Steamboat Creek and the Bear River are located within the Boise Basin, one of Idaho's most historically productive gold mining areas. Many creeks and rivers in the Boise Basin, including those like Steamboat Creek and the Bear River, have a high probability of containing gold flakes. Gold discoveries in the Boise Basin in 1862 spurred a major gold rush, establishing towns and mining districts. The Boise Basin is particularly known for placer gold deposits, which are gold deposits found in creeks and river beds.

See further down this listing the Buying process, my owner financing options to choose from,

and how to purchase this claim.

See with the listing pictures maps and satellite views.

Click on the top listing picture then arrow right to see all.

Gold prices have reached an all time high of over $4000 per ounce.

We also found some nice gem specimens on the claim:

garnets (the state gem), quartz crystals, opals, and turquoise.

It is also a good sign here that experienced prospectors have been working their claims for years.

Steamboat Creek and the Bear River are tributaries of the North Fork Boise River a known gold river.

The claim is located in the Boise Mountains with spectacular peaks, beautiful forests,

and clear running streams and rivers.

This area called the Boise Basin, where this claim is located, was one of the richest gold mining districts in the nation after the discovery of gold in 1862.

Today prospectors are very active in finding the gold that was left behind.

Owning a mining claim is having access to a lifetime of great family fun and recreation, in a very beautiful, natural setting.

We feel we are selling more than the gold and minerals on beautiful land.

You would be acquiring an experience that will give you a good feel for what the old time prospectors must have felt during the days of the original Montana Gold Rush.

A mining claim is an affordable way to enjoy the beauty of the land combined with the adventure of panning for gold.

36 miles NE of the town of Idaho City that has a history of gold production.

About 2 hours NE of the city of Boise.

The Arrowrock Reservoir is about 2 hours SW with many water activities.

The claim is located in the Boise Mountains having a history of gold production.

It is a good sign that there are other claims in this area being worked by experienced prospectors for years.

National Forests remained open at all times during the virus with a televised invitation by the Director for families to visit them as safe places for family recreation, making our mining claims some of the safest places for your family to enjoy and get away from all the nonsense.

BOISE NATIONAL FOREST

The Boise National Forests vast landscape spans over 2.5 million acres of diverse forest and grassland. Located northeast of Idahos capital city of Boise, recreationists can explore the North Fork Payette River Canyon at 2,800 feet in elevation to the nearly 10,000 foot peak of Trinity Mountain. Whether you choose to explore any of more than 500 trails, or cool off in one of over 250 lakes and reservoirs, the Boise National Forest is truly an outdoor enthusiasts dream!

IDAHO ROCKHOUNDING

Idaho is truly the Gem State. Since the origin of the earth, geologic processes combined to make the rocks of Idaho a mineral collectors storehouse. This, coupled with the beautiful forests and streams, makes Idaho the place where the rock collectors dreams come true.

Idaho is known for its variety of gems, such as garnet, opal, jade, topaz, zircon, agates, tourmaline, star garnets, fossils, and more.

Forests and streams are generally the best places to rockhound in Idaho.

Idaho certainly has a variety of rocks, crystals, and gemstones that would interest any rockhound. From diamonds, rubies, emeralds, gold, and sapphires to geodes, topaz, turquoise, opals, obsidian, amethyst, agates, jades, jasper, garnets, quartz crystals, and petrified wood. Idaho is well known for its meteorite specimens, arrowheads, and fossils as well. The official state gemstone is the star garnet since 1967.

BOISE COUNTY: Boise County was established on February 4, 1864, with its county seat at Idaho City. It was named for the Boise River, which was named by French-Canadian explorers and trappers for the great variety of trees growing along its banks in the lower desert valley. The Boise Basin, in which Idaho City lies, was one of the richest gold mining districts in the nation. Gold was discovered in 1862 and more of it was pulled from present-day Boise County than from the entire state of Alaska. At its peak in the mid-1860s, Idaho City was the largest city in the Northwest, and it was this rapid population influx that lead to the establishment of the Idaho Territory in 1863.

The County continues to produce modern-day treasures in the form of outstanding recreational opportunities, top-notch mountainous scenery, world class whitewater rivers, historic towns, festivals, annual and one-of-a kind events as well as an abundance of lodging and dining venues.

