Mud Springs Road is a scenic route just West of Jewel Cave National Monument. and takes you through cattle grazing areas.

Antelope Ridge Road goes thru the claim.

The roads are wide, single lane gravel roads where two vehicles can pass easily.

Any vehicle would have no issues on these roads.

See further down the listing the Buying Process, my owner financing options to choose from, and how to purchase my claim.

See with the top listing pictures maps and satellite views.

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

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.

Camp on your claim for free or at area National Forest campgrounds.

Located in gold rich Custer County, near the town of Custer and only 37 miles from Mount Rushmore.

Located just NW of the Jewel Cave National Monument and in an area of gold and gem discoveries.

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.

A lode claim differs from our placer claims, as on a lode claim you can dig into the mountain side and can even go to the extent of building a mine shaft.

Having a lode claim is an advantage as you can dig into the claim with a shaft if you choose.

Our lode claim has veins of valuable minerals including gold in veins (called lodes) cutting thru rocks. Quartz and gold are frequently found together and digging into the quartz vein is called chasing the vein.

A vein of quartz/gold runs thru the claim from West to East.

We also found the gems, Rose Quartz, Feldspar, and Blue-Green Tourmaline.

On the claim I found a quartz vein with gold traces in the rock.

Pick and shovel, rock hammer, metal detector, and is hard rock mining.

I did not expose the whole vein, though was able to follow it going through the claim, intermittently.

The process of lode, hard rock mining, is the process where gold is extracted directly from the lode vein beneath the ground. Dig down about 3 feet as go through the claim, then pick, shovel, and rock hammer working the sides of that hole. Filling in the holes when leave the claim as required by the national forest.

For the use of any machinery, you need to file a Plan of Operation with the BLM for approval.

Scratch your rock ore against an unglazed white ceramic streak plate.

If it's gold, it will leave a golden streak. Or scratch the surface of the specimen with a knife. Gold is a soft metal that will show scratch marks.

18.4 miles West of the town of Custer.

Only about 6 miles NW of the Jewel Cave National Monument with public access.

Mount Rushmore National Memorial is about 38 miles NE.

The Crazy Horse Memorial is about 25 miles NE.

Badlands National Park is about 2 hours East.

Our claim is a great area for gold and gem prospecting.

There are many well known South Dakota attractions within driving distance of this beautiful Black Hills area.

Beautiful area of pine forests.

Beautiful Sylvan Lake 30 miles NE has many water activities.

TOWN OF CUSTER

Custer, the oldest town in the Black Hills, is located near many of the Black Hills best attractions. Situated on the edge of Custer State Park, one of the largest state parks in America, Custer is close to adventure. When you stay in a Custer hotel, youre less than 30 miles from Wind Cave National Park, Jewel Cave National Monument, Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Crazy Horse Memorial, Black Elk Peak, Iron Mountain Road and the Needles Highway.

To honor its history, Custer holds its annual Gold Discovery Days celebration and festivities during the last full weekend of July. Custer is also host to the Tesla Car Rally, which brings in car enthusiasts from all over the country.

From Mount Rushmore to Badlands National Park and beyond you can experience monumental works of man and nature in one place.

The Black Hills of South Dakota are home to five national parks and monuments, including Mount Rushmore, the Shrine of Democracy.

This is a region of infinite variety, with scenic byways, historic Old West towns, Native American culture, gaming and a wealth of attractions.

This area is also a craft beer and winemaking hotspot.

Youll find multiple wineries on the Highway 385 wine trail between Hill City and Deadwood, while quality breweries are dotted across the region.

BLACK HILLS GOLD RUSH

After Horatio Ross discovered gold along a creek in the Black Hills in the 1870s, one of the last great gold rushes descended into this area of South Dakota.

The Black Hills Gold Rush took place in Dakota Territory in the United States.

It began in 1874 following the Custer Expedition and reached a peak in 187677.

The first arrivals were a force of 1,000 men led by George Armstrong Custer to investigate reports that the area contained gold, even though the land was owned by the Sioux. This would begin Custers conflicts with Native American Tribes.

In the ensuing decades, people have continued to find pockets of gold in the Black Hills.

The largest and deepest mine in the Western Hemisphere, Homestake Mine netted some 41 million ounces of gold in its 126 years of operation.

SOUTH DAKOTA ROCKHOUNDING

In South Dakota youll be excited to learn that there are some truly amazing rocks and minerals to find. Most of the best rockhounding sites are in and around the Black Hills.

The highlight of South Dakota rockhounding is undoubtedly the highly prized and valuable Fairfield agate, a variety of agate noted for its vibrant colors and distinctive fortification banding. These agates are named after the town of Fairfield around which they are most commonly found, and they are very popular with lapidary artists and collectors.

