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

Buffalo Bill Reservoir is just down the road East with great fishing and boating,

Half hour away, the town of Cody has all the necessities, as does the small town of Wapiti just 10 miles away.

Located in the majestic Big Horn Mountains in Americas first National Forest, Shoshone National Forest.

Within hiking distance to a nature preserve, the North Absaroka Wilderness, with public access.

This area has the feel of the Old West where the Cowboy Culture still lives on.

Yellowstone National park is only 23 miles West.

The town of Wapiti is just 10 miles East and town of Cody is 30 miles East, both having the Old West feel.

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.

A quartz/gold vein was discovered extending thru the claim.

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 South to North thru the middle of the claim.

The quartz vein has 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.

TOWN OF CODY

CALLED BY THE LOCALS, CODY YELLOWSTONE

Cody was named the best city in Wyoming to live and visit based on employment opportunities, cost of living, school systems, outdoor activities, and tourist attractions.

A gateway town to Yellowstone National Park, Cody is an historic town surrounded by natural splendor. Cody was named after the infamous William "Buffalo Bill" Cody and boasts a thrilling stampede event now named after him.

Along the central streets, youll find Old West-style shop fronts and saloons that provide a glimpse into the pastbut the architecture is just one part of Codys charm. Residents enjoy an excellent school system and lower on average cost of living, with the average price of a single family home well below the national average.

Yellowstone National Park is an exciting destination, the beautiful Buffalo Bill State Park is nearby, and the surrounding areas provide excellent opportunities for outdoor adventures, recreation, and fishing.

The Wild West is a place filled with adventure. Its a place where you can ride horses, rope cattle, sit around a campfire and stay at a genuine guest ranch. But its also a place filled with warmth and charm. Welcoming accommodations, fine restaurants, stellar shopping, plenty of things to see and do, and no shortage of outdoor fun and adventure.

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.

WYOMING ROCKHOUNDING

Rockhounding is more than just a hobby; it is a lifestyle. Rockhounding in Wyoming is a great way to get out and enjoy the states expansive landscapes and beautifully unique terrain. Wyoming happens to be among the best states in the entire country for rockhounding thanks to the sheer volume of prospective collecting sites and the impressive array of rocks and minerals to be found. Wyoming is perhaps most well known for its world-class National Parks like Yellowstone and Grand Teton. While you cant collect rocks within those parks, the fantastically complicated and gorgeous geology found within their borders is a testament to the complex geological history of the area. The relatively recent volcanic and metamorphic activity in Wyoming has given rise to many desirable and sought-after rocks and minerals. Wyoming Jade, the Wyoming state gemstone, is the most famous of the states geologic treasures. Wyoming also hosts diamonds, corundum (sapphire and ruby), opal, peridot, iolite (gem-quality cordierite), agate, petrified wood, and quartz crystals. Some Wyoming rock types used by lapidaries also include marble, silicified banded iron formation (BIF), fuchsitic quartzite, and gneiss.

BUYING PROCESS:

To purchase my claim, the process would be, I would need your name(s) and mailing address, 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 payment.

After receiving your final payment, your ownership of the 20.66 acre claim will be legally recorded with the Wyoming Bureau of Land Management and the Park 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.

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 Wyoming Gold Rush.

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

BIG HORN MOUNTAINS

Located in north-central Wyoming, the Bighorn Mountains are a sister range of the Rocky Mountains. Conveniently located halfway between Mt. Rushmore and Yellowstone National Park, the Bighorns are a great vacation destination in themselves. Visitors experience a diverse landscape - from grasslands to alpine meadows, clear lakes to glacial carved valleys and rolling hills to sheer mountain cliffs.

TOWN OF WAPITI

Wapiti is situated along the North Fork of the Shoshone River in Shoshone National Forest, between Cody and the eastern entrance of Yellowstone National Park.

The town is named after the Cree Indian word for elk.