IDAHO CITY

Idaho City was once the largest mining community in the Pacific Northwest during the gold rush about 150 years ago. It was even bigger than Portland, Oregon at the time with about 7,000 residents. Today, you can explore the remnants of the old western town as well as the picturesque Sawtooth Mountains. There are so many fun things to do in Idaho City, making it a fun day trip or weekend trip from the Boise area.

The downtown area is a combination of historic sites as well as charming local shops. You can easily spend half a day browsing the local shops and grabbing a bite to eat.

The Historic District is in the heart of downtown. There are a handful of historic buildings like the old jail, the Boise Basin Museum, and courthouse as well as a bunch of old farm equipment. There is a fun boardwalk that will take you by most of the 14 historical sites, making it easy to imagine what life was like in the 1800s.

BUYING PROCESS:

To purchase my claim, I would need how you want your name(s) and street mailing address on the contract, and which payment option you choose, where I would scan and email you a signed contract.

Total price of $3500, that can be paid in one full payment where your ownership is then transferred after receiving payment,

or $3500, paying $1750 first month, and $1750 2nd month,

or $3500, paying $1500 first month, $1000 2nd month, and $1000 3rd month,

or $3500, paying $700 per month for 5 months,

or $3500, paying $500 per month for 7 months,

or $4000, paying $400 per month for 10 months.

A $199 deed processing fee is paid with final monthly payment.

After receiving your final payment, your ownership of the 18.15 acre claim will be legally recorded with the Idaho Bureau of Land Management and the Boise County Recorder.

I am a retired teacher and got into prospecting as a hobby with my family.

I am 75 and my wife 73, and we have gained the experience to select the best areas to locate claims.

BOISE MOUNTAINS

Rising dramatically above Treasure Valley below, the Boise Mountains are a collection of peaks in the west-central part of Idaho. The range contains 79 named peaks, the highest of which is Two Point Mountain and the most prominent of which is Shafer Butte.

Geographically the Boise Mountains are roughly defined by the Boise National Forest and contain 20 mountain lakes and over 35 named summits. The region is relatively warm and dry- slightly more moist than a typical desert mountain range.

Winters are relatively short due the their low elevation and southern location.

CITY OF BOISE

Boise is the capital city of Idaho. The Boise River Greenbelt is a series of tree-dotted trails and parks hugging the water's edge. In an art deco building, downtowns Boise Art Museum has contemporary works and an outdoor sculpture garden.

Boise is a recreationalist's paradise. If you value the outdoors and time spent among rivers, mountains, canyons, deserts and lakes and all the activities encapsulated therein it's worth a serious look.

Downtown Boise is booming. New construction is all over the area. The Zions Bank building, completed in 2014, is the tallest building in the state and sits at the city's center. Locally sourced food and drink dominate the summer patio scene. Boise's residents may spend their days enjoying nature, but they fill their evenings dining on locally sourced cuisine, enjoying an opera performance and sipping delicious cocktails.

Idaho's capital sits squarely on the boundary of urban and rural, civilized and wild, refined and raw. Yes, there are wilder places. Yes, there are more urbane places.

Boise is a good place to live if you enjoy easy access to both.

ARROWROCK RESERVOIR

This 18 mile narrow canyon reservoir of 3,150-acres has limited access to 60 miles of shoreline. Boating, canoeing, windsurfing, and fishing are the major recreation activities at Arrowrock, located east of Boise. The reservoir is only 30 minutes from Boise and provides access to the city's nearest national forest. Fish species include rainbow trout, kokanee, yellow perch, whitefish, and the protected bull trout. Season open year-round. Site offers: vault toilets, boat ramps and dock, parking, and dispersed camping.

If within one year you are not satisfied with your claim, you can trade for another comparable claim, just paying the BLM and County transfer fees which will be about $125.

Claim buyer will also receive a new, free, Gold Panning Kit:

One 14 inch Gold Trap pan; One 10.5 inch Gravity Trap pan, One combination sifter/classifier with 7/16 of an inch exit holes, One Gold Guzzler snuffer bottle, One Tweezers/ Magnifying Glass combo tool.

Mining Claims as an investment: if you purchase a claim from us, at no charge, I would help you if you ever decided to sell in the future.

Mining Claims are a great investment, as claims go up in value over time, just as land does.

Gold and gems discovered in our own prospecting along with the beauty of the area, makes for awesome camping and prospecting.

