A pan and shovel are all some prospectors need for that big strike.
When James Marshall found a gold nugget in the American River in 1848, he not only sparked the California gold rush and the biggest mass migration in United States history, but he created gold fever, which still holds thousands in its grip today. You can find the "hands and pans" -- a phrase used to tell gold seekers they can only use a gold pan held in their own hands to prospect in certain areas -- of prospectors seeking that lucky strike at the banks of rivers and streams up and down the state. Many popular gold-bearing rivers are close to tent and RV campgrounds, making the search that much more appealing.
Coloma
A great place to start is the James Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park in Coloma, California. This is the spot where Marshall discovered gold, and since 1880, well over one million ounces of gold have been produced here. Gold panning lessons are available daily, and camping is readily available on the banks of the American River at the mile-long Coloma Resort at Sutter's Mill (colomaresort.com). This riverfront resort has 100 sites for both RV and tent camping, featuring full hookups, Wi-Fi access, a clubhouse, pool and convenience store, as well sewer hookups and a dump station.
Yosemite
Hands and pans are regularly seen around and in Yosemite National Park at various spots on the Fresno River and on the Merced River, which flows through the park. Yosemite National Park has 13 campgrounds. Some are appropriate for recreation vehicles; many are tent-only. Those providing tap water have restroom facilities. Only Curry and Housekeeping camps provide showers. Dump stations are located at Upper Pines, Wawona and Tuolumne Meadows. No Yosemite campsites have hookups of any kind. Seven of the campsites are on the park's reservation system. From April to September, reservations are essential. The remainder of sites are first come, first serve, and from May to September, they usually fill up by noon.
Columbia
Many California rivers and streams contain an abundance of gold, but to find it with hands and pans, you first must know use the pan. The trick is to force the heavier gold to settle at the bottom of the pan by vigorously shaking the sediment and water mixture scooped into the pan while at the same time, reducing the amount of sediment by washing it away. A charming place to learn the craft and try your own hand is Columbia State Historic Park. Located in the Sierra Nevada foothills in the heart of the so-called California mother lode, Columbia is a restored and renovated gold-rush town containing the largest collection of authentic gold-rush era structures in the state. There are two campgrounds within walking distance of this charming place: 49er Ranch (49errvpark.com), and the Marble Quarry RV Park (marblequarry.com). The 49er Ranch offers full hookups, Wi-Fi, cable TV, a camp store and complimentary gold-panning lessons. Marble Quarry has 68 sites, 10 tent sites, five cabins, full hookups and a pool.
Southern California
All the gold wasn't discovered up north. Some was discovered just 35 miles northwest of Los Angeles just above a neighboring community called Azusa. Since 1849, 165,000 ounces of gold have been produced. In the nearby but somewhat remote east fork of the San Gabriel range is an old gold camp called Eldoradoville, which is popular with gold hunters today. The Eldoradoville campground is nearby on East Fork Road and California State Road 39 South. This is a primitive campground with few amenities. Nearby, however, is the 300-site Crystal Lake campgrounds (crystallake.name) run by the U.S. Forest Service. Sites offer water, restrooms and fire rings. Barbecue boxes are provided on most sites. Just outside Azusa is Glen Ivy RV Park (glenivyrvpark.com), offering 350 sites for both recreational vehicle and tent camping with full amenities, including a bar, restaurant, general store, teen center and a pool.
Tags: full hookups, 49er Ranch, American River, been produced, California gold, charming place, full hookups Wi-Fi
