Invest • Montana Gold Claims • For Sale, Lease or Joint Venture
Montana Gold Claims: Buy or Lease the premier Missoula Lake Placer in Mineral County's historic Cedar Creek Mining District District.
Contact Marlene Affled, montanagoldclaims.com - Call: 509-389-2606 - Email: marneaffled@mac.com
Acreage - 160
Un-patented
Status -Filed - Active - Available
Serial No. (Waiting BLM asssignment)
Sale Price - $286.700.00
Location: Missoula Lake / upper Oregon–Missoula–Cedar Creek watershed, Mineral County, Montana
Surface Admin: Lolo National Forest, Superior Ranger District
Access: Via USFS Road #320 (Cedar Creek Road) from Superior, Montana
1. Location
The target footprint encompasses Missoula Lake basin, the Missoula Lake Campground area, and the trail corridor trending southeast toward Missoula Gulch, proximate to the Montana-Idaho border.
Based on PLSS reference: Township 15 N, Range 28 W (P.M.M.), Mineral County, Montana.
Elevation for Missoula Lake: ~6,058 ft; basin sits above headwaters draining toward Oregon/Cedar systems.
The setting offers access to the historic placer belt of Oregon/Cedar Creeks, known for bucket-line dredge tailings and good gold potential.
2. District Background & Evidence of Production
Historic dredge operations along Oregon Creek in early 1900s and again circa 1930-35 provide strong evidence of placer gold systems active in the watershed.
A recorded occurrence, Upper Oregon Gulch Placer (MBMG MN008176) in T15N R28W Sec 1, is explicitly stated as “may be same as Yellow Bucket,” which ties to this drainage block.
These references support the conclusion that high-basin and gulch settings like Missoula Lake are viable target areas within the larger placer system.
3. Geology & Deposit Model
Gold is derived from quartz-vein and metamorphic sources in the Bitterroot terrane; transported downslope and reconcentrated into gulch thalwegs, inside bends, and bench gravels.
Missoula Lake basin and its outflow corridor are prime for compacted gravels, lag concentrations, and paleo-bars. The bench and inside-bend features along the trail corridor to Missoula Gulch present secondary targets.
Analogous settings (Oregon Lakes group, elevation ~5,900-6,000 ft) accessed via the same USFS road network confirm the validity of similar elevation-target strategies.
4. Topography, Elevation & Drainage
Relief is significant: steep V-shaped gulches drain from the crest (near Montana-Idaho line) down to the Cedar/Clark Fork system.
Hydrology: The Missoula Lake basin feeds a high-energy outflow channel. Efficient trap sites include inside bends just below gradient breaks; also paleo-bars and colluvial aprons beneath ridge-crest quartz‐vein trends.
Access is seasonal. Road #320 is gravel; high‐clearance vehicles required. Final uphill trail may require backpacking to the lake.
Ridge network near the state line offers vantage for detector work and sample spotting.
5. Environmental & Stewardship Considerations
Native fish habitat: The Cedar Creek system (nearby) supports bull trout (federally threatened) and westslope cutthroat trout. Sampling or mining near high‐elevation tributaries may trigger seasonal restrictions and sediment controls.
Surface administration: USFS Superior Ranger District must be engaged early for “Notice of Intent” or “Plan of Operations” if equipment beyond recreational scope is used.
BMPs (best management practices): Required controls include settling basins for sluice discharge, winter access restrictions, road maintenance, and reclamation of pits.
6. Target Domains & Sampling Strategy
Primary Target Areas:
Outlet/thalweg below Missoula Lake – inside bends, compacted gravels to false bedrock.
Lake-margin bars and paleo-shorelines – iron-stained lag gravels at elevation.
Bench gravels along trail corridor toward Missoula Gulch – meander cutoffs and terraces.
Colluvial aprons beneath ridge-crest quartz-vein trends – coarse lag, heavies trapped against clay lenses.
Sampling Program:
Phase I (Recon): 2-4 days; GPS corners; pan‐con transects every 100-150 ft along target features; detector sweeps.
Phase II (Test Pits / Bulk Sample): Excavate 10-20 pits (0.5-1 yd³ each); run portable wash plant; quantify oz/yd³.
Phase III (Pilot Run & Grade Control): Mobile plant (10-30 yd³/hr) on best bar; log recovery; establish cut-off; reclamation trials.
7. Access & Logistics
Staging from Superior, MT. Supply point includes fuel, lodging, grocery.
Road #320 (Cedar Creek Rd) to Missoula Lake trailhead and campground.
Vehicle: High-clearance 4WD preferred; summer access only; spring and fall subject to snow/road conditions.
Camp/Lodge: Developed USFS campground at Missoula Lake; trail <500 yds to lake.
Communications: Cell service limited; carry offline maps, GPS, satellite communicator if mobile.
8. Comparative Reference
Upper Oregon Gulch Placer, MBMG MN008176 – indicates named placer within same T15N R28W block; reinforces targeting logic.
Yellow Bucket Placer – MRDS-derived placer at lower elevation (~4,879 ft) in same district, providing downstream analogue.
District dredge tailings on Oregon Creek remain visible, demonstrating past grade and system-scale gold transport.
9. Summary
Geologic and geomorphic evidence strongly supports the Missoula Lake basin as a valid target area within the historic placer system.
Established infrastructure, USFS access, and proximity to known productive streams lower exploration risk.
Multiple target zones (lake basin, trail corridor, bench gravels) allow staged exploration with manageable budget.
Environmental permitting achievable with standard BMPs and timing.