Updates
- 2010 | Book Now for this summer!
- 2010 Week 1 | Sold Out.
- 2009 Results | Over 86 ounces of gold was found by 28 visitors!
- Record Nugget | Monster 32.2 oz chunk of gold found by visitor.
- Gold | Reaches New Record High.
There's gold,
and it's haunting and haunting -
It's luring me on as of old -
Yet it isn't the gold that I'm wanting
So much as just finding the gold.
It's the great, big,
broad land 'way up yonder;
It's the forests where silence has lease;
It's the beauty that thrills me with wonder;
It's the stillness that fills me with peace.
--Robert W. Service
Activities at Moore Creek
Highbanking
Highbanking is the most reliable ways to get gold at Moore Creek. We have several highbankers, which a pump fed sluicing devices that you shovel into. A pump runs water up to where you are digging so you do not have to carry the dirt.
It should be possible to get a pennyweight or two a day highbanking but the results depend on the location and your effort. Hot spots do occur which return an ounce or more in a day. Nice little nuggets turn up regularly in the highbankers, and the possibility exists you could get lucky and turn up a nugget weighing several pennyweight or more this way.
The best way to operate the highbankers is to partner
up with somebody as two people can move considerably more than twice the material one person
can move. So even if you split the gold you end up ahead.
Dredging
We have several 4" suction dredges at Moore Creek. Dredging is a reliable way to get gold at Moore Creek, and compared to most places it is very easy to do. the tailing piles have gold in them, and simply sucking up the tailing pile material will get you gold. Again a pennyweight or two a day is possible, along with the chance for larger nuggets.
You only need hip boots or chestwaders to do this, as the drysuits needed for dredging deeper water are not required. Bring your own boots if you plan on doing a lot of dredging. More serious types might want to bring a wetsuit (the water is reasonably warm for Alaska) or a drysuit, mask, and snorkel.
Metal Detecting
So far over hundreds of gold nuggets and specimens weighing a total of about 300 ounces total have been found at Moore Creek while Metal Detecting. The majority of the nuggets are in the 1/4 to 1/2 ounce range, and quite a few nuggets run from 1 to 6 ounces each. Some examples are shown on the Specimens page.
We tracked and plotted most finds in 2005 and 2006, and two obvious hot areas are developing... the area directly around camp, and the area immediately downstream from the runway. But gold has been found the entire length and width of the old mine workings so in theory a nugget could be found anywhere.
The following map has finds up until July 2006 plotted. All weights are in tenths of Troy ounces.
Not everyone discloses where they find nuggets and we stopped tracking locations after 2006
so this map is not complete, but it does give a good idea where the majority of the finds have been made.
Metal detecting has the best potential for finding a large gold nugget, but it does take experience, good equipment, and stamina to find gold nuggets detecting at Moore Creek... or anywhere else for that matter! We highly recommend the Minelab SD/GP detectors for Moore Creek. A lower cost alternative to the Minelab SD/GP detectors is the White's Pulsescan TDI, several of which we supply at the mine for those who do not own detectors. The Tesoro Lobo has done about as well as any VLF model at Moore Creek, and we supply a couple of these also. Experienced detectorists who in good condition can find nuggets almost daily at Moore Creek if they work hard at it, and hard work it is. Less experienced or less fit individuals would be doing well to find a nugget or two in a week, if any. Experience and the ability to work long hours does count!
Scenery
We also have great scenery and wildlife for photography. The area abounds with waterfowl, mink, otters, beavers, and the occasional wolf or bear. Make sure you take the opportunity to record your visit with lots of photos.
Old Tailing Pond
Agates
Moore Creek has abundant Agates to be found by those who enjoy rock collecting. Agates weighing many pounds have been found at Moore creek. Most are the more common white and brown types, but some have nice banding. Some also have small crystal lined cavities.
Fishing
We have very good grayling fishing in Moore Creek. Arctic Grayling are one of Alaska’s most delicate and beautiful sport fish - see http://www.fishalaskamagazine.com/fish/grayling.htm for more information. Bring a fishing pole and make sure you have an Alaskan fishing license if you want to experience some great grayling fishing. The only time they really do not seem to bite much is if the weather is too hot and sunny, but the early riser can still catch them. You can purchase an Alaska Fishing License online at https://www.admin.adfg.state.ak.us/buyonline