How To Find Mining Claims

Federal Mining Claim corner marker — A supplemental corner marker (non-standard), placed 8 feet up on a tree to dissuade vandalism.

At some bespeak, many casual prospectors get the itch to have their own claim. Then the discussion comes up virtually buying one vs. locating their own. Ownership seems simpler to many just is rife with risks that atomic number 82 to needing to do many of the same things as locating your own new merits requires. In the cease, the determination is up to the private prospector of course, but I caution those because ownership to confirm the legal condition of the merits, and to properly sample information technology, BEFORE ownership.

For those who choose to find and legally locate, record and file their ain, here are the basic steps:

Step 1: Find interesting ground (practice not dig even so). Possibly you can identify an area which was prospected historically or a smaller feeder creek in a gold bearing area for case. Tip: In my feel, small creeks were frequently overlooked in the smash years because they were perceived as not being big enough for a commercial operation or productive plenty to make a 1-4 miner operation rich.

Step 2 : Make sure it'south open to claim by using www.mylandmatters.org to check land status and electric current claim condition. (meet below for details). It has to exist federally managed public land that has not been withdrawn from claim. If open to claim and not currently claimed, capture the following info: Township number, section number and gps coordinates for the corners.

Then…

Step 3: Get to the county clerk office in person to check for any new claims. CO Canton Clerk & Recorder offices are ALL listed here: http://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/Resources/CountyElectionOffices.html

Specifically, check for filings in the terminal ninety days that may not have made their way into the BLM database (& therefore mylandmatters) nonetheless. You'll need to bring the township and section where your area of interest lies with you to the clerk office. If no new claims exist where you desire to dig…

Pace 4: Time for Digging! Go sample your spot (while watching for any newly posted signs for claims that oasis't been filed however). Utilize your GPS to brand sure you are ON the merits.

Step 5 : Pan and hopefully detect gold! If information technology's rich enough, post your discovery monument and corner posts/signs immediately…using your GPS to guide you to the corners.

Stride 6 : Record initial claim docs (Certificate of Location and map…see below for details) with canton clerk and file at the BLM state role. TIP: Some suggest filing with the BLM subsequently waiting a month or then to avoid a scam artist challenge your same spot and backdating the paperwork to earlier yours. Every bit long as you lot posted your discovery monument, their activity would non be legal but can still pb to a legal hassle.

Step 7: Celebrate and go dig more!! Send a donation to mylandmatters to support this awesome tool that helped you lot go your claim. Maybe send me one too since I helped you sort this out 😉 …say thanks via paypal.me/findingGOLDinCO

Step 8: Keep up with your ongoing paperwork (go dorsum to mylandmatters to encounter the flow chart of annual filings needed to continue to concord your merits).

Details on Footstep 2: Land Status:

The header bar on mylandmatters has a "Maps" option. Click that first.
At present on the right, you'll see Country Status. Click it and then beneath information technology click your state.
Zoom in on the map to find your specific area of interest.
Click all the Colorado Land Status boxes on the right and then click the refresh push on the map command bar (on the right border of the map…Non up top in browser controls).
Confirm that you are in the correct township, and then click the "i" button on the map control bar, then click on the map in your area of interest (the public land is already color coded and so that helps but isn't plenty).
In the box that pops up, scroll down to the bottom and click the download link for the "Master Title Plat one".
Open that document, (you may take to download a program to view the doc, I use IrfanView) and examine the Section yous are interested in to ostend information technology hasn't been withdrawn from mineral entry. These plat documents are a challenge to learn to read and would deserve a whole article of their ain! For at present look for phrases like "PLO #### Wdl FS Rec Area" which would be a Public Land Society removing a spot from claimable due to construction of a USFS recreational area such as a picnic area or campground. If you see a power withdrawal "Wdl Pwr Site" you can still try to claim it but in that location may be delays or restrictions on your activities…and the BLM MAY say no. Designated Wilderness Areas, National Conservation Areas, and National Parks are not claimable. Yous can learn more than virtually reading plats in the reference documents listed beneath.

Claim Status:

The header bar on mylandmatters has a "Maps" option. Click that get-go.
Now on the right, you lot'll see Mining Claims. Click it and and then beneath information technology click your state.
Zoom in on the map to discover your specific area of interest.
Click all the Colorado State Status boxes on the correct then click the refresh button on the map command bar (on the right border of the map…Not up top in browser controls).
If the map of your department shows in that location are active claims, then click the "i" push button on the map control bar, then click on the map in your surface area of interest.
In the box that pops up, y'all can see all the active claims on file. Jot down the post-obit info: the claim names, merits numbers aka CMC numbers, and owner names. This gives you lot enough info to find the maps of those other claims so you tin can exist certain to avert whatever overlaps. (Note: county clerk offices vary by how they organize their files. However, between all these facts you'll have what you need.)
Make a run to the clerk office to get those maps! (Note: For a fee, some clerk offices will pull the documents for you and mail them, so feel costless to telephone call and inquire if information technology's a long journey.)

What if it'south non Federal managed public land?

Go to the county assessor website for that county to learn who owns the land.
Contact them to enquire permission to dig!

Details on Stride half dozen:

There is no "official" class for a Document of Location, google it and cull a sample grade you similar, or see the Colorado USFS link below.
If possible, the claim description should be written every bit a rectangular portion of a section such as "the n 1/2 of the NE quarter of the SE quarter of section 10 of township y, range z excluding all private belongings and road easements". For more guidance on defining complexly shaped claims read this. For a nice video on how surveying works in relation to describing a claim spotter this.
To create your map, I suggest printing off a slice of the Master Title Plat and cartoon in your proposed merits by hand. Annotation: your proposed merits must be One contiguous slice of land. If it's cut into pieces past private land, your claim will exist denied. Also, one placer claim is express to a maximum 20 acres. This is typically 1/2 of a quarter of a quarter section and would be 660 feet by 1320 feet…or it can be less of grade.
If there are pieces of private holding or road easements, be sure to exclude those from your legal description in your COL and note them on your map.
This drawing should Non include gps coordinates on information technology as those are not legal for claim filing purposes. In case of claiming, the physical corner markers are the official definition of your claim boundaries, with your drawn map as backup.

A good reference (updated for 2022 with weblinks) for this process for those in Colorado is provided past the state USFS and BLM at: https://www.blm.gov/sites/blm.gov/files/2020_CO_MiningPacket_JanRevise.pdf

This government document has a few misleading/confusing statements in it merely there are example forms and some other good info provided, including many useful links to government forms and regulations. You can also get good examples when you lot visit the canton clerk/recorder office…they volition have copies of all the claim documents filed by others and volition happily make copies for you lot (for a small fee). Recollect, while you are there checking for newly filed claims, Get copies of any other claims in the Department where your claim will exist.

Another good certificate for additional detail (with fewer misleading statements and more than clarity, only lacking Colorado specifics) is http://www.mylandmatters.org/Library/Item=8201 which is a pdf of Mining Merits Procedures for Nevada Prospectors and Miners, 5th Edition.

Likewise it's interesting to read the original mining law. Some of this has been superseded past afterwards laws but still http://world wide web.mylandmatters.org/Library/Item=288

Jeff Williams has a skilful video about this whole process on YouTube, click here to watch it. https://m.youtube.com/lookout man?feature=share&v=T1f1K8N8T_c

Another good video caption is from Chris Ralph https://youtu.be/1OSzRh1Da74

..,and here'southward part 2 of Chris' presentation https://youtu.be/G9c3w5JLTKg

If this process seems a bit confusing consider joining a local club to find some experienced help. Here's a list of clubs across Colorado: https://findinggoldincolorado.com/clubs-in-colorado/

Some other good choice is to buy my book with 180+ unclaimable dig sites detailed out for you lot. https://findinggoldincolorado.com/buy-the-volume/

However y'all become about it, good luck finding your piece of gilt rich ground!

Special thanks to Barry at mylandmatters.org for his help with terminology here and the tip on the Nevada claims guide.

Disclaimer: Filing and maintaining a mining merits is a legal procedure. I am non a lawyer and this article is not legal communication. You are responsible for confirming the required activities and documents with relevant government as you complete this procedure.

This site costs money to go along up. The only fashion it makes money is shopping referrals. If you appreciate the info I'one thousand sharing, delight click thru one of my Amazon or Gold Cube ads the next time y'all want to shop online. Information technology won't cost yous anything extra and it keeps the site going:

Toss me a gift to say thanks at: paypal.me/findingGOLDinCO

If yous accept your own claim, y'all can legally sell your gold! Almost local prospecting shops will purchase placer gold merely as information technology comes out of the ground at a off-white price. I'd call to ask earlier making a trip to sell gold of course. Hither'southward a list of the prospecting shops around the country: https://findinggoldincolorado.com/prospecting-stores-across-colorado/

When yous have more than a few grams, you lot'll probably get a better prices from David Emslie at Prospectors Gilded & Gems in Fort Collins. Hither'due south the details on his functioning: https://findinggoldincolorado.com/getting-your-gold-refined-prospectors-gold-gems/

KevinInColorado

I'm an avid, coincidental gold prospector. Resident of Summit County, Colorado. Author of a book also chosen Finding Gilt in Colorado (tm). - Y'all can likewise join the Facebook group 'Finding Gold in Colorado' to become Colorado golden prospecting and mining news. - PLEASE Assist ME Brand THE SITE Improve: If you find a typo or dead spider web link, please, please driblet me a line about it or but post a comment. I WILL FIX Information technology!!

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