OURAY — Ouray County

Source: Gold Fever Prospecting — Colorado Gold Panning Locations. Compiled by Tom Ashworth (Prospectors Cache / goldfeverprospecting.com). Documented gold mining or prospecting area. Coordinates geocoded to the named town or district. Verify claim status, private land, and current regulations before prospecting. Just North of Ouray on East side of valley a few miles off U.S. 550 by steep grades, to Uncompahgre, an area of about 15 sq. nil. with most mines in canyon walls of the Uncompahgre River, total production of about 200,000 ounces before 1900. The American Nettie Mine, which was a phenomenally rich producer of lode gold is here. the Bachelor Mine produced a by-product gold. Many other area mines produced a by-product gold. South of Ouray by 6 miles is the Treasury Tunnel near U.S. 550 which produced gold, in sulfides. West by Southwest from Ouray 8-12 miles on Route 361, at Sneffels (Imogene Basin) is the Sneffels-Red Mountain district that had a total production of 1,723,000 ounces of by-product gold. Many area lead-silver-zinc mine produced a major amount of gold as a by-product. At the head of Canyon Creek in Imogene Basin to West of Hayden Mountain, at Sneffels (camp), many mines, especially the Camp Bird Mine produced a by-product gold. At head of Red Mt. Creek to East of Hayden Mountain, is the location of the Red Mountain camp, many area mines produced a by-product gold. South 12 miles, at Red Mountain Pass, elevation 11,018 feet, is the Longfellow Mine that produced a by-product gold.