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Butte Creek Forks Recreational Area

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BUTTE, CA

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Regulations, only panning is allowed per BLM,

5 1
7/17/2018
GREG CASTAGNOLI
Step 1 of 1

Easy access or you can reserve a spot downstream. But no other equipment can be used other than a gold pan, not even a sluice box.


 

Easy access - good gold

4 0
3/11/2021
Larry Schack
Step 1 of 2

The Forks of the Butte Recreation area is easy to access. Take Skyway from Chico/99 up past Paradise and through Magalia. Go past the DeSabla Reservoir and about 1/2 mile past the reservoir, turn left onto Powelton Road. This is a gravel road. After a 1/4 mile, Powelton splits. Stay left. This is now Doe Mill road. (Powelton goes off to the right). Again, stay left on Doe Mill and go approximately another 1/3 mile until you cross a small bridge going over the PG&E flume. You will see a BLM sign the says Forks of the Butte Recreation Area. You are now at the TOP of the Forks of the Butte and have to drive down. STAY TO THE RIGHT. It does not have a name. This is the road that will take you down to the beginning of the Forks recreation area. If you stay to the left, that is Doe Mill road and will take you down to the bridge at Butte Creek which is about 1 mile south of the Forks Recreation Area. There are trails and prospecting sites accessible from the bridge, but these directions tell you how to get to the beginning/main area of the Forks of the Butte Recreation Area. So take the unnamed road on the right by the sign that says Forks of the Butte Recreation Area. It is approximately 3.1 miles to the creek from the sign. The road is mostly dirt with some gravel. It is passable by a 2x4 but a 4x4 or quad would be best as the road can get muddy with ruts in the winter and spring. Summer is not an issue and many people travel to the Forks in a car. Please note there are no amenities at the Forks. They are all primitive campsites. There are no showers or bathrooms. Pack out what you pack in. Also cell service is no existent here or anywhere in northern Butte Creek Canyon.This all being said, this is a great place to prospect. There is chunky gold here with lots of bedrock to explore. It's like summer camp on steroids. During the Gold Rush the Forks of the Butte was a mining community of over 1000 people.


 

3 bridges

3 0
9/3/2019
Shawn Melton
Step 1 of 2

I hiked down the trail crossing three bridges looking for my site (17A). I approximated location since could not find site markers. I ended up working some bedrock and found 2 small pieces for about 4 hours of effort. Nice coarse pieces.


 

Slim pickings!

2 0
5/20/2019
Michael Williams
Step 1 of 1

Lots of exposed bedrock. Easy to break up however areas close to bridge have been picked clean. A further hike up the creek would be necessary. Water levels were high, fast, and cold.


 

Reconnoiter Expedition of Butte Creek Forks

1 1
11/6/2018
LOVELY BRYANT
Step 1 of 2

Visited on 11.4.2018 From Skyway drive in Magalia, shortly past De Sabla, left on Powellton Rd which is not paved. Stay left at fork on Understock Rd which becomes Doe Mill Road. Follow Doe Mill down to the river where there is a bridge. This is Butte Creek Forks Rec area. The road is rugged, rocky and rutted almost need a 4x4. This area does get snow in winter. The Rec area is just a bridge. No facilities and little parking. There is a trail going upriver that you could take a backpack of gear. The water level was very low and according to a local friend the river was much slower than normal. So, this would be a good time of year to go. Did not see any mining activity, but lots of promising geology and river bank. A quad or hiking would be needed to go to campsites from Kolar road which is just a dirt path off Doe Mill after the bridge. If only panning is allowed might try out a banjo pan with a sluice built in. I'll add photos later.