Alabama Mine: Gold Prospecting in Placer County, California

Quick details

Access

Public area

County

Placer County

State

California

Nearest road

Alabama Mine Road

Postcode

95663

Coordinates

38.84459, -121.15746

Geology at Alabama Mine

This spot sits on granitic rocks, unit 3 (Sierra Nevada, Death Valley area, Northern Mojave Desert and Transverse Ranges), mapped as granodiorite that formed roughly 260 to 3 million years ago. Gold in granitic terrain like this is typically tied to quartz veins along contacts and shear zones, with placer color in the streams that drain them.

Mapped unit

granitic rocks, unit 3 (Sierra Nevada, Death Valley area, Northern Mojave Desert and Transverse Ranges)

Age

260–3 Ma (Lopingian to Tertiary)

Rock types

granodiorite

Elevation

560 ft

Geologic mapping via Macrostrat and the underlying state geological survey maps (CC BY 4.0). Bedrock at the surface can vary within a mapped unit.

Best time to visit Alabama Mine

Best months: September to June. Typical highs run 95°F in midsummer and 59°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 40°F. Summer heat here is intense, so carry more water than you think you need and work the early morning.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, AUBURN station (6 mi away), adjusted for elevation.

Land & collecting status

Generally open to casual rockhounding

Most public-tagged spots sit on BLM, U.S. Forest Service, or other federal land where reasonable hand collecting of common rocks and minerals is allowed. Confirm posted rules and active mining claims before you dig.

Public-land rules vary by agency, season, and field office. The RockHoundR app pulls live BLM, USFS, NPS, and tribal overlays so you can see exactly which agency manages the ground at this spot.

Sources & verification

Spot details combine the public RockHoundR location dataset, normalized mineral labels, agency land-status checks in the app, and community submissions. Coordinates are approximate until verified in the field.

State guidance last verified: April 1, 2026

• BLM California — Recreational mineral collecting
• California Geological Survey
• CDFW — Suction Dredge Mining Permit Program
• Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules

Found at Alabama Mine

Each chip opens all spots that produce that material; the encyclopedia link opens the full ID and field guide.

• Argentite
• Gold QuartzEncyclopedia →
• GalenaEncyclopedia →