Merced River Recreation Area (Briceburg)
Public area set aside for recreational collecting
Native material: you search the natural ground on site.
BLM recreation area on the Wild and Scenic Merced River downstream from Yosemite, well known for recreational gold panning and prospecting: miners have worked this canyon since the 1850s. Panning is popular all along the river, from Briceburg to the three BLM campgrounds downstream. The pin is on the Briceburg Visitor Center, at the entrance of the area.
Make a weekend of it
390 gold spots on open public land with no claim on record, within 50 miles.
There are more on the map, some of them with a possible mining claim.
Clubs and places nearby
- Mariposa Gem & Mineral ClubClub · 8 mi
- Calaveras Gem & Mineral SocietyClub · 49 mi
- Mother Lode Mineral Society of CaliforniaClub · 54 mi
- Fresno Gem & Mineral SocietyClub · 55 mi
- Roaring Camp Mining Company (Mokelumne River)Pay-to-dig · 64 mi
- Delta Gold Diggers (GPAA Stockton)Club · 77 mi
Access
Briceburg Visitor Center on CA-140, 12 miles northeast of Mariposa (open on summer weekends). Cross the Briceburg suspension bridge and follow the unpaved Briceburg River Road downstream to the day-use areas and campgrounds. No dispersed camping in the river corridor.
Technique
Gold pan and hand tools at the water's edge. The river is not dammed and runs fast and cold in spring: work the bars from late summer to fall. Watch for claim markers and private parcels along the river.