Where's The Gold? July/August 2025 - Sneak Peek

June 9, 2025

98 comments

Where's The Gold? July/August 2025 - Sneak Peek

Where’s the Gold? Teaser for July/August 2025

By GPAA Staff

Where’s the Gold challenge image for July/August 2025

In this Where’s the Gold, I’m going to test your ability to predict where the gold will be. This is about looking at an area before the high-water distribution events that move gold and then concentrate it when the water slows. For this one, look at everything — and I mean everything. Every boulder, tree, bush, and every bedrock occurrence — everything is in play. Here’s what I know from prospecting this spot for over two decades. During the summer monsoon rains, the water in this wash will rise 3 to 5 feet in depth. The water will also reach across the banks to make a flow area over 40 feet wide. That is a lot of water. In the grand scheme of things, the flow is very similar to spring runoff or any high-water event anywhere in the world. Each year, during the flash floods this area, everything changes. It is like going into an area I’ve never been to each time, and I truly appreciate the challenge. Here’s your chance to hone your skills and sharpen your instincts. Trust your instincts with what you see at first glance. Plus, an added challenge, no hints on this one.

Challenge: Comment below with your best guess at where the gold is concentrated in the image! One random comment between now and June 30th, 2025, will win a free $50 paydirt bag. Don’t miss out!

Subscribe to Gold Prospectors Magazine: Subscribe by June 14th, 2025, to be included in the mailing list and receive the July/August 2025 issue free! After that, enjoy it for just $10 every other month until cancelled. Visit https://gpaastore.com/products/gold-prospectors-magazine to sign up today!

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Comments

Depending on which direction the water flows; I would start in front of each large rock and boulder then go from left to right with test panning.
If I had to only work one spot then it would be right in the middle of the dark gray boulder and the light gray boulder in the middle left of the foreground of this image. It looks like the water is flowing towards us based on the lay of the twigs/branches.

on the right top, next to the 2X4
Or bottom left next to the twigs

Thanks for the fun challenge!

Well it looks like the creek bends back to the left in the back of the photo. So a high water event will drop some there behind the bedrock peak. But a better ROI amount will be pushed across due to water speeds and hit the 2 boulders tucked in the bushes in the upper right side. That’s why the rocks are puled up there next to them and why all the bushes are blown out. That whole area would act as a sluice. I would start testing just below the bush line from under those boulders to above the big light colored boulder next to the 2×2 board on the right side of the picture. The water slowed enough there to leave the board so no need to go past that. But that’s just me. I am no pro.