San Domingo Placers

SAN DOMINGO PLACERS

This is an area that is close to Phoenix [ less than an hour away and Just about any vehicle will get you in to this placer, but you may need 4WD for some of the more remote areas. I have personally found numerous nuggets here and because it is almost in my backyard I hunt there quite often.

There is quite a bit of open ground here although there are many active claims both club and private. There isn't as much traffic to the area as one might think and there are plenty of good places to camp if one is so inclined. There have been nuggets well over an ounce found on more than one occasion although my biggest from this placer is just under three quarters of an ounce. Most I've found here are 1 gram and under.

These are some nice nuggets from near Little San Domingo wash in the San Domingo Placer area. Gold can actually be found on top of the small hills throughout the placers making this a ideal site for nugget shooting! So remember to look for old drywash tailings and work the surrounding slopes and hills.

Location: Maricopa County, Arizona, South flank of the Wickenburg Mountains, northeast of the Hassayampa River Tps. 6 and 7 N, Rs. 3and 4W

Topographic Maps: Wickenburg and Red Picacho 7.5 min quadrangles.

Access: From Wickenburg go east on HWY 60 to Castle Hot Springs Road [about 10 miles] go left [NE] across HWY 74 about 1.5 miles after the road turns to dirt there will be a left turn into the placer area. If you go past the ranch on the right you missed the turn. Tere will be small roads leading from the main road that lead to placer workings all through the hills.

This is an area that is close to Phoenix [ less than an hour away] and Just about any vehicle will get you in to this placer. I have personally found numerous nuggets here and because it is almost in my backyard I hunt there quite often.

There is quite a bit of open ground here and although there are many active claims both club and private. There is'nt as much traffic to the area as one might think and there are plenty of good places to camp if one is so inclined. There have been nuggets well over an ounce found on more than one occasion although my biggest from this placer is just under three quarters of an ounce. Most I've found here are 1 penny weightpenny weight and under.

Extent: This is a large placer covering more than 7 square miles and most major washes and their tributaries carry gold. The biggest producers were, San Domingo, Ox, American, and Old woman Washes. Little San Domingo Wash and its tributaries were also good producers and this is one of the washes I spend alot of time hunting around. Gold is also found throughout the area on the hillsides between gulches.

Tips: Work the slopes along the edge of the washes and any old tailings piles you find, look for spots previously worked by drywashers and work the surrounding areas. Also work the hills here!

SAN DOMINGO MAP

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