Gold Prospecting, Gem Collecting & Treasure Hunting
Your trusted source for practical how-tos, field techniques, Wild West history, and the pursuit of adventure in the American Southwest.
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Colorado Stagecoach & Train Robbery
The only public transportation before 1869 was the stagecoach, and most areas were served by the interconnecting stage lines.
New to Prospecting?
Start with the basics: what gear you actually need (less than you think), where to go, and how to find your first flakes of gold. Our beginner's checklist gets you in the field fast.
How-To Guides
Practical, step-by-step instructions for every skill level.
How to Separate Gold from Concentrates
This is the easiest and least-expensive way to separate gold from concentrates for the amateur gold prospector.
How to Sluice for Gold
In the early gold rush days prospectors used sluice boxes to remove gold from vast amounts of gold ore and gold bearing gravel deposits.
How to Pan for Gold
A complete step-by-step guide to gold panning with equipment list and important tips for success.
Join the Prospector Community
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Treasure Hunting
Lost gold, hidden caches, and legends of the Southwest.
Treasure Mountain
The legend of the lost 'Spanish Gold' stems from an expedition financed and organized by Napoleon Bonaparte.
Jack Slade and the Virginia Dale Stage Robbery
What was the treasure that Jack Slade got from the Virginia Dale stage robbery? Was the treasure worth what he went through?
The Reynolds Gang Stolen Treasure
Southern sympathizers, the Reynolds Gang operated in South Park in 1864 and launched what would become the only invasion of the South during the Civil War.
Wild West History
The miners, boomtowns, and characters who shaped the frontier.
Colorado Stagecoach & Train Robbery
The only public transportation before 1869 was the stagecoach, and most areas were served by the interconnecting stage lines.
The Cripple Creek Gold Rush: Colorado's Last Bonanza
How a volcanic crater became one of the richest gold districts in history and built fortunes overnight.
Tombstone's Silver Mines: Wealth, Flooding, and Famous Feuds
The mines that funded the town too tough to die—and the water that nearly killed them.
Latest Articles
Colorado Stagecoach & Train Robbery
The only public transportation before 1869 was the stagecoach, and most areas were served by the interconnecting stage lines.
How to Separate Gold from Concentrates
This is the easiest and least-expensive way to separate gold from concentrates for the amateur gold prospector.
How to Sluice for Gold
In the early gold rush days prospectors used sluice boxes to remove gold from vast amounts of gold ore and gold bearing gravel deposits.
The Moffat County "Diamond Fields" Hoax
Moffat County in Colorado's northwest corner is home to one of gem collecting's most notorious gemstone mining frauds.
Treasure Mountain
The legend of the lost 'Spanish Gold' stems from an expedition financed and organized by Napoleon Bonaparte.
Jack Slade and the Virginia Dale Stage Robbery
What was the treasure that Jack Slade got from the Virginia Dale stage robbery? Was the treasure worth what he went through?
The Reynolds Gang Stolen Treasure
Southern sympathizers, the Reynolds Gang operated in South Park in 1864 and launched what would become the only invasion of the South during the Civil War.
Not in MY Backyard!
Boulder County, Colorado contains a wealth of minerals that the United States is 100% dependent on foreign nations to supply.