Loon Creek Placers

The Loon Creek Placers is a gold mine located in Custer county, Idaho at an elevation of 6,001 feet.

About the MRDS Data:

All mine locations were obtained from the USGS Mineral Resources Data System. The locations and other information in this database have not been verified for accuracy. It should be assumed that all mines are on private property.

Mine Info

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Site Name

Primary: Loon Creek Placers
Secondary: Loon Creek Hydraulic Placer Co.
Secondary: Casto Bar
Secondary: Oro Grande Bar
Secondary: Grouse Creek Placer

Commodity

Primary: Gold

Location

State: Idaho
County: Custer
District: Loon Creek District

Land Status

Land ownership: National Forest
Note: the land ownership field only identifies whether the area the mine is in is generally on public lands like Forest Service or BLM land, or if it is in an area that is generally private property. It does not definitively identify property status, nor does it indicate claim status or whether an area is open to prospecting. Always respect private property.
Administrative Organization: Challis National Forest

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Type: Surface

Ownership

Owner Name: Loon Creek Hydraulic Placer Mining Co.

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: Placer
Operation Type: Surface
Year First Production: 1869
Discovery Year: 1869
Discovery Method: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Rocky Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Northern Rocky Mountains
Physiographic Detail: Salmon River Mountains

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Clay, Mud
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Holocene

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: UPPER TERRACE GRAVELS AVG $0.25/YD AT A GOLD PRICE OF $20/OZ

Materials

Not available

Comments

Comment (Deposit): The Deposit, Once Operated By the Loon Creek Hydraulic Placer Mining Co., Now (1982) Consists of Several Claims Held By Different Claimants. The Point of Reference, For Convenience, Is Placed At the Confluence of Grouse and Loon Creeks.

Comment (Commodity): Au Value At $18/Oz.

Comment (Location): Claims Extend From Point Near Mouth of Canyon Creek To the Loon Creek Narrows, 4.5 Mi N.

Comment (Production): Production Value $500,000 - $2000000.

Comment (Development): 6 Claims; Company Had A 4000 - Foot Timber Flume, A Dam Across Loon Creek, Ditches and Buildings ( 1934 )

Comment (Workings): Work Was Done Mostly On the Alluvial Gravels, With Only Minor Work Being Done On the Terrace Gravels.

References

Reference (Deposit): Yinger, M.A., 1976 , Geology Of The Eastern Part Of The Loon Creek Mining District, Custer County, Idaho: Moscow, Idaho, Univ. Of Idaho, M.S. Thesis, P. 94 - 96 .

Reference (Deposit): Sibbett, B.S., 1976 , Geology Of The Northeast Part Of The Loon Creek Mining District, Custer County, Idaho: Moscow, Idaho, Univ. Of Idaho, M.S. Thesis, P. 100 - 104 .

Reference (Deposit): Ross, C. P., 1934 , Geology And Ore Deposits Of The Casto Quadrangle, Idaho: USGS Bulletin 854 , 135 P.

Reference (Deposit): Umpleby, J. B., 1913, A Preliminary Account Of The Ore Deposits Of The Loon Creek District, Idaho: U. S. Geological Survey Bulletin 530, P. 66 - 74

Reference (Deposit): Bell, R. N., 1912, Fourteenth Annual Report Of The Mining Industry Of Idaho, P. 99.

Reference (Production): Umpleby, J. B., 1913, USGS Bulletin 530, P. 66 - 74.

Reference (Deposit): Bell, R. N., 1907, Ninth Annual Report Of The Mining Industry Of Idaho, P. 73-74.

Reference (Deposit): Moore, F. C., 1909, Eleventh Annual Report Of The Mining Industry Of Idaho, P. 49.

Reference (Deposit): U.S. Bureau Of Mines Open-File Report MLA 64-85, 1985, Table 10, No. 8, P. 175; Fig. 25, P. 173.

Idaho Gold

"Where to Find Gold in Idaho" looks at the density of modern placer mining claims along with historical gold mining locations and mining district descriptions to determine areas of high gold discovery potential in Idaho. Read more: Where to Find Gold in Idaho.