Yuba River — South Fork
CANorthern Mother Lode · near Nevada City
Steep gradient dumps coarse gold on bedrock shelves. Historic dredge fields and modern recreational digs both pay.
Exceptional
RiverBedrockPlacer
All sites
American River — North Fork
CAintermediateSierra Nevada Foothills · near Auburn · ~1,200 ft
Exceptional likelihood
Classic California placer ground. Gold sheds from Sierra quartz veins and settles in river bends, behind boulders, and on false bedrock.
RiverGravel barBedrockPlacer
Access
Mixed access
Best season
Summer access
Water
perennial
Geology & history
Eocene auriferous gravels reworked into modern channels. Heavy minerals concentrate on clay false-bedrock and bedrock cracks.
Historic yield: Mother Lode heartland — millions of ounces
Dispersion radius: ~18 km corridor on the map
Coordinates: 38.9220, -120.9950
Best features
- Inside bends
- Bedrock cracks
- Gravel bars
Field tips
- Work inside bends and eddy tails below rapids
- Probe cracks and crevices with a snuffer bottle
- Respect active mining claims — check BLM LR2000
Nearby corridors
~28 mi away
~41 mi away
Mokelumne River Corridor
CACentral Mother Lode · near Jackson
Foothill river with bars and side channels that rebuild after storms. Fine to medium gold typical.
High
RiverGravel barPlacer
Verify claims and land status before any excavation. Coordinates are approximate corridor centers for education. See Terms.