Chaffee County Gold Locations

Source: Tom Ashworth's Prospectors Cache (tomashworth.com / Mike Higbee / 49erMike). Author: Tom Ashworth. Original page: chaffee_co.shtml. State index: https://web.archive.org/web/20040830075749/http://www.tomashworth.com/goldloc.shtml Map coordinates are an approximate county centroid — not a precise claim site. Chaffee County Borders the Continental Divide near central Colorado. Chaffee County produced 370,000 gold ounces, largely from lode mines, but with small amounts from placers and base metal mines. The main area of interest is in the gravel bars and benches all along the Arkansas River from Buena Vista southeast 25 miles to the Fremont County line and near Granite, which is close to the county line 15 miles northwest of Salida. There are many placers. In Lost Canyon Gulch, Chalk Creek, Cottonwood Creek, Pine Creek, Bertscheys Gulch, Cold Run Gulch, Gilson Gulch, Oregon Gulch, and Ritchey's Patch, you will find rich history and all had abundant placer workings. There are many small mines scattered throughout County that produced lode and by-product gold.