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Yarnell And Rumors Of Gold
Yup, There Is Gold In Them Thar Hills!
The Weaver Mountains are made up mainly of pre-Cambrian granitic and schistose rocks, overlain in places by Tertiary lavas. Within certain areas of these rocks are found thin, lenticular quartz veins which carry pyrite, galena, and gold.
Some of these special areas in the Weaver Mountains contain the Congress, Fool's Gulch, Octave, Stanton, Weaver, and several other smaller gold-bearing veins.
Weaver And Rich Hill Placers
The placer area is at the southern margin of the Weaver Mountains, which rise to 6,574 feet above sea level at Weaver peak or to more than 2,000 feet above the desert plain to the south.
The gold placer ground near Yarnell covers an area of approximately eight by five miles. According to the local people, the most productive locations, are in the northern half of this area, included about ten acres on the top of Rich Hill; a few portions of the sides of the hill; most of the channels and branches of Weaver, Antelope, and some of the other washes; including the gravel benches that lie between these washes.
About 5.5 Miles in a straight line to the southeast of Yarnell lays Rich Hill; which rises steeply for about 2,000 feet above the plain below, and it consists mainly of intensely jointed granite. The top of Rich Hill is at an elevation of 5,340 feet above sea level and it is located between the deeply eroded canyons of Antelope Creek on the west and Weaver Creek on the east. The higher parts of the Weaver Mountains receive about eighteen inches of rainfall per year which means that the two south-flowing creeks (Antelope Creek and Weaver Creek) generally have some water in their upper courses and are subject to torrential floods during the two rainy seasons of the year.
In some areas, it is traversed by thin, lenticular quartz veins carrying pyrite, galena, and gold. The top of Rich Hill is a bumpy mesa, about 7/8 mile long by 3/8 mile wide, which is an erosional remnant of the elevated Weaver Mountain pediment. Rich Hill includes several acres of wide, shallow basins with drainage channels whose granite floors are covered with granite boulders and with a thin, rust looking, sandy soil. A few angular pebbles of quartz and of hematite are present, but no alluvial or foreign gravels occur anywhere within the area. Evidence of the once abundant occurrence of placer gold within the shallow basins and drainage channels can be seen from the numerous old placer diggings that cover its surface.
As you walk along the washes and benches below Rich Hill; you will notice that the placer material consists of iron-stained gravel and sand, ten feet or more thick, together with abundant subangular boulders that are one to seven feet in diameter.
The Gold photos on this page range from about 3/4 ounce to 7 1/2 ounces of gold in each sample.
If you visit this area DO NOT PROSPECT in any form unless you have the legal right to do so. ALL OF THE LAND IS EITHER PRIVATE PROPERTY OR IT IS A LEGAL GOLD CLAIM. GOLD AND MINERAL TRESPASSERS WILL BE PROSECUTED!
There are several prospecting clubs with claims on the area that you can join and several of the claims on the area are for sale. Join a club or buy a claim. That way you can legally prospect the area. While I can not guarantee that you will find gold in the area, I don't know anyone who hasn't.
There is a window showing the current, up to date, local weather conditions of Rich Hill, at the bottom of this page.
Music Off Switch At Bottom Of The Page!

East Side Of Rich Hill; Site Of Gold Placer Deposits, June 09, 2007.


Theres' Gold In Them Thar Hills Rich Hill Gold Just
5 1/2 Miles From Yarnell

Local Rich Hill Gold Ore Ed Gregorys'Gold,
Smelted From Ore
Taken From Near The Bottom
Of Yarnell Hill

Weaver Mining District Offices Weaver Mining District Offices 

Weaver Mining District Gold Weaver Mining District Gold 

Weaver Mining District Gold Weaver Mining District Gold 

Weaver Mining District Gold Weaver Mining District Gold 

Weaver Mining District Gold Weaver Mining District Gold 

Weaver Mining District Gold Weaver Mining District Gold 

Antelope Creek
Where Gold Was FoundAntelope Creek
Antelope Peak In Background

Next To Antelope Creek Is Stanton And The
Lost Dutchman Mining Association

Hotel Stanton
Stanton Arizona, Location Of The
Lost Dutchman Mining AssociationStanton Opera House
Stanton Arizona, Location Of The
Lost Dutchman Mining Association

Hotel Stanton
Stanton Arizona, Location Of The
Lost Dutchman Mining AssociationLDMA Office
Stanton Arizona, Location Of The
Lost Dutchman Mining Association

Old Antique Gold Mining Equipment Old Antique Gold Mining Equipment 

Old Antique Gold Mining Equipment Old Antique Gold Mining Equipment 

Old Antique Gold Mining Equipment Old Antique Gold Mining Equipment 

Mining Claims Are Everywhere This Is All That's
Left of Octave

Placer Material Consists Of
Iron-Stained Gravel And SandTen Feet Or More Thick
With Abundant Subangular Boulders

Thought To Be The
Old Post OfficeRich Hill Mine Shack
Stone Dynamite House

Antelope Peak South Side Of Rich Hill 

Boulders Hiding The Gold Gold Mine Equipment 

Gold Mine Gold Mines 

Gold Mine Gold Mines 

Gold Mine Gold Mine 

Weaver Cemetery Weaver Cemetery 

Weaver Cemetery Graves Weaver Cemetery Grave 

Octave Cemetery Octave Cemetery 

Octave Cemetery Cross Octave Cemetery Grave 

Octave Cemetery Graves Octave Cemetery Grave 

Decision Corner Road Branch To
Congress Or Yarnell
Links To Local Features & Attractions
Yarnell Businesses & Services
Yarnell Home Page
Yarnell Shrine Of Saint Joseph
Birds Of Yarnell, Arizona
Monsoon Storms Of Yarnell, Arizona
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