Sheila, I know there is some out there. One of our club members just bought a piece in near the Alabama and Georgia lien and is looking at another. My GUESS is it would be easier to find open claims in the western states than east of the Mississippi. I have been looking at pace I know there is gold and then using Google earth to find roads and pieces of property along the same creeks. It was my intention to knock and doors and ask if I could prospect there. But I think if you drove in the area , you might see for sale signs, or call real estate agents and ask what is for sale in the area. Go look at it, see if it might have potential.

As far as long term camping on claims, Join the LDMA Their claims are open to up to 6 months stays at a time and the people can't be nicer.

A+ for LDMA

The way I found a potential claim in New Mexico was I found some BLM land. Ran coordinates on google earth. Did a Township Meridian Overlay then searched it that parcel was claimed. Lucky for me it was not. So I prospected the area the next day and now deciding if I am going to stake a claim and jump through the hops of registering it. Only hold back is I am moving to Alabama this Summer and New Mexico is a heck of a trip.

Yes that's pretty far but exciting you found some potential land. I am 😊 definitely going to join the LDMA when taxes come in. I have found a RV that I am interested in purchasing. So I am making small steps to find my path searching for the Yella gold!! Thank you 😊 for the help!!!

Start by looking at historical gold producing areas where you are interested in going.  Then you need to get maps of the areas and then start researching LR2000 and other sites that can give information on claims, both active and closed.  When you find unclaimed or closed claims then you need to go to the county recorder and see if anything is current on file for that piece of ground.

Get with chapters in the areas you are interested in and let them know what you are looking for.  The locals know the area best and most would most likely be willing to help out.

 

Buying off craigslist or evil bay are generally iffy at best---some are valid claims with mineral potential, but there are more scams than gold producers out there.

HI SHEILA 2 DOGS HERE FIRST FIGURE WHAT STATE YOU WANT TO BE IN DO NOT BUY A CLAIM OFF OF CRAIGS LIST MOST ARE OVER WORKED OR NOT ON GOLD BEARING GROUND. THERE IS A APP FOR GOOGLE EARTH CALLED MINE CACHE IT HAS ALL THE CLOSED CLAIMS ON BLM LAND IN THE U.S. START THERE THEN RESEARCH THAT AREA FOR GOLD HISTORY. IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER WHEN YOU FILE A CLAIM ON BLM OR FORESTRY LAND IT IS FOR MINERAL RIGHTS ONLY YOU DO NOT OWN THE LAND YOU CAN NOT BUILD ON IT. CAMPING O.K. YOU CAN CAMP AS LONG AS YOUR ACTIVELY WORKING THE CLAIM ANY QUESTIONS PRIVATE MESSAGE ME AT THIS SITE AND I'LL HELP ALL I CAN. OUR MINING TEAM HAS A FEW CLAIMS HERE IN MONTANA IF YOUR LOOKING FOR A VACATION THIS YEAR.

MEMBER GPAA, PLP WMA MONTANA MUSEUM OF MINES NEW49ERS, MEMBER AND FABRICATOR FOR LAST CHANCE MINERS