It’s a Saturday in mid-August in northern Montana, about 45 minutes outside Helena in an area informally referred to as Magpie Gulch by locals. Dustin LeDoux stands in an ankle-deep stream, the ...

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Minnesotans looking to strike it rich may not need to look any further than the Iron Range. Last year, the DNR announced the discovery of gold grains and small gold deposits up ...

Dip a pan in river silt, swish it around, snag a shiny nugget, get rich. Who hasn’t dreamed of finding gold in the hills, valleys and streams? For my age group, we watched white-bearded prospectors on ...

The Vault is Slate’s history blog. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter @slatevault, and find us on Tumblr. Find out more about what this space is all about here. This 1849 map, printed by ...

Upon first glance, this part of Clear Creek in Wheat Ridge does not bring to mind thoughts of precious metals. Rusted industrial pipes protrude from the brambly terrain like snakes being charmed. In ...

Deep in the outback, under skies hued with a kaleidoscope of pinks and oranges, the peace, natural beauty and occasional precious nugget are a goldmine – on many levels – for the likes of James ...