Windy River Mtns. Wyoming Placers

RexB · Windy River Mtns. Wyoming Placers

I was just wondering if anyone might happen know something about general areas you can go to prospect south of the Windy River Mtns. in Wyoming. I know a lot of it is claimed and may require excavation to get to the placers. Just wondering since it would not be too far for a visit. I got on the Geocommunicator and had a look around for curiosity's sake.

Rex

JasonG

Hi, that's the South Pass area. I've been out quite a few times but it's rather hit or miss for me for panning/sluicing. However I have heard of other people doing quite well in some places. There is a GPAA claim on Rock Creek, and there used to be (may still be there) one on the Sweetwater. There is actually a big chunk of Rock Creek below the GPAA claim in the Canyon that is unclaimed if you don't mind hiking, I have been down to it, but didn't find enough to claim it. Lots of Willow Creek is unclaimed. A few of the smaller creek are unclaimed, I find some flour gold in them, thats about it. Most of the historically well producing areas are claimed, but many of the hillsides and smaller gulches are not if you were planning on nugget shooting. I haven't found anything with my GMT out there, but I have a feeling a good nugget shooter with a Minelab might have some luck since it's hardly been hit at all and I think if anything is out there, it's deep. There are three gold producing areas there, South Pass/Atlantic City, Miner's Delight, and Lewiston. There is also a huge paleoplacer (fine gold, estimates in the millions of oz's au) south across the Sweetwater River an into the Red Desert.

RexB

Jason,

Thanks for that information. I read an article in the ICMJ about a guy who had an operation over there. It also briefly mentioned the million dollar paleoplacer. I guess most of the nugget sized gold is fairly deep over there. The fellow with the summer operation would excavate to around 30 ft.