BUFFALO BILL RESERVOIR

Colonel William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody made the area famous in the early days of the West. He and his companions were the first to perceive the possibilities of turning the sagebrush flats of Wyoming's Bighorn Basin into a land of agricultural abundance through irrigation. The main historic site is Buffalo Bill Dam, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as a major engineering achievement. Fishing open year-round. Wyoming State fishing license required. Fish species (coldwater) include rainbow trout, brown trout, lake trout (mackinaw), and cutthroat trout. Good access via shoreline roads and 3 boat ramps. Water surface covers approximately 8,000 acres. Additional blue-ribbon quality fishing available on Shoshone River above and below reservoir. Available services include developed campsites and RV sites with dump stations, drinking water, tables, restrooms, wind screens, primitive campsites, and a new visitor center. Other activities include watchable wildlife, big game, and waterfowl hunting in season with Wyoming State license. Hiking and horseback riding. Popular windsurfing area.

PARK COUNTY

You wont run out of things to do or places to see when you visit Park County.

Plan your vacation around one of our many events any time of year from ice fishing and music shows, to rodeos and festivals. Enjoy the myriad of quality attractions and world-class museums.

Park County encompasses 3,349,120 acres of land, the majority of which is held under state or federal control, with only 23% privately owned. Most of the Shoshone National Forest, the first national forest, and a portion of Yellowstone National Park, the first national park, fall within Park County boundaries. Park County is located in the northwestern section of the State of Wyoming.

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 and gem lode mining claim, the Elk Fork Lode #1 in the Big Horn Mountains that are part of the Rocky Mountains, and in the Shoshone National Forest.

The claim is legally registered with the Wyoming Bureau of Land Management and the Park 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 a valuable mineral needs to be discovered, we use this amount for a 20.66 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 historical area for gold and gem prospecting.

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

We also found some nice specimens of jade, the Wyoming state gemstone, and crystals.

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 or the nearby 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 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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SHOSHONE NATIONAL FOREST

Our claims are located in the Shoshone National Forest.

America's first national forest is home to 2.4 million acres of rugged backcountry. From hiking to hunting to camping and mountain biking, the Shoshone National Forest has it all.

Named after the Shoshoni people who have called this area of northwestern Wyoming home for thousands of years, the Shoshone National Forest is filled with special places. With more than 1.4 million acres of congressionally designated wilderness, the Shoshone National Forest is an integral part of the 10-million acre Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

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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 Montana BLM and the Madison 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.

By doing this, you keep the claim forever. You can also pay online by credit card with the BLM,

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

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

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The Elk Fork Lode #1 claim is an unpatented, gold and gem lode mining claim, ideally situated in the Big Horn Mountains, surrounded by beautiful Rocky Mountain ranges.

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Your 20.66 acres is in the NW 1/4 of the NE 1/4 and part of the SW 1/4 of the NE 1/4 of Section 29, Township 52 North, Range 106 West, 6th PM, known as the Elk Fork Lode #1 mining claim.

BLM claim number: WY106753536

Driving Directions:

About 30 miles West of the town of Cody.

Take US-14 West out of Cody,

Turn left/South, onto National Forest Road 424, also called Elk Fork Creek Road,

which is the claim road,

Beginning of FR 424 is at 44.4647, -109.6269,

Then using the GPS coordinates below to the claim.

A higher clearance vehicle would be best.

GPS Coordinates:

Elk Fork Lode #1

NW 44.4552, -109.6438

NE 44.4552, -109.6418

SW 44.4514, -109.6438

SE 44.4514, -109.6418

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

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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 creek 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 and explore on the whole 20.66 acres.

You can camp on a claim while prospecting.

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BUYING PROCESS:

To purchase my claim, the process would be, I would need your name(s) and mailing address, 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 payment.

After receiving your final payment, your ownership of the 20.66 acre claim will be legally recorded with the Wyoming Bureau of Land Management and the Park 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 9 states, 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:

"Living in Wyoming, 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, one in Wyoming, and one In Colorado. 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."