Darrick Meneken

By Darrick Meneken
For The Register-Guard

Out beneath ancient Douglas fir trees dressed in gauzy beards of emerald moss, a clear creek bends through Umpqua National Forest. Rainbowcolored boulders are visible in the stream, which grinds its way on an endless journey, bullied by rapids and white water. Beneath it all, unseen, a nugget, a flake, a speck of gold waits to be found.

“Eureka!” A shrill cry lifts into the tree branches. “I found some.”

You, too, can have that experience in the waters of Brice Creek, an easy-to-access stream east of Cottage Grove.

The creek contains three prime stretches of riverbed open to recreational gold panning, a hobby that locals and tourists alike can enjoy with no need for a license or permit.

The areas in question fall along the strip of Brice Creek between Cedar Creek and Lund Park campgrounds.

Water around both camps, along with a small stretch between the two, opens to recreational panning from July 1 through Oct. 15. All three areas belong to a larger mining region known as the Bohemia Mining District, a place that saw its first gold rush near the end of the Civil War.

Boom-and-bust cycles aside, these recreational sites represent a unique chance for children and adults alike to introduce themselves to the lost art of gold panning.

“They’re finding color,” says Pat Williams, a member of the Forest Service lands and minerals staff.

Color, you see, is what those in the know say when they’ve gotten over the initial excitement of finding their first flake of gold.

“It’s getting to be a huge hobby for families on the weekend,” says Ruth Seeger, an area mining geologist for Western Oregon and Southwest Washington national forests.

When it comes to gold, Seeger describes two types of deposits: lode and placer. Lode deposits are the stuff of “gold fever” and exclamations such as, “Thar’s gold in ’dem thar hills!” You find these deposits inside geologic formations, typically mountains, in the form of veins.

Placer gold deposits, on the other hand, occur when erosion and other natural forces loosen the valuable mineral and eventually wash it downstream.

Historically, miners finding substantial placer deposits called them “pay streaks.”

You can look for your own golden treasure for a minimal startup cost. One local shop to swing by before heading out is Nelson The Rocky Feller at 1509 W. Sixth Ave. in Eugene. The store, open Tuesday through Saturday, sells pans for $5 to $15.

Recreational panning on Brice Creek began in 1954, when the sites were withdrawn from mineral location.

In other words, they were set off- limits from larger operations and claims, and instead mapped specifically for recreational use. That typically means panning but can also include small dredges and other tools.

Get the guide

While no license or permits are needed for recreational gold collection, it’s wise to pick up a copy of the area’s official “Guide for Recreational Mineral Collection,” available at the U.S. Forest Service office in Cottage Grove at 78405 Cedar Park Road. The station is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. except holidays; call (541) 767-5000.

The guide also is at the Cottage Grove Chamber of Commerce, 700 E. Gibbs St., Suite C, which is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. except holidays. Call the chamber at (541) 942-2411.

The guide includes the Brice Creek sites as well as a couple of others inside Umpqua National Forest and on Bureau of Land Management property.

For additional information on the BLM site, call (541) 683-6600, or visit the Bureau of Land Management Eugene District Office at 2890 Chad Drive in North Eugene off Coburg Road (open 7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Monday through Friday except holidays).

Road to gold

You can reach the Brice Creek locations in less than an hour’s drive from Eugene.

Take Exit 174 off of Interstate 5 and follow Row River Road east for 20 miles. From there, veer right on to Brice Creek Road No. 2470.

Cedar Creek Campground is 4 miles up; Lund Park is about 3 miles beyond that.

While traveling on Row (rhymes with “wow”) River Road, be sure to watch the street signs as a couple of turns are necessary to remain on track.

All of these roads are paved and easily passable during the summer months.

Tread softly

Despite the freedom of panning, there remain some rules. No disturbance of the stream bank is allowed, and any discharge must be confined to a quiet pool. Other rules are spelled out in the official guide pamphlet.

As you might expect, the hobby is most popular on the Fourth of July and Labor Day.

“It really increases around the holidays,” Williams says. “But it’s not an extreme situation. There’s not a lot of folks out there.”

Cedar Creek and Lund Park both contain eight campsites and plenty of other parking at their adjacent Brice Creek trailheads.

Those wanting to explore more areas of the creek bed might find waders a welcome addition to their outfit.

While Brice Creek is clear and full of beautifully colored rocks — not to mention some gold — it’s also cold.

Another tip includes getting under the creek’s larger rocks to the finer sediment closer to the bedrock.

With a little luck, you might just send your own shout of “Eureka” through a moss-draped forest.

This story first appeared in the 2007 edition of Discovery Magazine
(The Register-Guard — Eugene, Ore.)