China Fork Claims

Overview

These mining claims are situated on China Fork Creek, which is positioned about 19 miles (north of along HWY 21) outside of the historic mining town of Idaho City. With easy access and pavement (HWY 21) to all but the last couple miles to the claims, with a well-maintained NF 393 forest service access road that extends up China Fork through most of the claims. China Fork has a strong history of prospecting during various gold rush eras (late 1800s, 1930s & 1980s), with evidence of hand workings, which is one of the many gold bearing tributaries of the “Crooked River” drainage, contributing to the wealth of gold discovered in the Boise Basin. These sites also have what is known as “glacial till” deposits (not common on most gold bearing tributaries), which in layman’s terms, “appear” to be riverbed (rounded rock) material high up on the hillsides. This glacial till is also heavy in gold deposits which is evident from the tailing piles higher up and massive quartz deposits scattered higher across the hillsides (see China Fortune for one such example of this tailing rock having visible gold picked up in Sept of 2026). But don’t just take our word for it, seeing nice color in each pan sample (taken from the creek), which speaks for itself. It is also well known for its recreational activities, with nearby fishing, hunting (saw 4 elk on these claims just last week), cross country skiing & snowshoeing trails along with yurts scattered throughout the area.

China Finds & China Forks will be sold as a “BUNDLE ONLY” for $5,000. In 2016 the Pioneer Fire swept through this area, and this side road has been closed for public safety (for the potential of the falling trees). China Finds mining claim starts approximately 375’ past this Forest Service (FS) gate, with China Forks mining claim being immediately past/adjacent to China Finds. A simple NOI can be applied for through the FS directly from the new claim owner for access through (as your basic mining claim ownership “rights”) to drive back into accessing these claims (that the general public is not allowed to do). Happy to provide examples for the NOI to submit to the FS for this access.

IGM will consider a “bundle” price of $10,000 ($1750 savings) for all 5 mining claims (while supply/claim availability lasts). Which works out to $2000 per mining claim.

All pictures were taken in late summer (when water is at its lowest), showing that each claim has year-round water (ample for high-banking). On China Finds, there is about a 200’ section of dry creek bed area (where the creek once was), so while the actual “new” creek now flows 20’- 50’ to the west, these old dry creek-bed washes make for some phenomenal areas to prospect with no vegetation to contend with, yet ample color and easy to access. It is hard to tell from the pictures with vegetation, but the actual creek is 1’-2’ wide with a depth of about 1’+ deep on China Finds & China Forks.

China Finds

China Forks

The following mining claims are marked with individual pricing, but IGM would prefer to sell as a bundle price for $6,750 (China Strike, China Fortune & China Fever).

I will note on these 3 remaining claims, the distance from China Fork Cr. to the “road” (NF 393) is between 150’ – 400’ in physical distance & 30 – 100 feet in elevation difference. So, hiking down into the claims is needed (so not for basic prospectors looking for easy access), but also well worth it for a more remote seclusion (meaning areas not worked much), yet good gold bearing claims. Seeing even in 2026 gold bearing ore just on the surface and with this seclusion (from the road), makes for some extremely profitable recovery. There are ample pulloffs and flat areas along this stretch to park off the road while working down in the sites, along with camping spots on either end (just off of the mining claims). While it may be hard to see from these pictures, but even in late summer the creek itself is about on average 1’-2’ wide and about 3”-4” deep…but with deeper pockets of water exists all throughout these sites, meaning year-round water and as all of the pictures show, AMPLE color. Again, this area is covered in glacial till which is also heavy in gold deposits and is evident from the tailing piles (from old workings) way higher up and along with massive exposed quartz deposits scattered across the hillsides. See China Fortune gallery pics for one such example of this tailing rock collected 50’ from the creek and about 30’ up the hillside in one of these old working tailing pile/rock with, with visible gold in the ore (recovered/collected Sept of 2026).

China Strike

Through IGM investigation of this claim this year (2026), we found a specimen (vein material with visible gold) intermixed with some of the exposed tailings just on the surface that was collected. See gallery pics.

China Fortune

China Fever

China Pan

China Pearl

Show me the Gold

Panning pictures from running a high-banker on China Fork for approximately 3.5 hours (about 2.5’ wide, only down 3 feet into creek). Showing the grams that can be collected per hour here on these claims. I will state that the ore sample (from pics) was collected SPECIFICALLY on “China Fortune” (50’ from creek up on hill in old tailing pile), while ALL of the mining claims have ore piles and dumps from old operations (on the hillsides), it was ONLY China Fortune where this specimen was recovered. Yet it doesn’t mean that ANY of the other claims will or will not have it… it was just what was physically recovered from a simple hike in Sept 2026.

Driving Directions: from Boise, travel north on HWY 21 to Idaho City (approximately 34 miles from I-84). Continue on HWY 21 for an additional 19 miles past Idaho City and turn left (west) onto NF 393 road, (about 1.5 miles past Edna Creek Campground). The mining claim start approximately 0.3 of a mile on NF 393 from HWY 21.