WARNING: This site may be closed at times due to environmental concerns. Contact the BLM office in Montrose or in Grand Junction before making plans to visit this location.
Rattlesnake Gulch is a historic area north of Delta off Highway 50. It was private (railroad) land which the BLM reacquired so it’s open to panning and sluicing but can’t be claimed! The turnoff is between mile marker 60-61on Highway 50 and is marked well (Rattlesnake Gulch Rd 730). The old road down to the Gunnison River is not bad but once you turn left to drive upstream along the railroad tracks, it is in rough shape, high clearance vehicles only are advised.
Years ago, some big holes were dug up on dry land around here, you’ll still see some of the diggings. This led to BLM concerns so they increased restrictions on what we can do on this land. Disappointing but I’m very happy the creation of the National Conservation Area here included prospecting as an approved activity. They could easily have banned us altogether!
Here’s what we are allowed to do, from the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area Resource Management Plan p. 47 (document p. 97):
REC-AU-06: Allow casual use recreational gold panning in the NCA. Panning will be restricted to collection of material with non-motorized and non-mechanized equipment below the surface of the water. It will also be restricted to processing of material with non-motorized and non-mechanized equipment (e.g., underwater sluices). Re-evaluate if resource conditions warrant restrictions or closures. Close the D-E NCA to all other forms of recreational prospecting.
https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/projects/lup/33152/94911/114794/D-E_NCA_ROD-ARMP.pdf
Signage at the site provides a simpler version of the prospecting rules at this unclaimable site.
There may be seasonal closures for fish spawning or other concerns so ask the local BLM office before you head out. http://www.blm.gov/office/grand-junction-field-office
Also remember, this is pans and sluices only, sorry no mechanized gear.
When I visited this site in August 2017, water levels were still quite high, but I was able to pan easily in a couple nice spots. The gold here is good, 5-15 colors per pan; some decent sized flakes but not what I’d call large.
You can also camp in this area. Check out the shady sites under the cottonwood trees which are in front of you as you cross the railroad tracks. There are no facilities of any kind so come prepared to be a self-contained camper but hey, it’s free! Oh, and the gold is good there too 🙂
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5 thoughts on “Rattlesnake Gulch public prospecting area”
Went down to pan yeserday, water levels are still very high, site is becoming overgrown badly. Road is extremely bad…good driving skills and 4 wheel drive are required to get back to this area..we only went to check out the site …we are going back today to do some panning .
Thanks for the great site update, very helpful!
Ya, We used to be able to dig in the “coyote holes” 20-30 feet up on the bank from the river where the gold was better. But in 2008 when the economy crashed, too many people stated camping, and living down there digging for gold. (Remainder of comment deleted.)
Yeah I heard there were a couple other issues too including a club from UTAH trashing the place and concerns about damage to an endangered barbless cactus. They found the cactus in the area while doing a survey for highway rerouting/expansion. That led to a broader area survey to see where it was living – which included that huge gravel and cobble hill people liked to dig. In the end, the highway route was adjusted to avoid the cactus and we were banned from digging on the hill.
Here’s a video from 2016 while taking my 2 labs down to play in the river. Runs from Rt. 50 down to the area to pan for gold, and only missing one turn. There’s no sound because I talk to my dogs too colorfully. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccihEVBoGF4