.