Gems to be found are Agates, Rose Quartz, Jade, Jasper, Calcity crystals, Amethyst, Tourmaline, and Blue Chalcedony.

One of the biggest reasons rockhounds flock to South Dakota is the wide variety of rocks and minerals that can be found here. Many collectors are interested in the Fairburn agates and rose quartz the state is famous for.

This western part of SOUTH DAKOTA is a rockhound and vacation paradise and has several important gem and mineral deposits in addition to the famous gold deposits of the Black Hills.

JEWEL CAVE NATIONAL MONUMENT

Beneath the Black Hills of South Dakota is the intriguing underground world of Jewel Cave. With over 202 miles of explored passageway, Jewel Cave ranks as one of the longest caves in the world.

Brilliant color and fragile rocks reveal an amazing ecosystem not visible anywhere else. The third longest cave in the world has much to offer to a wide range of those interested in its natural glory.

The splendor of this underground wilderness is revealed through fragile formations and glimpses of brilliant color. The maze of passages lures explorers, and its scientific wealth remains a mystery. This resource is truly a jewel in the National Park Service.

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 20.66 acre claim will be legally recorded with the Montana/South Dakota Bureau of Land Management and the Custer 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.

Wind Cave National Park and Jewel Cave National Monument are also in the neighborhood. They are two of the longest cave systems in the world, coming in at roughly 150+ miles and 180+ miles, respectively.

Drive I-90 going East and take exit 110 to the Badlands Loop State Scenic Byway. South Dakota Highway 240 winds its way through the eastern portion of Badlands National Park, snaking and crawling between ancient rock formations, cliffs, and colorful spires.

Located between Custer and Hill City and about 17 miles from Mount Rushmore, is the Crazy Horse Memorial, another dynamite-blasted, intricately-carved Black Hills behemoth.

Some 60 individual mammoth remains have been identified and preserved at the Mammoth Site in Hot Springs another great day trip.

RAPID CITY, where we fly into

Rapid City lies East of Black Hills National Forest in western South Dakota.

Its known as a gateway to Mt. Rushmore.

Known as the City of Presidents, a series of life-size statues, spans several blocks downtown.

North of Rapid Creek, which bisects town, the Journey Museum & Learning Center offers local history and geology exhibits.

Rapid City makes the perfect base for explorations and Doing Big Things.

With several national parks, monuments and memorials as well as a host of state parks all within a one-hour drive, Rapid City offers a contemporary vibe and a rich cultural heritage experience.

Downtown Rapid City and Main Street Square offer added urban pleasures as well as a vibrant arts and culture scene.

Great local restaurants and an assortment of boutiques and gift shops are all surrounded by the City of Presidents statues.

SYLVAN LAKE

Its hard to believe Sylvan Lake is real. Thats how scenic it is.

Rent a kayak or paddleboard for aquatic adventuring or pull up some shoreline for a picturesque picnic. Its fun beyond the water, too.

This Custer State Park gem is ringed with easy hiking trails, one of which is the trailhead to Black Elk Peak.

BLACK HILLS NATIONAL FOREST

The massive Black Hills National Forest where are claims are located, spans more than 1.25 million acres and contains the states tallest mountain: Black Elk Peak, coming in at 7,244 feet. Located just a few short miles from Mount Rushmore, this summit is the highest point east of the Rocky Mountains. The name was changed in 2016 from Harney Peak. William S. Harney was a general in the Mexican-American and Indian Wars, and those etymological origins were abandoned in favor of honoring the original inhabitants of this region. The new name of Black Elk Peak recognizes the legendary Lakota Sioux medicine man as well as the states important Native American communities.

At 7,242 feet, Black Elk Peak is South Dakotas highest point and rises majestically above the national forest.

Native American tribes of the Sioux Nation occupied the Black Hills until General George Armstrong Custers 1874 Military Expedition opened the territory, illegally at first, to prospectors. During the expedition, gold was discovered near the current town of Custer. Within a year, an estimated 4,000 whites had entered the Hills. Legal or not, the rush was on. Placer claims were staked throughout the Black Hills.

As the gold placers played out, the miners turned to hardrock mining.

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.

You will also receive a free Prospecting Kit once you have paid for your claim that includes,

a Rockhounding Geology Hammer Tool, Rock Pick Axe, 3 PCS Digging Chisels Kit, with Musette Bag, and a Compass. See picture of that kit with the listing pictures.

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.

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

This is a 20.66 acre unpatented, gold mining lode claim, the Rushmore Gem Lode #13, in the famous Black Hills, and in the Black Hills National Forest.

The claim is legally registered with the Montana/Dakotas Bureau of Land Management and the Custer County Recorder.

