Pining For Gold Mining: Angeles National Forest

June 1, 2009 at 3:32 PM | by JetSetCD | Comments (0)

It's a whole new type of laid-off travel; gold mining is back with a vengeance and oftentimes, the richest veins are closer than you think. All this week we'll be digging deep into the USA's dirt to uncover the best spots for sifting your way into a small fortune, or at least one month's rent. Any suggestions or questions? Let us know.

In an effort to perhaps lift the spirits of those with pink slips in the LA-area, USA Today reported in April that the Angeles National Forest was THE place to be for old-school pioneer gold mining. Now that the price of gold is high enough—at nearly $900 an ounce—to convince people to squat next to streams for hours, it seems that the proximity of the Forest's natural (and sparkling) resources to Los Angeles is drawing the crowds.

To get in on the literal rush, we recommend checking out the Route 66 Gold Miners Club, who have an online message board for posting thoughts and comments on finds in the area or for organizing a trip. Don't expect to strike it rich however, as most people go after gold these days with banal goals like paying for a month's worth of groceries.

Whatever your delusions of grandeur, just remember that a trip to somewhere like the Angeles National Forest means leaving the axes at home; the last thing LA needs is a riot of dusty and desperate, axe-wielding unemployed folk to come down from the hills.

Related Stories:
· Angeles National Forest [Official Site]
· Panning For Gold Makes a Comback [Jaunted]
· New gold rush hits California [USA Today]
· Gold Mining Coverage [Jaunted]

[Map image: US Forest Service; Gold photo: aresauburn]

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