This is a 18.15 acre unpatented, gold mining placer claim, the Steamboat Creek Gold #1 with Steamboat Creek running all the way thru the claim, in the Boise Mountains and in the Boise National Forest.

The claim is legally registered with the Idaho Bureau of Land Management and the Boise County Recorder.

You own the mineral rights, not sharing with others, on the 18.15 acres, and use your 18.15 acres recreationally for camping and prospecting in an awesome, beautiful area.

For any building like a shed, you need to file a Plan of Operation with the BLM for approval. For anything to live in, you would need to file a Plan of Operation with the BLM for approval, and to be considered, you would need to have developed a full-time mining operation.

For the possibility of constructing any building you for others could live in, you need to file a Plan of Operation with the BLM for approval, showing you have developed a full-time operation performing diligent mining.

You do not need a plan, permission nor a permit to camp and prospect.

You do not need to be a full time prospector to file a Plan for a shed type structure.

With an approved BLM Plan of Operation, a building can be built on the land: any building that benefits and improves the claim.

As stated by the BLM, this can be the "construction of a building, road, fence, or enclosure necessary for mining."

Current usage, is what the BLM calls, Casual Use: panning, shovel, rock hammer, metal detector, creek powered sluice box, where no permission nor permit is needed to camp and prospect.

On our visits to the claim, we gathered in and around the creek approx. 1/8 of an ounce of gold, being worth about $250. As the BLM does not specify the amount of gold to be found to locate a claim other than gold needs to be discovered, we use this amount for a 18.15 acre claim as a projection of good gold potential. Someone with more time may find more.

Gold prices are over $4000/ounce. Though we could never guarantee what you will find, we did locate this claim in an historically rich area for gold prospecting.

Gold in just this past year has gone up over $500 per ounce.

We also found some nice gem specimens on the claim:

garnets (the state gem), quartz crystals, opals, and turquoise.

You are allowed to post No Trespassing for Prospecting signs in and around the claim.

A mining claim owner may limit or restrict public recreational use of/or public access across claims or portions of claims that are actively used for prospecting, mining, or processing operations where public recreational use of a claim would endanger or materially interfere with legitimate mining pursuits.

Camp on your claim by the creek or area national forest campgrounds.

A claim owner does not need permission nor a permit to camp and prospect.

You can prospect as little or as much as you like.

Now that we have located the claim, you never have to declare to the BLM any gold or gems you find.

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18.15 acres = parcel size of 599 ft. x 1320 ft.

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This claim in this wonderful area has legal road access on a National Forest Road, with areas for camping, and gold and gems discovered in surface prospecting.

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A transfer of ownership is a sale of legal, exclusive ownership of a mining claim site.

To be a legally recorded claim, a valuable mineral had to be found on the claim, which was completed by me, as I am the original claim locator.

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Your ownership is legally conveyed via a Quit Claim deed, and legally recorded with the Montana BLM and the Boise County Recorder. A Quit Claim deed is the required legal document per the BLM.

Each year, on or before September 1st, you need to file a simple form with the Bureau of Land Management, along with $200. You can also pay online with the BLM by credit card.

By doing this, you keep the claim forever.

I have paid the fee for the new claim year, not due again until September 1, 2026.

There are no separate taxes on mining claims in Boise County.

You must be a current US citizen with a US address to own a mining claim in the US.

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An unpatented mining claim is a specific parcel of federal land, valuable for a specific mineral deposit or deposits. It is a parcel for which an individual has asserted a legal right of possession and the right to develop and extract a discovered, valuable, mineral deposit.

Mining claims are real property that you can buy, sell, or inherit.

After proving the existence of valuable minerals on the land, the claim is legally recorded with the Bureau of Land Management and Boise County.

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The Steamboat Creek Gold #2 is an unpatented, gold placer mining claim, ideally situated on Steamboat Creek, surrounded by beautiful Boise Mountain ranges.

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Your 18.15 acres is the East 1/2 of Lot 2 in the NW 1/4 of Section 18, Township 7 North, Range 9 East, Boise Meridian, known as the Steamboat Creek Gold #2 mining claim.

BLM claim number: ID106754687

Driving Directions:

About 36 miles NE of the town of Idaho City.

Take ID-21 North out of Idaho City; this road is also known as Ponderosa Pine Scenic Route,

Turn left onto ID-21 North\ Ponderosa Pine Scenic Route.

