Once upon a time, Southern California was a hotbed for gold mining and panning. During the California Gold rush in 1849, families would move across the United State in an effort to discover the mother lode and become instantly wealthy. Small towns sprung up quickly as adventurers worked relentlessly. Once all of the gold was mined in an area or none found, towns would become desolate as gold buyers moved on.
There are more than 340 mapped mining locations in Southern California, and still individuals and families who adventure out into the wilderness to prospect for gold. Some of the most frequented areas for gold expeditions are the Angeles National Forest, Anaheim, Anzo Borrego, Banning, Coachella, Laguna Hills, Lake Elsinore, Mission Viejo, San Juan Capistrano, Santa Ana, Yorba Linda and more. Because of the price of gold rising steadily, there is an increasing number of wondering how to sell gold. Surprisingly in March of 2009, there were a record 24,583 active gold-mining claims in the state of California alone!
This may be result of the increasing numbers of gold prospecting clubs popping up throughout California. According to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management in Sacramento, the higher the price of gold rises, the more individuals who decide that hunting for gold during their free time makes sense.
One of the best noted places to pan for gold in Southern California is along the San Gabriel River, about an hour drive from Los Angeles. It appears to currently be one of the most popular gold fields for today’s gold panning enthusiasts. In order to successfully pan for gold there, one must: (1) Dig into the soil, (2) deposit the soil into a metal sluicer and (3) Search at the bottom of the sluicer to find gold (because gold is the heaviest material and usually drifts to the bottom).
If you dare to venture out to a favorite gold mining area and actually find a piece worth selling, now is a great time to get top dollar when you sell gold. Gold is currently near an all-time high of $1750 an ounce! To learn more about mining for gold in Southern California, there are several online sources and government maps that can get you started!!
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