You own the mineral rights, not sharing with others, on the 20.66 acres, and use your 20.66 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 the mineral vein, approx. 1/4 of an ounce of gold, being worth about $500. 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 20.66 acre claim lode 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 specimens of agates and rose quartz, the state mineral, on the claim.

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 and the nearby national forest campground.

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 claims, you never have to declare to the BLM any gold or gems you find.

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20.66 acres = parcel size of 600 ft. x 1500 ft.

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This claim in this wonderful area, has direct legal road access on a National Forest Road, with an area for camping, and gold and gems discovered in lode prospecting using rock hammer, chisels, and shovel.

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TOWN OF DEADWOOD

In the northern Black Hills youll find the historic Old West town of Deadwood. In the 1870s, Deadwood Gulch was a site of the last big frontier gold rush in North America. Deadwood flourished on gold mining for more than a century, and today it is known for its rich history, legal gambling and attractions that are all related to gold and the gold rush heritage of this wonderfully restored community.

Deadwood is where Wild Bill Hickok used to spend his days and is more than an HBO series. The gold rush town may have a population of less than 1,500, but its sort of become South Dakotas answer to Vegas. Gambling is allowed here for those 21+), festivals and concerts happen on the regular, and the towns Old West history has buried a lot more than the occasional bank account. The first order of the day is to stop by Saloon #10, nowadays both a bar and a museum, to see Wild Bill Hickoks Dead Mans Hand, the poker game where he ultimately lost his life. Theres also dining upstairs at the Deadwood Social Club, live music, a martini bar, and South Dakotas largest selection of whiskey at the American Whiskey Bar. Before you head out, stop by Mount Moriah Cemetery; its the final resting place of Hickok, as well as famous frontierswoman Calamity Jane.

TOWN OF HILL CITY

Hill City is a small town in terms of population, but is considered a vital tourism community due to its location near the center of the widely popular Black Hills, a proximity that has earned it the nickname Heart of the Hills. The oldest city in Pennington County, Hill City is just 26 miles southwest of South Dakotas largest city, Rapid City. A diverse network of unique shopping and dining destinations cater to tourists. Popular restaurants include the Bumpin Buffalo Bar & Grill, the Alpine Inn, and the Continental Cafe. Specialized shops include handmade jewelry outlets, the year-round Christmas outlet Mistletoe Ranch, the Prairie Berry Winery, and a variety of specialty gift shops.

TOWN OF STURGIS

If youre on the road here during the first week of August, you may notice an influx of motorcycles on the highway. Theyre probably on their way to the internationally famous Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in Sturgis, South Dakota.

There are always huge musical headliners and attendees from every continent.

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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 us, as we are the original claim locators.

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Your ownership is legally conveyed via a Quit Claim deed, and legally recorded with the South Dakota BLM and the Custer 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 by credit card with the BLM.

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 Custer 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 Madison County.

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The Rushmore Gem Lode #13 claim is an unpatented, gold and gem lode mining claim, ideally situated in the Black Hills, surrounded by beautiful mountain ranges.

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Your 20.66 acres is the located in the SE 1/4 of the SW 1/4 and part of the SW 1/4 of the SE 1/4 of Section 22, T3S, R2E, Black Hills Meridian., known as the Rushmore Gem Lode #13 mining claim.

BLM claim number: MT106759072

Driving Directions:

18.4 miles West of Custer.

Take US-16 West out of Custer, also known as Mt. Rushmore Road,

Turn right, North, after 15.1 miles, onto Mud Springs Road,

Mud Springs Road entrance is at 43.7291, -103.8578,

To left onto Antelope Ridge Road, the claim road, which is also NF Road 283.

Is about 4 miles to the claim from the Mud Springs Road entry,

Then using the GPS coordinates below to the claim.

GPS Coordinates:

Rushmore Gem Lode #13

NW 43.7705, -103.8715

NE 43.7705, -103.8657

SW 43.7689, -103.8715

SE 43.7689, -103.8657

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

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

Gold 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.

Lode gold occurs on the claim usually in quartz veins derived from gossan formed by weathering, and oxidation of the gold, copper and iron rich veins. Gold is derived from the erosion of mineralized fault zones on the claim.

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Additional Features:

Fishing in the area creeks and 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 20.66 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 20.66 acre claim will be legally recorded with the Montana/South Dakota Bureau of Land Management and the Custer 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 20.66 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, and South Dakota, as we have been doing for a number of years.

And just a note of encouragement for you if purchase:

My wife and I have located, prospected on, and sold mining claims in California, Colorado, Arizona, and now also in Montana, Wyoming, and South Dakota, for now 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 bought 2 claims from Mr. Leu.

We have been to both and our outings there have become wonderful family events.

Our kids love panning the creeks, and we have found gold on both.

We are so happy with our purchases as the claims are exactly as described.