Pikes Fork

Overview

Pikes Fork is a historically rich tributary of the Crooked River drainage system. At the confluence of Pike Fork and Banner Creek, you can see the remanence of the old bucket dredging activity several hundred feet up into Pikes Fork. However, upstream at these mining claims, the terrain became too narrow to allow for this kind of mining, leaving this drainage a nice undisturbed yet great place to be working mostly virgin gold, with exceptional recovery rates. I would also note that I used to teach panning classes at this confluence, as it was an easy place for people to find ample color just by simple (and inexperienced) panning methods. These pictures where taken this last week (fall 2026) when water was at its lowest, so as you can see, there is ample year-round water, with a well graded road going across ALL of these mining claims. All of them have pullouts and existing areas to camp, some better then others (based on pictures), as you will see, a couple of these have some very nice existing camping areas established on them, but I also took pictures of flat areas next to the road on several claims, as it appears that camping spots have already been used and could easily be established into something better.

We will offer bundle offers of $250 off each additional mining claim.

Pikes Ore

Pikes Prowess

Pikes Auric

Pikes Finds

Pikes Riches

Pikes Treasure

Show Me The Gold

This last week (9/21/26) we ran a high-banker on these claims for about 3 hours only getting down around 2.5’ (3’ width hole) and this is what we recovered. I don’t patiently pan the super fine color, but seeing decent visible pieces this shallow is VERY promising! Bigger nuggets and higher yields are always down deeper than this test sample. I will also state that I never “weigh” placer samples…that is done (necessary) for “lode assays”, not placer claim recovery (in the mining world).

Also see examples of other gold collected along the Crooked River tributaries.

Driving Directions: The claims are located 23 miles outside the historic town of Idaho City. Driving directions to the claims: from Boise, travel north on HWY 21 to approximately 18 miles past Idaho City to the Jackson Peak Lookout turnout (Edna Creek Campground is at this junction). Turn right (east) on Crooked River Road (NF 384) for approximately 4 miles. Turn left (north) at the Jackson Peak turnoff onto NF 312. You will stay on this road for 1.1 miles turning right at the Pikes Fork Junction (which is still NF 312). You will continue on NF 312 for another 2.7 miles until you reach the mining claims. There are markers along the road showing the boundaries between the mining claims.