Take Little Owl Creek Road, National Forest Road 384G and Hunter Creek Crooked River Road/Rabbit Creek Road, which is the claim road.

Then follow GPS coordinates below to the claim.

GPS Coordinates:

Steamboat Creek Gold #2

NW 43.9470, -115.4459

NE 43.9470, -115.4434

SW 43.9434, -115.4459

SE 43.9434, -115.4434

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The claim location monument has a 4 foot wooden post near the river, with copy of Location Notice attached, as required by the State of Idaho.

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The creek on the claim is a unique advantage for gold prospecting.

Gold always occurs in gravels in the metallic state and when so found has various physical characteristics. Gold is dense and heavy, it has a characteristic metallic color, and it is soft and easily malleable (it is easily formed by hammering). These are the characteristics used by prospectors to identify gold in the field.

Placer gold occurs on the claim as small grains derived from gossan formed by weathering, and oxidation of the gold, copper and iron rich veins. Gold also occurs as grains flakes and small nuggets derived from the erosion of mineralized fault zones on, and upstream from the claim.

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Additional Features:

Year round Steamboat Creek on the claim for panning.

Trout fishing in Steamboat Creek, Bear River, and area lakes.

Beautiful Rock specimens for you Rock Hounds.

Located in one of the most beautiful mountain areas in the US.

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The Federal Government owns the land.

You are purchasing the mineral rights.

You own the mineral rights, including gold and gems on the claim, as real property, being the same legal ownership as for land and homes

Prospect, explore, on the whole 18.15 acres.

You can camp on a claim while prospecting.

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TERMS:

To purchase my claim, I would need how you want your name(s) and street mailing address on the contract, and which payment option you choose, where I would scan and email you a signed contract.

Total price of $3500, that can be paid in one full payment where your ownership is then transferred after receiving payment,

or $3500, paying $1750 first month, and $1750 2nd month,

or $3500, paying $1500 first month, $1000 2nd month, and $1000 3rd month,

or $3500, paying $700 per month for 5 months,

or $3500, paying $500 per month for 7 months,

or $4000, paying $400 per month for 10 months.

A $199 deed processing fee is paid with final monthly payment.

After receiving your final payment, your ownership of the 18.15 acre claim will be legally recorded with the Idaho Bureau of Land Management and the Boise County Recorder. The quit claim deed is the correct document to be recorded for a mining claim, as stated by the BLM.

This is not a sharing with others of your 18.15 acre claim.

We live in Ohio. Our connection to the West is our daughter lives in Denver, though she is not involved with our claims. We visited her in September, then went to prospect and locate mining claims in other states, including Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, and now also Idaho, Utah, and Nevada, as we have been doing for a number of years.

And just a note of encouragement for you if you purchase:

My wife and I have located, prospected on, and sold mining claims in

California, Colorado, Arizona, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, and now also in Idaho, Utah, and Nevada for over 25 years.

You can trust we will process your notarized deeds correctly and quickly.

In that mining claims are processed thru the Bureau of Land Management, a Federal Govt. agency, not following thru per our legally signed contract, would be a federal crime. I certainly will do what I say, and would never put myself nor my wife in any legal jeopardy.

Also, we have sold properties on 3 sites online for over 25 years:

Landwatch, Landcom, and LandandFarm.

Our continued good status on these sites is due to our always following thru, as just one time we would not, we would not be allowed to sell on these sites ever again.

COMMENTS FROM SATISFIED CLAIM BUYERS:

"The purchase of our mining claim from you has been great for family fun and recreation. We have camped overnight a number of times, and panned for gold in the creek. We were even able to find gold flakes on several of our attempts. Thank you so much!."

I'm looking forward to having some time on the mining claim.

We used to go camping 4-6 weeks out of the year.

Even though I realize this is a retirement business for you. I wanted to say thank you for giving so many people over the years the opportunity to purchase your claims. I've seen them available for a long time, but never had the opportunity to purchase anything. They have probably brought many smiles to so many people. It will be the same for us.

"We purchased 2 mining claims from Michael Leu over the last 2 years. We have been to our claims on several occasions, and we could not be happier! They are exactly as described, and our camping on our claims and prospecting in the creek on each claim is the highlight of our vacations. You can trust Mr. Leu. If you are looking for a great time in the awesome beauty of the west, buying a mining claim from Mr. Leu will be a blessing."